Applications open for Administrative Assistant Position

Jobs Details

Please ensure you read the Administrative Assistant Job Description for full details of the role and for application requirements.

Informal enquiries can be made to [email protected].

About SCAR 

Founded in 1958, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has a more important role to play today than ever before. Antarctica holds the key to understanding the Earth’s climate, so developing our scientific understanding of the continent is an urgent priority. Yet Antarctica is too remote and inaccessible for any individual nation to unlock its secrets alone. SCAR is the leading global organisation driving international research and collaboration in and around Antarctica, and delivers vital policy advice to decision makers within the Antarctic Treaty System and beyond. The SCAR Secretariat play a crucial role in enabling SCAR to fulfil its mission. Headed by SCAR’s Executive

Director, the 5-person secretariat team is based at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, U.K. More information on SCAR is available at www.scar.org. 

 SCAR is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council (ISC) and currently includes 46 member countries and 9 scientific unions. SCAR is a Company limited by Guarantee and registered as a Charity in the United Kingdom. The Directors of the Charity are the President and Vice-Presidents. 

The role 

As Administrative Assistant you will play a vital role in supporting the SCAR community, a vibrant international network of people engaged in or supporting Antarctic research. Your work will be varied, with tasks ranging from general office support and responding to day-to-day queries, to the planning of international meetings and interacting with people within and beyond the Antarctic research community. The successful candidate will be a highly organised individual who works well as part of a small team and is educated to degree level or with equivalent work experience, with a passion to support vital work in an important area of environmental research. There is some scope to adapt the role to the skills and experience of the successful candidate. The role will provide the jobholder with a range of learning and professional development opportunities. There may be some opportunities for international travel. 

Main Duties

Duties of the postholder fall primarily into the following broad areas. 

Support for major international meetings and routine internal meetings, for example: 

1. Biennial meetings of the SCAR Delegates and the SCAR Directors – including organising travel and other logistics, drawing up schedules, meeting agendas and other supporting paperwork. 
2. Assisting the Secretariat with preparations for SCAR’s biennial Open Science Conference. 
3. Supporting SCAR’s participation in annual meetings of the Antarctic Treaty System, for example submission of meeting papers and logistical support to the meeting delegation. 
4. Supporting bi-monthly online meetings of the SCAR Directors, including scheduling meetings and drawing up meeting papers. 

There may be some opportunities for international travel in association with (1) and (2). 

Communications, for example 

• Managing routine correspondence, primarily email – acting as the first port of call for enquiries from the SCAR community and beyond. 
• Keeping the SCAR community informed about recent developments and upcoming business, primarily by email. 
• Supporting the SCAR Project Officer with routine maintenance of the SCAR website, such as minor updates, posting of news items, etc. 

Information management, for example 

• Keeping internal documents up to date (e.g. contact databases, forward planning documents). 
• Supporting the Secretariat with activities to ensure GDPR compliance. 
• Supporting the Secretariat with the management of hardcopy holdings, including SCAR’s archives. 

 General Office duties, for example 

• Assisting the staff of the Scott Polar Research Institute in the general office and receiving occasional visitors to SCAR. 
• Assisting the Executive Officer with day-to-day finances including issuing invoices and receipts. 
• Ordering office supplies. 
• Liaising with IT support as required, to support Secretariat staff with their IT needs.

Key Criteria 

Essential 

• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, ability to engage diverse stakeholder groups. 
• Excellent IT/technical skills and a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office software and video-conferencing such as Zoom. 
• Highly organised; able to multitask efficiently, and meet tight deadlines whilst maintaining attention to detail. 
• Experience of working effectively within a team to achieve challenging objectives. 
• Experience of supporting and organising meetings. 
• A good first degree or equivalent work experience. 

 Desirable 

• Experience of providing office support to a small team. 
• Experience with website content management. 
• Track record of learning and implementing new IT systems and interfaces. 
• Minute taking, editing and proofreading skills for meetings, document production and online text. 
• Experience of using task management tools (e.g. Asana). 
• Experience of ensuring GDPR compliance within an organisation. 
• Experience of working within a complex and dynamic organisation. 
• Experience of interacting with academia, particularly within polar or environmental research. 
• Experience of working in/with the charitable sector. 

The successful candidate is expected to take up the post as soon as possible after the interview. 

How to apply

Please submit your application via the following form https://eu.jotform.com/build/242343829215355 by 21st September 2024 (midnight BST): 

1. A curriculum vitae. 
2. A cover letter. 
3. Proof of eligibility to work in the UK.  

Please note, a written examination is anticipated to take place during the week beginning 7th October 2024 and interviews will be held during the week beginning 14th October 2024. 

You must already have a valid visa to work in the UK to apply for this position.