| Job description | Office Manager
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Newcastle
Hours: 36 per week, Monday to Friday (5 days onsite)
Salary: circa£33,000 per annum plus civil service pension scheme.
Civil Service Employer Pension Contribution of 27.1%
Reporting to: Head of Facilities
Internal/External relationships: The post holder will develop effective relationships with the Executive Director, directors, audit teams and external visitors.
They will work closely with the London Facilities Team, Executive Assistants and Digital Services colleagues.
In addition, they should maintain positive relationships with colleagues from the NAO’s office in London, contractors, the landlord’s managing agent and other tenants in the building.
About the NAO:
The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK’s main public sector audit body. Independent of government, we have responsibility for auditing the accounts of various public sector bodies, examining the propriety of government spending, assessing risks to financial control and accountability, and reviewing the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of programmes, projects, and activities. We report directly to Parliament, through the Committee of Public Accounts of the House of Commons which uses our reports as the basis of its own investigations. We employ some 900 staff, most of whom are qualified accountants, trainees, or technicians. They work in one of two main areas, financial audit, or value for money (VFM) audit.
The NAO welcomes applications from everyone. We value diversity in all its forms and the difference it makes to our organisation. By removing barriers and creating an inclusive culture where all our people can develop and maximise their full potential.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Due to the nature of this role, candidates who can commit to working 5 days a week onsite is imperative. If you are unable to commit to the required days in the office. This role may not be suitable for you.
HOW TO APPLY:
If you are considering applying, please submit a CV and a brief covering letter setting how you meet the criteria of the role.
Closing date for applications is 23:59pm on Sunday the 2nd February 2025
Nationality Requirement:
• UK Nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Please note, we are not able to sponsor work visas or accept temporary visas as we are looking to hire on a permanent basis. Please contact HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk should you have any questions on your nationality eligibility.
Disability and Reasonable adjustments
Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk).
Applicants will not be discriminated against on the grounds of any protected characteristic or any other extraneous factor. |
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| Responsibilities | Role and Responsibilities:
The role covers all aspects of office management, from facilities services, IT support and health & safety, to being responsible for office-related communications, supporting colleagues and assisting with events.
Office Support and Reception Duties
• Maintaining a rota to ensure the Office Manager role is fairly covered during absences. The Newcastle Executive Assistants and Newcastle Digital Service Operations Manager are trained to provide this cover.
• Maintaining a smooth running and professional reception area, meeting and greeting staff, visitors and contractors. Liaising with The Spark building’s ground floor reception and ensuring only authorised people are able to access the NAO’s office floor, keeping it safe and secure.
• Managing office facilities by regularly walking the floor looking for problems before they are noticed by staff. Ensuring kitchens and coffee areas are kept clean and stocked (e.g. filling and emptying the dishwasher, restocking coffee pods and ordering fruit). Office and meeting room temperatures to also be monitored and issues raised with the landlord’s managing agents and ensuring they are rectified in a timely manner.
• Taking a proactive role in making the office a nice place to be, identifying and implementing ways to encourage office attendance and assisting with building a strong community and culture. This includes but is not limited to taking an active role in managing group and team events, being the main person for office-related communications (e.g. posting updates on the office tv screen, advertising forthcoming events, sending out updates in office-wide emails, writing blogs), welcoming and supporting new starters, sharing sustainability initiatives, and generally being the first point of contact for colleagues when they need help.
• Managing facilities contracts for maintenance services and cleaning. Liaising with the cleaner and their manager during monthly visits. Completing daily quality checks of cleaning and identifying areas requiring additional work (such as carpet stains). Logging maintenance work with the facilities contractor or the landlord’s managing agent and overseeing their visits, giving warning to NAO staff of disruption to office services, if required.
• Monitoring meeting room bookings and ensuring rooms are set up, hospitality is prepared, and rooms are promptly tidied afterwards. Where meetings need to be held off-site, to assist with the hiring, setting up and hospitality for these events as well.
• Enforcing the clear desk policy ensuring no detritus is left on desks and IT data security is adhered to.
• Overseeing the regular collection of confidential waste bins and logging waste data, analysing trends and ensuring people are using the correct bins to maximise recycling.
• Receiving incoming mail, scanning all items and handling outgoing courier service despatches.
• Maintaining the office master keys for lockers, drawers etc. Maintaining records of locker assignments, recovering and holding keys when staff leave the NAO. Maintaining the office storage facilities.
• Ordering of hospitality, milk, coffee pods, fruit, etc. as required. Ordering sundry items for the office including stationery, cleaning materials and replacement keys. Watering the office plants and ordering replacements as necessary.
• In liaison with the Facilities Team in London, arrange for provision of security passes to all new staff.
• Assisting with ad hoc projects and tasks, as and when required.
Health, Safety and Environmental Support
• Taking responsibility for ensuring the office complies with all health and safety requirements, working with the NAO’s Health, Safety and Environment Manager (based in London) as well as undertaking display screen equipment assessments and risk assessments.
• Completing Fire Warden checklists and maintaining a fire logbook. Ensuring that all Fire Wardens are aware of their responsibilities in the event of an incident, reporting to the Assembly Point Co-ordinator once the floor is clear. Checking that fire escape doors are releasing during tests and providing confirmation to the landlord’s managing agent.
• Championing environmental and sustainability initiatives, ensuring waste is disposed of correctly to maximise recycling, and environmental data is provided in a timely manner.
• Assisting in the preparation of and maintenance of the Newcastle business continuity and disaster recovery plans including cascade details and being a first point of contact during an emergency situation.
Digital Services (IT) Support
Providing digital services support as necessary (such as issuing IT equipment on their behalf) and assisting with problems with equipment and liaising with engineers for more technical issues.
To assist the Newcastle Digital Services Operations Manager with IT asset management, issuing and receiving equipment, weekly asset audits, assisting with new joiners, ensuring their laptop and starters kit have been issued and are working, trouble-shooting local IT problems, including meeting room kit (to a low technical level), overseeing other IT work provided by contractors and consultants, making sure the meeting rooms are setup and working for non-standard events and assisting with testing for all upgrades and patches that impact the Newcastle Office.
Liaison with the Landlord
Maintaining a good working relationship with the landlord’s managing agent and facilitate resolution of all accommodation issues which arise (especially in relation to fire alarm tests and drills, liaison with building’s reception, attending tenant meetings on behalf of the NAO and building strong relationships with the other tenants in The Spark). |
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