Executive Assistant/Operations Officer (Research)

About us

This is an exciting opportunity to join the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences at King’s College London. The School is one of six schools in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (FoLSM) at King College London. The School drives translation of world-leading basic science into advances in clinical practice in cardiac, vascular and metabolic medicine.  The School also hosts activities of the MRC/BHF Centre of Excellence for Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics (REACT) and the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at King’s, for which the Director and Co-Director, respectively, is Professor Mauro Giacca. The Giacca research group includes approximately 20 staff, post-docs, PhD students and technicians.

About the role

The post holder will work closely with Professor Giacca, his wider team, and School Core Professional Service Team to provide efficient operational support to staff and students, acting as executive assistant to Prof Giacca and first point of contact on research administration, HR enquiries and ordering for the Giacca group. The post holder will provide diary management and administrative support to Prof Giacca and will be responsible for supporting research administration through the whole life cycle of research grants (from application to closure, pre- and post-award) as well as order items necessary for the research.

The successful candidate will support research and non-research financial transactions within the Giacca group, monitoring budgets and processing invoices and expense claims, and support other school/department-wide projects as required. The post holder will work closely with colleagues to provide high quality general administrative support.

This role is highly varied and will suit a candidate with excellent organisational skills who can work accurately, with close attention to detail in a busy environment with tight deadlines. They will have excellent communication skills and be able to develop good working relationships with the School’s academics and researchers as well as colleagues across the University. 

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

Please note there is no Hybrid Working option for this role and we will require the successful candidate to work onsite full time. 

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or relevant experience
• Experience of a wide range of administration processes including HR and/or grant research management
• Highly numerate with proven financial management and analytical skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience of building an effective network across a complex organisation
• Experience and good knowledge of using complex databases, management information systems and Excel
• Experience of managing large laboratory groups
• Accuracy and attention to detail with ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment, multitask and deal with competing demands.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a higher education institute or research environment
• Experience of managing research grants and/or university finance and an understanding of the HE funding environment
• Experience of implementing Human Resources processes
• Experience of Committee servicing, events organisation

Advert information