Administrator jobs in Edinburgh

Main Role & Responsibilities

Working with approximately 45 staff, the HR & Admin Officer will provide effective and well-organised HR and administrative support across the organisation. The role ensures smooth people processes, reliable administrative coordination and highquality support for the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The role also plays a key part in bringing colleagues together by coordinating internal events, including the planning and delivery of all-staff Together Days. 

Our commitment as a People Team is to help the wider staff group on their journey within Ygam. We aim to provide an environment which brings out the best in our team, so that they can provide the best possible service to the people we support.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an organised and proactive HR & Admin professional who is motivated by supporting people and contributing to our cause. 

If successful in this role, you will be a trusted first point of contact for colleagues and a discreet, reliable support to senior leaders. With excellent attention to detail and strong IT skills, you will manage the employee lifecycle, maintain accurate records and coordinate diaries, meetings and travel. 

You’ll also play a key role in creating a positive colleague experience, including bringing people together through well‑planned internal events. Above all, you’ll share our values and enjoy helping a purpose‑driven organisation to make a difference.

Role Requirements

Duties will include but not be limited to:

HR Support

• Act as a first point of contact for routine HR queries, providing timely and professional advice.

• Administer the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, contracts, changes of terms, probation and leaver processes.

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records, ensuring GDPR compliance at all times.

• Support recruitment administration, including interview coordination, offers and pre-employment checks.

• Provide administrative support for absence management, performance reviews and appraisal processes.

• Assist with HR reporting and people data as required.

CEO & Senior Leadership Team Support

• Provide confidential and proactive administrative support to the CEO and SLT.

• Coordinate diaries, meetings and scheduling, ensuring effective use of time.

• Book and manage travel arrangements, including transport, accommodation and itineraries.

• Arrange and prepare meeting rooms, including room bookings, catering and technology requirements.

Together Days & Internal Events

• Take ownership of the planning, booking and coordination of all-staff Together Days.

• Source and manage venues, suppliers, catering, travel and accommodation as required.

• Coordinate logistics, timelines and budgets to ensure events run smoothly.

• Communicate clearly with colleagues before and after events.

• Gather feedback to support continuous improvement of future events.

Administration & Office Support

• Provide general administrative support to ensure the effective running of the organisation.

• Maintain HR templates, policies and people documentation.

• Support invoice processing and supplier administration linked to HR and events.

• Act as a reliable point of contact for internal administrative queries.

At Ygam, we are committed to safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable people in our work.  We will do everything possible to recruit only suitable people to work with children or vulnerable people.

Ygam is an equal opportunity employer. It is Ygam’s approach that all employees have a working environment which promotes dignity and respect and where individual differences, and the contributions made are recognised and valued.

Person Specification 

Essential

• Previous HR Officer/administration experience.

• CIPD L3 qualification (or working towards).

• Experience in working with senior stakeholders.

• Excellent knowledge and proficiency with MS Office tools and an aptitude for learning new software and systems.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with a high level of professionalism and discretion.

• Excellent organisational and time management skills plus ability to multi-task and work to deadlines within a busy environment.

• Flexible team player, excellent interpersonal skills and a willing to adapt to changes.

• Experience in developing and maintaining internal processes and filing systems.

• Confident in dealing with difficult conversations and complex situations.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, while also functioning effectively as part of a team.

• Commitment to the mission and values of the organisation, with a genuine passion for making a positive impact.

• Professional and positive manner and approachable to establish and maintain good working relationships at all levels.

• Understanding of (and commitment to) an inclusive culture.

• Employment rights to live and work in the UK

Desirable

• Experience of organising events or staff away days.

• Previous experience of working within the Charity sector.

• Working knowledge of Health & Safety requirements.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The Administrative Coordinator will play a key role in providing administrative, coordination and financial support across AHS. The role focuses on managing core systems, inboxes and documents, ensuring information is accurate, accessible and compliant. Acting as a central point for organisation, the postholder will coordinate meetings, support teams with routine administrative tasks, and contribute to smooth financial processes. They will help maintain effective workflows in a virtual environment, escalating issues as needed to keep daily operations running efficiently.

Main responsibilities

Administration and Systems Management

• Manage AHS central inbox(es) and escalate matters to the Business Administrator and Business Manager as appropriate
• Provide day-to-day administrative support including preparing, filing, archiving and retrieving documents
•  Manage and update shared digital platforms, databases and documents to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Manage administrative functions such as task tracking in a fully virtual environment

Team Coordination and Support

• Coordinate meetings and workshops, including scheduling and logistics, for AHS team members and external parties as required
• Provide key administrative support during meetings, including business and study meeting minutes as required

Finance Delivery and Support

• Manage the AHS finance inbox, directing queries and escalating issues as needed
• Support invoice processing, including maintaining accurate records
• Prepare payment requests and documentation in line with internal processes
• Maintain up-to-date financial administration files across shared systems

Operational Delivery and Implementation

• Provide hands-on support to teams and managers in rolling out new tools, systems and operational processes that are critical for the success of the longitudinal study
• Support the smooth, day-to-day running of business operations, ensuring tasks and processes are completed efficiently
• Identify operational issues or bottlenecks, propose practical solutions where appropriate, and escalate matters to the Business Administrator and Business Manager

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a health and/or data research environment
• Qualified to A level or vocational qualifications, or equivalent, plus some experience in a relevant role
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite of software
• Able to manage information electronically through databases and spreadsheets
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the proven ability to prioritise and, at times under pressure, produce accurate work to deadlines
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to take ownership of problems and find solutions
• Understanding and experience of using finance systems (e.g. Sage)

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in an organisation in its infancy or a start-up
• Understanding and experience of using project management tools and techniques

Dimensions

• This is expected to be a full-time post
• AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK
• Primarily home working, with flexibility to travel across several geographical locations in the UK

Application Process

Please apply  with a CV and a covering letter (of no more than two pages) explaining what you can bring to this role, and including your current salary.

The closing date for this position is 26 April 2026  

Interviews are currently expected to be held during the week commencing 08 June 2026

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team in 2026. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.

This role will provide administrative support for the TRaC team and our associates – a small team who work to ensure maximum impact of our organisation. It will help to centre lived experience in the co-production of our activities by supporting inclusive recruitment of disabled people and accessible participation across the TRaC team’s work.

You will need to be experienced in, or willing to learn about, the barriers disabled people face in transport and street space and how to ensure our work is fully accessible. Ideally, you will bring your own lived experience to this role.

We are looking for someone who is organised, a great problem-solver, and who can take a proactive approach to the tasks they are asked to complete. You will need to be able to prioritise and meet multiple deadlines. We also need someone who is confident in ensuring our work is accessible to people with a range of access needs.