Operations Manager and PA to the Assessors

Job description

Background

On 11th September 2024, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that he would establish an independent statutory inquiry into the murder of Mr Patrick Finucane on 12th February 1989. The Inquiry is being established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to enable the Government to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the ECHR in line with the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal judgment in July 2024.

The inquiry will build upon the previous reviews and investigations which have already been conducted into this case, take specific account of the materials and information provided to and generated by them, and avoid unnecessary duplication of investigation.

The Chair of the Inquiry is supported by a small secretariat, providing administrative and policy support to the Chair and other office holders.

The Inquiry is at the early stages, and this role offers an opportunity to make a real impact on the future direction of the Inquiry. As a member of a small team, you will have a varied role on a high-profile topic, working with a diverse group of stakeholders. Its an exciting time to be part of a growing and energetic team with lots of potential for development and growth within this role.

Please note that the role is based at the Inquirys hearing venue in Bradford Court, Belfast BT8 6RB
, with occasional travel to London.

About The Role:

Duties And Responsibilities:

The role-holder will need to work flexibly across the secretariat team, providing support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary and working as part of a wider team, often fulfilling tasks and roles outside his or her key responsibilities.

The key responsibilities of the role are flexible, and expected to include:

• Leading on a wide range of operational work streams, including support for hearings and witness liaison.
• Working with the Head of Hearings & Estates as part of a team to deliver a programme of hearings open to the public, including event management skills and liaison with members of the public and those involved directly or indirectly with the Inquiry.
• Setting up and managing systems to provide business support to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary and growing team, including logistics and travel bookings, IT requests, recruitment, accommodation, events and hearings management.
• Acting as Personal Assistant to the two Assessors to the Inquiry, Baroness OLoan and Francesca Del Mese, ensuring that all administrative requirements are met to support their activities, working closely with all members of the Inquiry team.
• Supporting the Finance Manager with operational running of administrative requirements and finance keeping, including raising POs, processing invoices and receipting for services.
• Supporting the Information Management team with assistance to ensure appropriate records management across Inquiry systems.
• Acting as administrative support for key internal meetings. This will mean overseeing and leading on commissions, the collation of papers, and the setting up and minuting of these meetings, with some diary and travel management.
• Preparing and organising meeting papers for the Secretariat, providing some diary management support and overall support.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Precise objectives will be drawn up with the post-holder to ensure team resilience and delivery of key priorities as the Inquiry develops.

Essential Criteria:

The post holder will need to demonstrate the following in their application and at interview:

• Ability to build and maintain strong and credible relationships with senior stakeholders in pressurised situations
• Strong prioritisation, communication and influencing skills.
• Proven event management experience.
• Experience managing the administrative needs of a principal and/or organisation.
• Ability to assess and solve problems quickly and effectively.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent written communication.
• Willingness to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance if not already held.

Desirable Criteria:

• Holding Security Check (SC) clearance would be beneficial.

Behaviours:

We will assess you against the following…