Support Administrator

Join us as a Diagnostic Support Administrator and make an invaluable contribution to our Food Safety & Biosecurity!

As a diagnostic support administrator you will provide diagnostic administrative support to the plant health scientific disciplines (bacteriology, entomology, mycology & seed health, nematology, molecular biology and virology) by logging all diagnostic samples, invoicing commercial work and dealing with customer enquiries.  The role involves working within a laboratory and office environment.

What you’ll be doing:

In this role, you will be working within a small team that provides administrative support to the Plant Clinic department. Once fully trained you will join a rota with other team members taking on the different sets of duties for a week at a time.

Booking in samples:

• Open parcels, assess the information provided and electronically book samples into our in-house systems and produce lab paperwork via IT system for these samples. Samples consist of plant material (plant, seeds, produce), invertebrate pests (some live but contained), soil, plant product and food samples (potential allergens e.g., nuts and wheat flour etc).
• Liaise with customers to resolve any issues with booking in their samples e.g., missing information.
• Prepare invoices and accounts for commercial customers.

 Office duties:

• Liaise with customers and other colleagues by email and telephone about sample details, results and other general enquires.
• Provide basic scientific advice on pest and disease testing services. On the job training is given so no scientific background is necessary for this role, the team and diagnosticians will support you in answering enquiries.
• Carry out basic finance checks to provide Fera’s central finance team with data for account set-up.
• Booking customer courier collections via DHL (training given).
• Carry out general administrative duties including but not limited to photocopying, filing and data entry.

What we’re looking for:

• An office administrator who can demonstrate experience of working effectively with fluctuating workloads, meeting deadlines, whilst continuing to meet a high standard of work.
• Able to follow standard operating procedures, whilst displaying proven problem solving and troubleshooting skills when deviations occur.
• Good communication and customer service skills with the ability to deal with internal and external customers by telephone, email and occasionally face-to-face. You will have the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels.
• A good working knowledge of Microsoft Office software packages such as Word, Excel and Outlook.
• A methodical approach to work and good decision-making skills, as well as an eye for detail and accuracy.
• Excellent team working skills in conjunction with the ability to work on your own initiative with minimum supervision.
• The role does not involve handling insects or spiders etc as all samples are contained, but the post holder will need to feel comfortable being near them.

What’s in it for you?

• ​25 days’ holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, free parking and a discounted on-site nursery.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, you can contact recruitment@fera.co.uk

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at recruitment@fera.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.