Job Vacancies

KMi currently employs 86 people, a mix of researchers, technologists, designers and administrative staff. We are in a phase of rapid expansion, and as a result job opportunities arise frequently.

You can get a feel for what it would be like to work in KMi from our careers page.

This page lists our current and recent job vacancies.

Administration Assistant | Ref: 524
Closing date: Tuesday 28 January 2025

Alternatively click here to view a list of our recent past vacancies.

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Administration Assistant

Knowledge Media Institute (KMi)
£26,642 to £29,659, Ref: 524
Based in Milton Keynes
Fixed Term Contract (Part Time)
Application closing date: Tuesday 28 January 2025.

The Open University is recruiting for a Grade 5 Administration Assistant within the Knowledge Media Institute (KMi), part of the STEM Faculty. This role is essential in providing professional administrative support to the KMi Director, Senior Manager and the wider unit, ensuring the efficient day-to-day management of information, tasks, and events within the department.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordination of KMi Director diary. This will include arranging a high volume of individual and departmental meetings, dealing with clashes as they arise. It will also include arranging the University development and appraisal appointments for the unit ensuring they make best use of the people's time and are in-line with competing priorities.


• Meeting support: To set up regular meetings; administer all paperwork (distribution of agenda, minutes of previous meeting and associated papers); provide administrative support during the meeting (notes, minutes etc as appropriate) and follow up on tasks/actions accordingly.


• Collating supporting documents and chasing outstanding items/information for meetings and ad-hoc requests from Senior Manager and KMi Director.


• Monitoring of generic mailboxes, dealing with enquiries in a professional, prompt and resourceful manner using agreed administrative processes.


• Organisation of conferences/events - to include travel arrangements using the OU approved systems, detailed itineraries where necessary, checking logistics and ensuring suitable venues or accommodation are booked as required, arranging catering, room bookings, IT and AV equipment and support.


• Maintaining appropriate electronic filing systems in line with GDPR; maintenance of spreadsheets and other recording methods.


• Purchasing items using an OU credit card or OU Procurement system and reconciling records


• Monitoring and order KMi related materials including stationery and paper supplies.


• To undertake specific tasks as outlined by the Senior Manager and KMi Director and cover other duties as reasonably required.


• Prepare and manage project timesheets and assist with data input to project and unit spreadsheets.


• Act as the primary support for the two OU Turing University Network liaisons, supporting related activities and communications.

Additional Responsibilities:
As part of the STEM Faculty, the postholder may be required to undertake a supporting role as a fire warden, first aider, or DSE assessor.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent, including English and Maths.


• Proven experience in administrative roles, particularly managing complex diaries and taking follow-up actions.


• Experience working in a busy office environment with competing deadlines and unpredicted workload.


• Strong written and oral communication skills, including drafting responses on behalf of senior staff.


• High level of organizational ability, resourcefulness, and prioritization skills.


• Accuracy, attention to detail, and competence in presenting work.


• Discretion, judgement, and tact when dealing with confidential or sensitive matters.


• Professionalism, confidence, and diplomacy when communicating with a wide range of people.


• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and independently, proactively managing your own workload.


• Adaptability and responsiveness to changing duties in a fast-paced environment.


• Excellent IT proficiency, especially with Microsoft Office packages, Teams, or equivalent software.


• Commitment to equal opportunities and a strong commitment to working with a diverse student population.

Desirable:

• Experience with OU systems such as SAP Ariba, PowerBI and Click Travel.

Contact

For more information about the position, please contact Keyur Dave

How to apply

Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online via the OU Job's page and following the instructions below and clicking the "APPLY NOW" link below. Applications submitted via 3rd party websites will not be considered.

To apply for this role please submit the following;

• CV
• Personal statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you're interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.

You will need to have your documents ready ahead of submitting the electronic application.

APPLY NOW

Remember to attach your CV and Personal Statement as ONE DOCUMENT.

You will receive updates regarding your application from resourcing-applications@open.ac.uk. Please ensure this email address is added to your list of trusted senders. Please also keep an eye on your junk folder to ensure you do not miss any important updates regarding this role.

You can view your application communications on the Candidate portal

Please note: If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview, however we thank you for your interest in The Open University and encourage you to apply for future positions. 

Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link). 

Application closing date: Tuesday 28 January 2025.

We promote diversity in employment and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Hard copies and access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Assistant by email resourcing-hub@open.ac.uk

Further details on The Open University's employment conditions can be found at: http://www3.open.ac.uk/employment/benefits.asp

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Requests for hard-copy documents/forms, job related information, and application submissions can be directed to Resourcing-Hub@open.ac.uk quoting the reference number at the Knowledge Media Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK, Tel. +44 (0)1908 655544