Trainee Business Support Assistant (Apprentice)

Job Family: Business Process and People Services

Job Reference Number:       22001267

Job Title:                               Trainee Business Support Assistant (Apprentice)

Department:                          Estates and Facilities

                                               Accommodation and Commercial Services

Responsible to:                    Business Support Team Leader

Grade:                                   Grade 1  

Salary range:                        £19,578 per annum

Contract type:                       Fixed-term (two years)

Working arrangements:      Full-time (35 hours per week)

                                               Five days from seven, primarily Monday to Friday

Closing date:                       29th August 2022  

Working Arrangements

At Durham, we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all.  Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues during 2022, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and flex working hours.  If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you.  Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

Reward and Benefits

To support the delivery of the University's People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:

• 27 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time) and the option to purchase additional leave
• Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme
• Corporate and local discounts
• Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits
• Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre
• Reward and Recognition Schemes
• Personal and career development
• And SO much more, with further information available here .

The Department and role purpose 

The Estates and Facilities Directorate provides a number of essential services to Durham University and is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the infrastructure and building fabric of the various campuses, including:

• maintaining and regularly reviewing a maintenance programme which takes account of short, medium and long term needs of all buildings and University grounds
• implementing the works identified and funded within the various maintenance programmes and operating a system for dealing with day-to day requirements, including the provision of an out-of-hours emergency service
• providing a professional, technical service to the University for the design, construction and procurement of new buildings and adaptation works to existing buildings
• identifying and recording the use of space and advising on ways of increasing space utilisation
• property and asset management
• acquisition and disposal of built environment related assets
• procuring and managing utilities and services
• providing postal, delivery and security arrangements and advice to the University
• the delivery of a wide-range of customer-facing services, including contract management; estates and facilities relationships management; housekeeping and cleaning, business resilience, event management; reception helpdesk; university retail; business support; health and safety; and management information.

The Business Support Apprentice will provide administrative support to a wide range of teams, including, but not limited to: Business Support; Estates Operations; Health and Safety; Projects and Infrastructure; Event Durham; Housekeeping, Cleaning and General Services; Reception Helpdesk; etc. 

Core responsibilities

• Complete general office tasks or procedures within a team to deliver a responsive service to stakeholders, both internal and external to the Estates and Facilities Directorate.
• May be indirect and/or a direct stakeholder-facing service.
• Follow instructions from a supervisor to identify what and how to deliver a limited set of tasks or processes.
• As and when directed assist team members by stepping-in to provide support.
• Learn the correct methods and tasks on the job.
• Learn and adhere to general health, safety and security procedures within the service area covered by H&SAW guidelines, on the job.
• Use a range of equipment, tools and resources, digital devices, software and applications where necessary.
• Communicate with supervisor, team members, other staff, students and visitors in person or using electronic tools and applications.
• Assist team members to deliver a frontline student, staff or visitor service.

Role responsibilities

• Record and store straightforward information for large percentages of time in a prescribed order, using tracking spreadsheets and databases, etc.
• Carry out basic administrative tasks under supervision.
• Assist other team members with the application of basic audit and stock control tasks.
• Learn how to, and use manual and electronic everyday tools, equipment and applications to deliver services.
• Be trained in all areas within Estates and Facilities to provide appropriate administrative support, as required, including, but not limited to Event Durham, University Retail, Reception Helpdesk, etc.
• Any other reasonable duties.   

Specific role responsibilities

• To be eligible to apply for this apprenticeship position you must not have obtained a qualification or an apprenticeship at the same or higher level than what will be undertaken as part of this apprenticeship, unless this apprenticeship will allow you to acquire substantive new skills and can evidence that the content of this training is materially different from any prior qualification or a previous apprenticeship.
• In order to fulfil the terms and conditions of the apprenticeship, the post-holder will be required to complete training on a weekly basis towards the Advance Apprentice Framework in Business Administration at Level 3.
• The post-holder will be required to maintain the strictest confidentiality at all times, both within and outside the University.
• The role may require the post-holder to perform an element of physical manual handling, which could include lifting and transporting stock and conference materials, etc.
• The post-holder will be required to wear a uniform.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’). 

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application. 

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1.    A CV.

2.    A covering letter, which details your experience, strengths and potential in all of the requirements set out in the Person Specification.

3.    The completed questions as part of the application.

Please ensure that you submit the documentation listed above or your application will not be considered.

Contact details

For further information please contact: Charley Murdoch, [email protected] .

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

Desirable Criteria

Realising Your Potential Approach

Providing Excellent Student Services and Professional Support: Providing the best quality service to all our students, customers and stakeholders. Building genuine and long-term relationships, through every day interactions, in order to drive up service standards and to enhance their experience:

Working Together: Working co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives. Applying a wide range of interpersonal skills:

Achieving Results: Planning and organising workloads to ensure that deadlines are met within resource constraints. Consistently meeting objectives and success criteria: