Assurance 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 Assurance department of the SKAO has several distinct functions, namely Business Quality Assurance, Observatory Risk Management, Observatory and GHQ Health, Safety and Security, Engineering Product Assurance, Spectrum Management and Radio Frequency Interference management at Observatory level. The Director of Assurance also undertakes other short-term activities under the direction of the Director General.

The Assurance Directorate is seeking an Assurance Administrator to undertake administration tasks in support of all the diverse functions of the department. The successful candidate, whilst not being a specialist in any area, must be a quick study and ideally have an understanding of the international research infrastructure milieu preferably of large astronomy projects, be pragmatic in the face of complex challenges, and have an enthusiasm for the mission and values of the Observatory. The postholder will need to be supremely organised not least due to the diversity of activities undertaken in Assurance.

The Role

The role involves both general administration of Assurance activities and some specific support to some functions. Assurance uses several collaborative platforms which obviate reduce the need for many conventional administrative functions such as meeting support. However much of the work of Assurance is reactive and hence there is a need for non-routine administration such as insurance claims processing, supporting investigations and research. The Assurance Administrator will also participate in department wide management and improvement initiatives in support of the Director of Assurance. Occasionally the Director General tasks the Director with various activities, and the Assurance Administrator will be required to participate in the fulfilment of these tasks.

The role is internally known as 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 Assurance Administrator will have the following roles and responsibilities:

• Undertake administrative support for all Assurance staff in respect of travel planning including complex travel needs such as visas and invitation letters and travel related expense claims
• Undertake administrative support for all Assurance staff in respect of procurements including raising purchase orders
• Support the CPS Co-Director in respect of various administrative tasks including managing CPS membership applications, maintaining the membership database and organising and targeting correspondence
• Assisting with maintaining Confluence pages and Jira projects for all Assurance staff
• Assist with recruitment and retention within the Assurance department as required
• Support the Business Process Architect in managing audit and enterprise architecture development activity
• Support the Risk Process Manager with maintaining and enhancing the functionality of the Observatory Risk Register
• Support the Head of GHQ Health and Safety in the administration of various training and awareness raising campaigns and responses to emerging events under that responsibility
• Assist the Director of Assurance in managing the Assurance department with prioritisation, document refining, diary optimisation, supporting internal meetings and initiating improvements in the department’s operations
• Support the Director in the execution of any tasks that that have been set by the Director General from time-to-time
• Occasionally travel nationally and internationally as required
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as allocated by the Director

Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in an administrative support role
• Experience of the use of collaboration tools including collaborative editing, chat, videoconferencing, wikis, ticketing systems, Kanban systems, etc. Examples are Google Docs, Slack, Zoom, Confluence and Jira
• Effective oral and written communication skills in English with the ability to influence people in widely differing parts of a complex organisation
• Experience in coordinating events, workshops and/or training sessions
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Self-managing, adaptable and effective in working in a diverse and extended team

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Significant experience of large international science infrastructure enterprises and their culture
• Significant experience of the configuration of collaboration tools including collaborative editing, chat, videoconferencing, wikis, ticketing systems, Kanban systems, etc
• Significant experience of the configuration of Confluence spaces and Jira projects

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.