Go back
UK Health Security Agency

Administration Officer

The closing date is 14 November 2025

Apply for this job

Job summary

The laboratory in Bristol is situated within the Severn Pathology suite of laboratories at North Bristol NHS Trust Southmead site. The service is delivered by collaboration between North Bristol NHS Trust and UKHSA. The laboratory also has management input into a hot lab and near patient testing initiatives in University Hospitals Bristol. The laboratory receives in excess of 1 million specimens a year from a large number of clinical specialties across the Bristol and Bath hospital trusts, primary care, as well as referred specimens from the wider South West region and beyond, which contribute to an interesting and varied workload with a continuous assay review and development program.

Job Overview

We are looking for two Administration Officers to assist the Laboratory Office Manager in providing personnel and administrative functions, ensuring that an efficient and effective administrative service is provided to the laboratories, its staff, its customers and UKHSA Bristol.

The Administration Officers will assist with liaison between the Bristol laboratory and other units of UKHSA, NHS organisations and local authorities.

The Administration Officers will be expected to assist in any UKHSA coordinated response or activity of a national/international nature, e.g. a bioterrorism incident or a major disease outbreak, e.g. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Main duties of the job

The Administration Officers will provide secretarial and administrative support to members of the Bristol Laboratory andsupport the Office Manager in the organisation and functions of the Laboratory Office.

The Administration Officers will also assist with liaison between the Bristol Laboratory and other units of UKHSA, NHS Organisations and Local Authorities.

The Administration officers will be required to:

  • perform general offices duties including typing, filing, photocopying etc
  • answer telephone queries from external callers and take and pass on messages for senior staff of the laboratory
  • ensure that all tasks are carried out to the required safety standards
  • report all accidents and incidents or near misses and dangerous situations to line manager.Your attention is drawn to the Health & Safety Act of 1974 which requires you to take reasonable care for yourself and others who may be affected by your acts and omissions at work; and to co-operate with your employer on any matters of health and safety
  • maintain a high standard of work and comply with departmental quality policy
  • be responsible for receiving reporting queries from customers and suppliers
  • use Laboratory Information System, as well as Word and Excel
  • ensure confidentiality and conformance to Data Protection Act in collaboration with designated Caldecott Guardian, Data Protection Officer and Security of information Officer

About us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Details

Date posted

05 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£25,651 to £27,220 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

919-SH-300914-922-EXT

Job locations

Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital

Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Bristol

BS10 5NB


Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

  • To record and prepare draft minutes and action tables for meetings, specifying decisions made and follow up action required for subsequent completion.
  • To organise a range of meetings and events, including venue, attendees and occasional travel arrangements.
  • To ensure the timely registration of goods received notes onto the Finance and Resource Management system.
  • To undertake office functions for members of the Bristol Laboratory team, including:
    • arrangement of meetings
    • maintenance of diaries
    • dealing with telephone enquiries, directing and prioritising queries as appropriate, to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery
    • IT support, e.g. word processing, generate and maintain spreadsheets for the collection and analysis of data
    • assistance with checking of ledgers etc.
  • To assist with the production and issuing of invoices on the UKHSA MAPS system on behalf of the Laboratory.
  • To assist with the routine operation of the UKHSA MAPS, including purchasing and stock.
  • To assist with the routine operation of non-pay expenditure and to match delivery notes to invoices for non-stock expenditure.
  • To assist other office members with the timely registration of goods received notes onto MAPS.
  • To ensure compliance of the above with UKHSA Standard Financial instructions.
  • To assist with the Laboratory related functions of the office, e.g. booking in, result entry, post, answering telephone enquires etc.
  • To assist with the inputting of sensitive results onto the laboratory computer system.
  • To assist with the ordering of vaccines, ensuring that appropriate records are kept and that they are dispatched in a timely manner.
  • To extract, collate and distribute data to enable preparation of statistical reports or returns.
  • To perform any other duties required by the Office Manager

Other

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of these roles. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required. The job descriptions and person specifications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Professional Development

  • Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events
  • To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Key Working Relationships

The Administration Officers will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

  • To always communicate effectively with all members of the Infection Sciences team
  • Trust Pathology and University staff
  • To attend and participate in relevant meetings and updates on an ad hoc basis

External

  • Liaise with Staff in health service organisations and other external organisations including senior laboratory staff of laboratories within the South of England and further afield
  • To assist with liaison between the Bristol laboratory and other units of UKHSA, NHS organisations and local authorities
  • To deal with enquiries from service users, members of the public and those undertaking services for the laboratory

Essential Role Criteria

  • English and Maths GCSE grade C or equivalent or equivalent work experience in an administration environment
  • Good IT and data entry skills - including Word and Excel
  • An understanding of the importance of confidentiality
  • A willingness to learn and improve
  • The ability to communicate effectively with a good telephone manner
  • Good literacy, numeracy, minute taking skills and telephone manner
  • Able to work with accuracy and meet deadlines
  • The ability to work either in a team or under ones own initiativeReliability and flexibility

Desirable Role Criteria

  • An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Application & Sift

These vacancies are using Competency.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) Up to 1000 word Statement of SuitabilityThis should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your CV please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible).

Healthjobsuk has a word limit of 1500 but your statement of suitability must be no more than 1000 words.

If we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift against the lead criteria will be undertaken:

  • English and Maths GCSE grade C or equivalent or equivalent work experience in an administration environment
  • Good IT and data entry skills - including Word and Excel
  • An understanding of the importance of confidentiality

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may also longlist into 3 piles of:

  • Meets all essential criteria
  • Meets some essential criteria
  • Meets no essential criteria

We will take through 'meets all essential criteria'

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview stage (Competency based)

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

These vacancies are being assessed using Competency. During the interview we will assess against the below in relation to the essential criteria:

  • Knowledge
  • Experience
  • Skills and Abilities

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Additional Information

Security Clearance Level Requirement

All successful candidates must meet the basic security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is:

  • Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

For this role you will also need to meet:

  • Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

DBS Requirement:

  • Basic DBS

These roles are being offered based at our site:

  • Bristol Lab, Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Please note hybrid working is not available for this role.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Please note: If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

These vacancies are open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

  • To record and prepare draft minutes and action tables for meetings, specifying decisions made and follow up action required for subsequent completion.
  • To organise a range of meetings and events, including venue, attendees and occasional travel arrangements.
  • To ensure the timely registration of goods received notes onto the Finance and Resource Management system.
  • To undertake office functions for members of the Bristol Laboratory team, including:
    • arrangement of meetings
    • maintenance of diaries
    • dealing with telephone enquiries, directing and prioritising queries as appropriate, to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery
    • IT support, e.g. word processing, generate and maintain spreadsheets for the collection and analysis of data
    • assistance with checking of ledgers etc.
  • To assist with the production and issuing of invoices on the UKHSA MAPS system on behalf of the Laboratory.
  • To assist with the routine operation of the UKHSA MAPS, including purchasing and stock.
  • To assist with the routine operation of non-pay expenditure and to match delivery notes to invoices for non-stock expenditure.
  • To assist other office members with the timely registration of goods received notes onto MAPS.
  • To ensure compliance of the above with UKHSA Standard Financial instructions.
  • To assist with the Laboratory related functions of the office, e.g. booking in, result entry, post, answering telephone enquires etc.
  • To assist with the inputting of sensitive results onto the laboratory computer system.
  • To assist with the ordering of vaccines, ensuring that appropriate records are kept and that they are dispatched in a timely manner.
  • To extract, collate and distribute data to enable preparation of statistical reports or returns.
  • To perform any other duties required by the Office Manager

Other

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of these roles. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required. The job descriptions and person specifications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Professional Development

  • Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events
  • To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Key Working Relationships

The Administration Officers will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

  • To always communicate effectively with all members of the Infection Sciences team
  • Trust Pathology and University staff
  • To attend and participate in relevant meetings and updates on an ad hoc basis

External

  • Liaise with Staff in health service organisations and other external organisations including senior laboratory staff of laboratories within the South of England and further afield
  • To assist with liaison between the Bristol laboratory and other units of UKHSA, NHS organisations and local authorities
  • To deal with enquiries from service users, members of the public and those undertaking services for the laboratory

Essential Role Criteria

  • English and Maths GCSE grade C or equivalent or equivalent work experience in an administration environment
  • Good IT and data entry skills - including Word and Excel
  • An understanding of the importance of confidentiality
  • A willingness to learn and improve
  • The ability to communicate effectively with a good telephone manner
  • Good literacy, numeracy, minute taking skills and telephone manner
  • Able to work with accuracy and meet deadlines
  • The ability to work either in a team or under ones own initiativeReliability and flexibility

Desirable Role Criteria

  • An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Application & Sift

These vacancies are using Competency.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) Up to 1000 word Statement of SuitabilityThis should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your CV please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible).

Healthjobsuk has a word limit of 1500 but your statement of suitability must be no more than 1000 words.

If we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift against the lead criteria will be undertaken:

  • English and Maths GCSE grade C or equivalent or equivalent work experience in an administration environment
  • Good IT and data entry skills - including Word and Excel
  • An understanding of the importance of confidentiality

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may also longlist into 3 piles of:

  • Meets all essential criteria
  • Meets some essential criteria
  • Meets no essential criteria

We will take through 'meets all essential criteria'

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview stage (Competency based)

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

These vacancies are being assessed using Competency. During the interview we will assess against the below in relation to the essential criteria:

  • Knowledge
  • Experience
  • Skills and Abilities

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Additional Information

Security Clearance Level Requirement

All successful candidates must meet the basic security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is:

  • Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

For this role you will also need to meet:

  • Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

DBS Requirement:

  • Basic DBS

These roles are being offered based at our site:

  • Bristol Lab, Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Please note hybrid working is not available for this role.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Please note: If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

These vacancies are open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Essential

  • Application form & Supporting statement

Essential Criteria

Essential

  • Questions on experience, knowledge, skills and abilities
Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Essential

  • Application form & Supporting statement

Essential Criteria

Essential

  • Questions on experience, knowledge, skills and abilities

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital

Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Bristol

BS10 5NB


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital

Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Bristol

BS10 5NB


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Resourcing Support

Sarah Handy

recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Details

Date posted

05 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£25,651 to £27,220 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

919-SH-300914-922-EXT

Job locations

Pathology Building, Infection Sciences, Southmead Hospital

Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Bristol

BS10 5NB


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

UK Health Security Agency's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)