Business Support Assistant (Countywide role)

About the role

Business Support Assistant (Countywide role)

Fixed Term, Part Time

£23,344 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Countywide

Please note this role is part-time 22.5 hours per week over 3 full days. Actual salary earnings based on these hours £14,195 per annum.

Fixed Term contract providing maternity cover until 30th June 2025.

This role is ‘Countywide’ and there will be the requirement to work out of any Essex County Council building when the business requires.

This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of Essex County Council’s large, dynamic and highly valued Business Support Team who work in specialised Business Centres across Essex promoting specialised knowledge and improving service and efficiencies.

Business Support teams deliver outstanding administration and customer service to all Essex County Council (ECC) functional areas. Our multi skilled teams deliver services from Business Centre hubs; providing a wide variety of support to high volume processes and tasks such as data input and management, minute taking, finance tasks, managing high volume calls, receptions and requests for assistance. We also support front line social care teams that require a more integrated approach to support.

We are proactive, forward-thinking and solution focused; we streamline processes and maximise digital opportunities. In doing so, we help increase the effectiveness of ECC to deliver better outcomes for the people of Essex than it could without our support.

We value our people and help them strive to deliver their potential and walk their career pathways within our organisation, giving them the tools and learning to get there.

The Role:

The Business Support Assistant is an administration and customer service professional who works as part of a business support team to deliver effective, routine administration and customer service activities as directed. Learning and developing an understanding of existing processes and systems, with a good basic knowledge of services provided by ECC. Providing support such as word processing, data entry, updating databases, meeting support, minute taking, meet and greet, directing customer queries, inbox processing, petty cash payments etc.

The role requires knowledge of systems and processes, a curious mindset and a willingness to learn new things.

Accountabilities:

Providing high quality, efficient and effective administration and reception services to internal and external customers within agreed timescales and SLAs and in line with customer service standards.
Acting as a professional representative of the Business Support service at a local level, dealing with customers face to face and via telephone or redirecting in line with Essex customer standards.
Providing high quality self-directed clerical support, checking own work and proactively looking to raise standards.
Maintaining confidential records according to Essex County Council policy and guidance.
Providing support to the team or service with the organisation of events, conferences and workshops to ensure high quality events.
Providing support across the team or service in dealing with correspondence, providing meeting support in terms of minute taking, documentation and finance support in all aspects of documentation processing, in a timely, consistent and professional manner.
Sharing knowledge and good practice with colleagues and highlighting more efficient ways of delivering processes and customer service.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Required Skills and Experience:

Good Standard of basic education – 5 GCSEs grade C and above (including Maths and English) or comparable experience/qualifications.
Great face to face customer service skills.
Excellent communication and conflict management skills.
Ability to use computerised systems with a high level of speed and accuracy – including Microsoft Office applications and internal ECC databases.
Previous experience of managing electronic or hard copy filing systems.
Ability to communicate in a manner which is easily understood and tailored to meet the needs of the audience.
As part of the role you may have access to sensitive and/or personal information.
Ability to think about alternative ways of doing things and being open to new work practices and responsive to change.
Ability to take ownership of work and fulfil agreed commitments, checking work for accuracy.
Reliable for on site working.
This position may require minute taking experience, therefore relevant transferable skills are desirable, however full training will be provided.

To read more about us please visit: Corporate Services

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email christine.simmons@essex.gov.uk

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