Main Purpose of the Job

You will work closely with Heads of Department (HoD), Group Leaders, Scientific Facilities and Laboratory Managers to support and enhance the delivery of excellent science to beneficiaries inside and outside of the organisation.

This role sits within the core admin team.

Key Relationships

The post is line managed by the Core Admin Team Leader.
Inside the organisation, staff at all levels may be direct or indirect recipients of the products of the post holder’s activities. Outside of JIC, recipients may be located nationally or internationally and may be other scientists, politicians, members of commercial organisations, or members of the public.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Provide high-quality administrative and PA support to Heads of Department, Group Leaders and departmental teams, ensuring the effective operation of departmental activities.

Coordinate meetings including preparation of documentation, minute-taking and follow-up actions.

Coordinate seminars, conferences, visitor programmes and departmental events.

Arrange travel, accommodation and logistics for staff, visitors and external collaborators.

Support departmental administration, information management, reporting and maintenance of Institute systems and records.

Administer departmental financial processes, including budget monitoring and credit card reconciliation.

Support staff onboarding and leaver processes in collaboration with HR and other stakeholders.

Proactively identify opportunities to improve administrative processes, efficiency and service delivery.

As agreed with line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the role.

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

Good general level of education, 6 GCSEs or equivalent, including English and Maths

Essential

Administrative/Secretarial qualifications

Desirable

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint

Essential

Proficiency in using online meeting technology

Essential

Proficiency and experience in minute taking

Essential

Ensuring data confidentiality at all times and compliance with GDPR

Essential

Database management

Desirable

Web page editing

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience of booking business travel (national and international)

Essential

Proven experience of working in an administrative role

Essential

Experience in a support role with substantial responsibility

Essential

Experience of organising meetings (internal and external to organisation)

Essential

Experience of working in an academic environment

Desirable

Experience of diary and email management for senior staff

Desirable

Responsible use of AI tools for admin tasks

Desirable

Familiar with MS Forms

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent time management and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workload effectively

Essential

Ability to work on own initiative and to work effectively as part of a team, requiring flexibility, versatility and adaptability

Essential

Good communication skills, both written and verbal

Essential

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well as part of a team

Essential

Self-motivated and proactive

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to occasionally undertake out of hours working

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Commitment to learning and improving skills

Essential

Able to add value to the organisation through high level of initiative and creating efficiencies, cost savings or suggesting solutions to problems that impact on the organisation.

Essential

John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial genetics, carrying out fundamental and strategic research, to train scientists and making our findings available to society.

Our research makes use of a wide range of disciplines in the biological and chemical sciences including; cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics and molecular biology.

For more information about working at the John Innes Centre, please click here.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive working environment for all. We have a diverse and multicultural scientific community and thrive on our European and international links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

We are proud to hold a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award, recognising the impact of our work in promoting gender equality in science. We are also a proud member of the Stonewall Diversity Champion’s programme, a founding signatory of the Tecnician Commitment and, as a Disability Confident employer, guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852), limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 511709).

Department

Directorate

Living in Norfolk

• Visit Norfolk
• Schools in Norfolk
• Childcare in Norfolk

Science Support Administrator (Maternity cover)
Salary:            £30,600 - £33,920 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract:        12 months, full-time
Location:        John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
Closing date: 16 September 2026
Reference:     1006183

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Science Support Administrator to join the Core Administration Team to support the cutting-edge science of the John Innes Centre.

About the John Innes Centre:

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally. 

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre.

The role:

As part of the core admin team, the post-holder will work closely with Heads of Department (HoD), Group Leaders, Scientific Facilities and Laboratory Managers to support and enhance the delivery of excellent science to beneficiaries inside and outside of the organisation.

The post-holder will be given diverse tasks and must be flexible as the demands of the job will vary considerably.

Examples of the responsibilities and activities to be carried out by the post holder include the following:

• Provide high-quality administrative and PA support to Heads of Department, Group Leaders and departmental teams, ensuring the effective operation of departmental activities.
• Coordinate meetings including preparation of documentation, minute-taking and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate seminars, conferences, visitor programmes and departmental events,
• Arrange travel, accommodation and logistics for staff, visitors and external collaborators.
• Support departmental administration, information management, reporting and maintenance of Institute systems and records.
• Administer departmental financial processes, including budget monitoring and credit card reconciliation.
• Support staff onboarding and leaver processes in collaboration with HR and other stakeholders.
•Proactively identify opportunities to improve administrative processes, efficiency and service delivery.

The ideal candidate:

Applicants are expected to have 6 GCSEs or equivalent, including English and Maths, and experience of working as an administrator in a busy environment. The ideal candidate will be approachable and enthusiastic, enjoy supporting others and take pride in providing an excellent service. They will be highly organised and adaptable, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and remain effective when managing a diverse range of tasks. A strong team player, they will be able to build positive relationships across the Institute, while also using their initiative to solve problems and improve processes.

Additional information:

This is a full-time maternity cover post expected to last for 12 months, this could be shorter or longer depending on when the absent employee returns to work.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.