Business Support Assistant

Business Support Assistant

Fixed Term, Part Time

Up to £23,344 per annum FTE

Location: Colchester

Working Style: 

Please note that this is a fixed term contract / secondment opportunity for a period until 31st March 2025. This is a part time position working 18.5 hours per week.

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:

This role involves working as part of a wider business support team to deliver effective, routine administrative support within a business centre; learning and developing an understanding of existing processes and systems and develop knowledge of all functions across ECC.

As a Business Support Assistant, you may also provide general administrative support to ECC, dealing with day to day work instructed from the Business Centre Manager or others. Great customer service skills are required as this is a customer facing role. Accurate and efficient data entry onto ECC systems is also required, to ensure that all customer service requests are met within a specified time frame and are in line with data protection policies.

ECC provide a minute taking service as requested in some areas, however full training would be provided if requested to support this.

Accountabilities:

Provide assistance to colleagues and members of the public that arrive at the main reception desk

Providing high quality, efficient and effective Business Support services to internal and external customers within agreed timescales and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Responding to customer requests and queries in a timely and efficient way.

Acting as a professional representative of the Business Support service and ECC .

Delivering the required activities of the respective business centre(s).

Providing high quality self-directed administrative support, checking own work and proactively looking to raise standards.

Maintaining confidential records according to Essex County Council guidance.

Dealing with correspondence for the team or service in a timely, consistent and professional manner.

Sharing knowledge and good practice with colleagues and highlighting more efficient ways of doing tasks.

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.

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 

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.