Administrator in UNITED KINGDOM

The role is based in the UK.

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development.

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us!

The SKAO Computing and Software team is looking for an admin support to join their busy team reporting to the Senior Project Manager Computing and Software.

The Role

The administrator will support the Project Managers and the broader Solution Team with administrative, contract, delivery and team support activities helping the teams to focus on delivering the computing and software solutions for the SKA Observatory. The post holder will be an individual contributor coordinating activities across the business in multiple functional areas.

The successful candidate will be a well organised and efficient team player with excellent attention to detail, flexible and a demonstrated ability to learn.

The role is internally known as Computing and Software Administrator.

This is a fixed term position with a duration of 12 months and is based at the SKAO Headquarters at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, UK.

We welcome applications from candidates of all nationalities, especially those from member countries. However, for this role relocation support will not be available and applicants must be able to comply with the terms of a UK based local contract, details of which may be accessed on SKAO’s recruitment portal.

SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory.

This role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties

The main functions of this role will be:

• Supplier and contract management support including activities such as creation and closure of work orders, raising of requisitions and purchase orders, tracking and processing of invoices.
• Support Program Increment Planning events and workshops.
• Coordinate and schedule meetings, workshops, risk reviews, interviews and training sessions.
• Maintain shared project calendars and project manager calendars.
• Record meeting minutes and actions.
• Track and follow-up on outstanding action items.
• Use tools such as Confluence, Jira, Miro and Slack on a regular basis to prepare and maintain shared workspaces, create Jira tickets, Miro boards, Slack channels and Confluence pages, add people to them etc.
• Support team Joiner, Mover, Leavers (JML) processes.
• Format and review documentation and presentations.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the line manager.

Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The successful applicant for this role will have:

• Completed secondary school education.
• Hands-on experience in an administrative, project support or project office role.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a customer-oriented approach.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Be a flexible team player who is adaptable to change and able to work under own initiative.
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills, processes or systems such as CEMAR (contracts), Unit 4 (Finance) and others as required.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate would also have:

• An administration qualification.
• Experience working in a multicultural environment and across different time zones.
• Proficient with software tools that enable collaboration such as Google docs/sheets, Confluence, Jira, Slack and Miro.
• Having worked in an environment where video conferencing is widely used.
• Experience of working in a programme or large project environment.
• Willingness to travel abroad to planning events if required (e.g. potentially once or twice a year for a week)

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement

SKA Observatory recognises that our diversity is a strength. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive. As such, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the core of SKA Observatory’s agenda.

Our aim is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, nationality or background.

Women have traditionally been under-represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA Observatory welcomes and encourages female applicants.

Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the recruitment process, these will be provided.

SKA Observatory welcome all candidates, especially those from member countries.

The “How to Apply” information contained within the SKA Observatory recruitment portal provides more detail regarding our application and selection approach.