Senior assistant jobs

We're looking for a brilliant Office Manager who is highly organised, tech savvy, friendly and, above all, someone with very high standards who gets things done. You'll take real pride in making sure our offices and shared spaces are immaculately presented, professional, welcoming and running brilliantly at all times.

This isn't a role where you'll spend your day waiting for tasks to land in your inbox. We need someone proactive who notices what needs attention, finds solutions and makes things happen.

You'll build strong relationships across the organisation and with our external suppliers, making sure things are delivered on time, to a high standard and with good value for money.

About the Role

You'll take responsibility for the smooth day-to-day running of our office operations and help ensure colleagues have the environment, equipment, systems and support they need to do their jobs brilliantly.

You'll oversee office operations across our Milton Keynes and Northampton sites and act as a central point of coordination for facilities, IT support, suppliers, equipment, reception and general office administration. 

This is a busy, hands-on role at the heart of YMCA South Midlands. You'll be the person who keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes: making sure our offices are organised, our systems work, our staff & visitors have what they need and problems are dealt with quickly and effectively.

No two days will be the same. One minute you might be sorting an IT issue or organising equipment for a new starter, the next you'll be coordinating a contractor, improving an office process, supporting a staff event or making sure our reception and shared spaces are running brilliantly.

We're looking for someone who loves being organised, enjoys working at pace and doesn't need to be chased. You'll naturally spot what needs doing, take ownership and follow things through to completion.

Key Responsibilities

You'll play a key role in keeping YMCA South Midlands organised, efficient and running smoothly, including:

• Overseeing the day-to-day running of our offices, ensuring they are organised, professional, welcoming and operating efficiently.
• Making sure colleagues have the equipment, workspace and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
• Managing office equipment, IT equipment, phones, printers, stationery, furniture and other supplies.
• Maintaining accurate equipment and asset records and ensuring equipment is properly allocated and accounted for.
• Acting as the main point of contact for our external IT support provider, coordinating requests, chasing outstanding issues and escalating problems when necessary.
• Managing relationships with suppliers and contractors and making sure we receive a high-quality service and good value for money.
• Keeping on top of contracts, renewal dates, insurance administration and other important office deadlines.
• Supporting new starters by making sure their equipment, workspace and induction arrangements are ready for their first day.
• Coordinating DSE assessments and arranging appropriate equipment where required.
• Supporting Health & Safety arrangements, including Fire Marshals, First Aiders, testing, training and the Health & Safety Committee.
• Managing and maintaining our Business Continuity Plan and supporting GDPR and information security requirements.

About You

You'll be someone who genuinely loves organisation and takes pride in making things work well.

You're probably the person who notices when something isn't working and fixes it rather than walking past it. You keep track of the detail, remember deadlines, chase things when needed and don't leave jobs half finished.

You'll be comfortable juggling lots of different priorities and switching quickly between tasks without losing sight of what needs to happen.

You'll be tech savvy and confident learning new systems. You don't need to be an IT expert, but you'll be comfortable troubleshooting straightforward problems, working with external IT support and finding better ways to use technology to make our lives easier.

Just as importantly, you'll be friendly, approachable and warm. You'll deal with colleagues, residents, visitors, contractors and partners, so we want someone who enjoys building relationships and providing brilliant service.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Exceptionally organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Proactive and able to anticipate what needs doing rather than waiting to be asked.
• Someone who takes ownership and gets things done.
• Comfortable working at pace and managing competing priorities.
• Tech savvy and confident using Microsoft Office and learning new systems.
• A natural problem-solver who looks for solutions.
• Reliable and great at following things through to completion.
• Friendly, warm and approachable.
• Confident dealing with suppliers and external contractors.
• A clear and confident communicator.
• Able to work independently without needing close supervision
• Always looking for ways to make systems and processes simpler and better.

You'll ideally have previous experience as an Office Manager, Operations Manager, Executive Assistant, PA, senior administrator or in another role where you've been responsible for keeping a busy organisation running effectively. This reflects the experience requirements in the existing JD. 

Experience of managing a reception function, facilities, suppliers, IT support or Health & Safety would be an advantage, but we're particularly interested in how you work: your organisation, pace, initiative, judgement and ability to make things happen.

Why Join Us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to become a central part of a busy, purpose-driven organisation.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Make a visible difference to how our organisation operates every day.
• Create a brilliant working environment for our colleagues.
• Improve systems and introduce smarter ways of working.
• Work with people across the whole organisation.
• Take genuine ownership of your area rather than simply completing a list of tasks.
• Join a friendly, supportive team where your ideas and initiative will be welcomed.
• Work for an organisation making a meaningful difference to young people and communities.

Everyone is Welcome Here

At YMCA South Midlands, we believe everyone should feel they belong.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the people we serve and where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

As a charity with a Christian heritage, our faith inspires our values and our commitment to serving others. We welcome people of all faiths and none. All appointments are made on merit.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want every candidate to have the opportunity to perform at their best throughout our recruitment process.

If you have a disability, long-term health condition or are neurodivergent and would benefit from any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us at any stage. We'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Safer Recruitment

YMCA South Midlands is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all colleagues to share this commitment.

As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to complete pre-employment checks, which will include a DBS check, verification of identity and right to work in the UK, employment references, qualification checks where applicable and other relevant pre-employment screening in line with our Safer Recruitment Policy.

Ready to Apply?

If you're highly organised, love working at pace and get satisfaction from making things happen, we'd love to hear from you.

If you're the sort of person who sees a problem and thinks "I'll sort that", rather than waiting for someone else to do it, you could be exactly who we're looking for.

Click Apply Now to submit your application.