Business Support Administrator - External Funding

Purpose of the post

This Business Support Administrator will work in close partnership with the COO to provide administrative support that focusses on external funding applications being developed by the broader HDR UK team. We have a mature pipeline that converts potential funding opportunities into awarded resources and eventual impact from successfully completed research. This role will administer that pipeline, supporting bid teams in securing necessary approvals, escalating queries and enabling expert inputs as funding opportunities develop.

Main responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain the Funding@hdruk.ac.ukmailbox.Monitor and respond to emails where appropriate and in a timely manner
• Review Funding Opportunity Forms and ensure that all correct information is included. Log form on the Pipeline and in the Trello board. Create a new folder for the form in the EF file system. Respond to Project Leads (PL) (cc to appropriate Finance Business Partner) with link to live file and request further information from PL where answers are not clear or are incomplete.
• Ensure quality:
  • Work with other members of the team to improve internal ways of working, including documenting processes.
  • Ensure all information (both written and verbal) is treated in a confidential and sensitive manner.
• Steward the completed Funding Opportunity Forms through the process, coordinate queries and responses between support teams and PLs, ensure support teams sign off and then provide full information to SLT for approval process.
• Update Pipeline, Trello Board and Files.
• Chase up current pipeline projects, update pipeline and action as required. For example, mark unsuccessful or instigate the project initiation process where required.
• Judge when a query needs escalating and to whom. Work closely with COO and our team of Finance Business Partners but also build effective links with professional specialists across the Institute.
• Provide general administrative support with items such as meeting preparation, printing documents, liaising with facilities, events and the people team

 

Planning and organising

This post will require a high degree of skill in planning and organising multiple activities along with a flexible approach to meet the changing needs of the Institute.

Problem solving

The post holder will be expected to use problem solving skills to respond to diverse demands. As part of a small team, the post holder will operate with significant independence. The post holder will require a great deal of confidence in dealing with enquiries, problem solving and decision making. The post holder will make an effective judgement on when to escalate issues to senior colleagues’ attention and with what urgency.

Decision making

The post-holder will make all day-to-day operational decisions for their own workload.

Key contacts/relationships

The post holder will build and maintain effective working relationships both within HDR UK, and with other key stakeholders. The postholder will have close working relationships with the teams they are providing support for, as well as other members of the HDR UK leadership team.

Experience/Skills

• Significant experience of broad administrative responsibilities, ideally with an emphasis on high volume enquiries, compliance and customer service
• Significant experience of working with senior level stakeholders across a wide range of sectors
• Excellent attention to detail, spelling, numeracy and grammar
• The ability to be highly organised, self-motivated and prioritise workload effectively
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• The ability to handle confidential information appropriately, with sensitivity and discretion
• The ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
• Experience of working to tight deadlines with the ability to multitask whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy
• Proficient IT skills, particularly Microsoft packages and Trello
• Proficient in use of Teams, Zoom and other online platforms

Please note, as we are a UK-based organisation,  applicants must be living in, and eligible to work in, the UK. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

We politely request no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

For more information, please download the Job Description