About us:

In2scienceUK’s aim is to promote social mobility and diversity in science, technology, engineering and maths. We do this by leveraging the skills and passion of researchers and STEM professionals to support young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to achieve their potential and progress careers in STEM. 

We are in a pivotal moment of our development. With a new CEO joining in 2021, six new Trustees on our Board and a new five-year strategy launching in 2022, we are set to grow in size and profile. The team is dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic about empowering young people.  

What we are looking for: 

In2scienceUk are looking for an Operations Assistant with a background in finance and administration to support our Operations Manager due to our continued growth.

The Operations Assistant will support In2scienceUK by ensuring the smooth running of financial and operational procedures and assist in implementing new policies as the organisation continues to adapt and innovate to meet the demands of our team.

You will be someone who thrives on being highly organised with strong attention to detail. You will also have excellent interpersonal skills to liaise with staff across the organisation as well as external stakeholders and suppliers.

You will be confident in providing communication of new processes clearly and effectively to all staff and ensuring that adherence is maintained with the support of the Operations Manager.

As the Operations Assistant you must be comfortable working independently in a remote environment with experience of working to deadlines and organisational objectives.

We want to hear from people who can passionately represent the interests of the diverse young people that we serve. We are not asking for particular qualifications. We don’t care what school you went to or what your parents do for work. We care about your character, your skills and potential. If you can see yourself making an impact in our organisation, we want to hear from you. 

Duties and responsibilities:

As Operations Assistant you will work closely with the Operations Manager to ensure the continued effective administration and operations of a fast paced charity. You will play a key part in the growth and development of the organisation assisting in the effective roll out of new procedures and processes by offering support and ensuring compliance. 

Your specific duties will include: 

Finance

• Basic bookkeeping, e.g. monthly reconciliation, tracking receipts and expenses, recording invoices.

• Creating invoices for funders and ensuring funds are paid in a timely manner.

• Assisting in creating reports for cross departmental budgets, external audits and Trustee Board review

• Support the payroll process

• Updating Xero and submitting accurate information liaising with suppliers, funders and external bookkeepers.

HR

• Assist in coordinating the recruitment process in line with the organisation's commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

• Assist in coordinating the onboarding process of new employees, e.g. carry out DBS checks, setup of work from home provisions and coordinating access to charity software such as Google Workspace and Breathe HR.

• Maintaining staff records and ensuring that all training is up to date and recorded.

• Supporting the Operations Manager in updating operational documentation, e.g. staff handbook and company policies.

Operations

• Assisting the Operations Manager with implementing new processes and ways of working to streamline operations.

• Provide day to day support for all departments through managing shared accounts and be point of contact for enquiries.

• Track office equipment across the organisation and maintain an up to date asset register.

• Obtain quotes from suppliers for equipment and services. Working with the Operations Manager to negotiate the best deals for the organisation.

• Assist in scheduling and organising the logistics of team co-working days, virtual meetings and Trustee Board meetings.

• Provide support to ensure that all organisational compliance documents are kept up to date, including creating and managing an organisational calendar for renewals and reviews.

• Provide support for the organisations IT functions, including acting as a point of contact for hardware support and triaging issues to external IT support services. 

As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. The postholder will carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager.

Person specification:

Essential:

• Experience of working in a similar role, ideally in a remote working environment.

• Experience of financial accounting incl. reconciliation, processing payments, invoices and expenses.

• Experience of file and record management

• Excellent organisational, time management skills and the ability to adapt and prioritise to changing work loads.

• A team player with a desire to support across the organisation and the ability to work flexibly and efficiently.

• Committed to safeguarding our young people.

Desirable:  

• Experience of implementing new systems and processes to improve administration and operations.

• Experience with HR processes including recruitment and onboarding.

• Awareness of best data protection practices and GDPR compliance.

• Excellent IT skills- preferably with prior experience of using the following tools: Google Workspace, Xero, Breathe HR

• Experience of working in a rapidly growing charity

• Experience of building relationships with external suppliers and partners

• Knowledge of legislation around employment, equality and diversity, data protection.

Benefits:

At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your own bespoke training and career development plan with guidance from your line manager to get you to the next level from day one. 

Although we take our career development seriously we also value work life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy. 

You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays. 

Commitment to Safeguarding

In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment. 

The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable: 

• References

• DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable

• Self-Disclosure

• Identity check 

• Right to work in the UK

• Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role 

• Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable

Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure. 

Application procedure:

Please apply to the role through the Charity Jobs platform demonstrating how you meet the competencies outlined above including a CV and cover letter.

Applications close on 8th December 2023. Interviews will be held online on 14th December 2023