Senior Business Support Assistant

Who we are & what we stand for

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match.

We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time. We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward‑thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive. At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance.

Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi‑time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

Education, Schools and Improvement works to ensure that children and young people receive high‑quality education and support that enables them to achieve their full potential. The service works closely with schools, early years providers and partners to promote school improvement, inclusion and safeguarding, while supporting children and families with additional needs. It plays a key role in ensuring statutory responsibilities are met, resources are used effectively, and services are delivered efficiently to support positive outcomes for learners across the local area.

Administration is the backbone of our service delivery. Join us and help keep the system running smoothly.

• Provide reliable and accurate financial administration to support Education, Schools and Inclusion services.
• Process invoices and support budget monitoring, ensuring payments are handled efficiently and in line with Council financial regulations.
• Maintain well‑organised, accurate and up‑to‑date financial and administrative records, contributing to the smooth running of services that support children, families and schools.
• Deliver high‑quality clerical and administrative support across services, ensuring effective day‑to‑day operations.
• Act as a first point of contact for enquiries from service users, the public and external organisations, providing a professional and helpful service via telephone, email, letter and face‑to‑face contact.
• Maintain and update manual and digital information systems to support effective service delivery.
• Coordinate Freedom of Information and Subject Access Requests, ensuring statutory timescales are met and GDPR requirements are adhered to.
• Work closely with colleagues across teams, attending meetings at various locations, contributing to discussions and producing clear and accurate minutes or reports when required.
• Support wider administrative processes and undertake additional duties appropriate to the grade of the role.

• An NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration, or willingness to work towards this, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Relevant administrative experience, ideally within education, local authority or a customer‑focused environment.
• Experience of financial administration, including processing invoices, supporting budget monitoring and maintaining accurate, well‑organised records.
• Strong clerical and organisational skills, with the ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload to meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, particularly when handling financial, confidential and statutory information.
• Strong IT skills, with confident use of Microsoft Office applications and experience of working with both digital and manual information systems.
• Effective communication and customer service skills, with the ability to work independently, contribute positively to a team, and support meetings, minute‑taking and reporting when required.

• Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
• Outstanding Pension…