Office Administrator & PA to Director

The purpose of the role is to facilitate the smooth running of the office, meetings and the director’s diary, as well as being the first point of contact for people visiting the Institute or contacting us by phone or email.

The postholder is the first point of contact for visitors, calls and emails. The role includes looking after meetings and meeting rooms, managing office supplies, keeping the office tidy and being the first point of contact for facilities issues as they arise. Below is a list of the types of responsibility and tasks in each area.

• Act as the first point of contact for visitors.
• Contact visiting academics to arrange logistics before their visit and ensuring that visitors have a positive experience.
• Keep records of IFS’s network of Research Fellows, updating the list each year and sending appointment letters to each of them.
• Arrange access passes and desk booking for visitors.
• Manage visitor expense claims, together with the finance team.
• Greet visitors and show them key information needed for their visit.
• Update the website with visitor and staff information.

• Diary management for the director, Helen Miller: dealing with requests for meetings internally and externally, scheduling meetings
• Managing the director’s email inbox
• Assisting with travel arrangements for the director.
• Arranging meetings for other senior staff when requested.

• Administer the online desk- and room-booking system.
• Administer events and seminars calendars internally and for the IFS website.
• Order food for meetings and seminars as required.
• Assist with room bookings and arrangements for job interviews.
• Accommodation and travel bookings for staff, visitors and event speakers.
• Set up meeting room for seminars when needed, usually with support from colleagues or external staff.
• Preparing refreshments for smaller meetings; organise additional support for larger meetings.

• Deal with email enquiries to the Institute’s generic email addresses, either in person or by forwarding to the appropriate person.
• Telephone answering, taking and delivering messages; dealing directly with some telephone enquiries, where appropriate.
• Maintain a clean and tidy appearance of meeting rooms and communal spaces.
• First point of contact for reporting issues with the office space.
• Liaise with landlords about visitors, contractors, deliveries and other premises issues.
• Manage a schedule of H&S and maintenance checks, such as PAT testing.
• Act as lead fire marshal and arrange fire training.
• Assist with the operational running of the office; liaise with the cleaners and contractors.
• Check stock and order office and catering supplies, and deal with general office queries.
• Fix or arrange with the landlord, IT team or external contractors to fix any office day-to-day issues, e.g. photocopier not working, light bulbs need replacing.
• Keep track of smart cards for landlord’s entry system.
• Handle incoming and outgoing post.
• Other administrative tasks where required.

The postholder should have an interest in working in a research or not-for-profit environment. The job involves careful management of information, gathering, checking and updating records, so they should find satisfaction in doing this kind of work accurately and efficiently. The job holder works collaboratively with different teams at IFS and with affiliated academics; and should be comfortable communicating with a range of colleagues.

• Educated to A level, or equivalent
• Professional, friendly and confident manner when dealing with a range of people, including senior academics
• Strong organisational skills, with evidence of this from previous work
• Good IT skills (or example, with email, Excel, Word and other Microsoft apps)
• Ability to keep calm and prioritise urgent issues
• Confidence in dealing with researchers at all levels
• Collaborative team player with flexible attitude, and willingness to muck in
• Willingness to learn new skills and systems

• Experience of diary management
• Experience of office administration or reception work

Please fill in the form, which includes some questions about your suitability for the role. These answers will be scored blind, without reference to your name or CV. You will also need to upload a copy of your CV which will be considered after we have scored the questions.

The process will follow this timetable:

Interviews: Monday 2 March

We would like candidates to start by the end of March if possible but will consider candidates with longer notice periods.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK. We cannot apply for a visa for this role.