PRAXIS Centre Support Assistant

Unit : 
Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS)
Salary : 
£25,742 to £26,444 (pro-rata)
Location : 
Milton Keynes
Please quote reference : 
21530
Fixed Term Contract to 28th May 2025, Part-time – 22.5 hours per week
Closing Date : 
21 March, 2024 – 12:00

Interview date: Thursday 4th April

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be approximately twice a month.

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

This is a key role to provide administrative support as part of the Research Support Team in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS). Research in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies is concerned with enabling people and communities to thrive within an increasingly complex, insecure and unequal world. We recognise that having a voice and experiencing agency is vital for personal wellbeing and democratic renewal and we work both in the UK and in broader global development contexts to ensure that excluded, vulnerable and complexly disadvantaged people are enabled to shape the research that impacts their lives.

The role

The post-holder will work as part of a team of Research Admin Assistants to support research activity in the Faculty and will be based in the PRAXIS Scholarship and Innovation Centre. Team members may be required to provide admin support to Research Managers and Senior Managers, as well as the Associate Dean for Research Excellence, the Director of Postgraduate Studies, the professional doctorate leads, and academic colleagues.

Full time starting salary is £25,742 to £26,444 per annum, with potential progression when in post to £28,759 per annum when in post for over a year.

Internal candidates already within the salary banding will remain on their current spinal point as per policy.

Skills and experience

You must have GCSE grade C or equivalent in English and mathematics and demonstrate good numeracy skills. You will have strong administration and organisational skills, social and an understanding of budget and project management. Being a good communicator across different levels is vital, as is the ability to work under pressure and prioritise your workload. Attention to detail and a systematic approach to problem-solving are also key skills.

If you would like to discuss the application or recruitment process before making an application, please contact Resourcing Hub on 01908 655544 or [email protected] quoting the reference VRF 21530.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Staff Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 30 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days.

How to apply

Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online via the instructions on The OU Job’s page. Applications submitted via 3rd party websites will not be received.

Access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Hub, telephone: 01908 655544, quoting the vacancy reference above.

To apply for this role please submit the following as one document;

• 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.

Please save your document with the following file name as appropriate to the vacancy you are applying for: reference, surname, forename.

You will need to have your documents ready ahead of submitting the electronic application. Please click on the APPLY NOW button below to be redirected to our application page.

APPLY NOW

You will receive updates regarding your application from [email protected] . Please ensure this email address is added to your list of trusted senders so it does not go to your junk folder.

You can view your application communications on the Candidate portal .

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

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential.  We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.  We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.

Email :
[email protected]  

Job related information : 

Attachment	Size

Attachment	Size
Praxis Centre Support Assistant Job Description.docx	143.6 KB

• Terms and Conditions – Support Staff (PDF)

• Terms and Conditions – Support Staff (Word document)

Posting Date : 
7 March, 2024 – 16:00