Estates Administrative Officer

VACANCY – ESTATES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Applications are invited for an Estates Administrative Officer with the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI). This full time Crown Service (Civil Service grade AO equivalent) post becomes vacant on 1st May 2024.

RFCA NI

RFCA NI is one of 13 autonomous arms-length bodies of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with Crown Status. The RFCA NI’s role is to provide first-class support to tri-service reserves and MOD-sponsored cadet forces across Northern Ireland.

The Role

The RFCA NI Estates Administrative Officer is responsible for ensuring an efficient and effective administrative support service is provided to the RFCA NI Estates Team and that all activity conforms with agreed RFCA processes and operating procedures.

Key skills include strong organisational skills, excellent communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills, customer service, problem solving and understanding of MS Office applications.

A full job description is available from ni-adminao@rfca.org.uk.

The post holder will be required to work a 37 hour week (excluding lunchbreaks).

Salary and Benefits

The salary for the appointment at commencement is £24,040 per annum plus a Northern Ireland Allowance of £750 per annum. The successful candidate will be eligible to elect to join the Council of RFCAs pension scheme. This is a Career Average Revalued Earnings scheme (CARE).

The successful candidate will be entitled to 25 days’ annual leave entitlement on appointment, plus bank holidays. (Annual leave entitlement increases by 1 day per year up to 30 days; those with 5 years’ prior service with HM Forces/OGD will start with 30 days’ entitlement.)

Requirements

The successful candidate will be required to serve a probationary period of six months and final confirmation of the appointment is dependent upon the satisfactory completion of this probationary period. The successful candidate will be required to be Security Cleared (SC).

Application and interviews

Applications should be received no later than noon, Friday 19th April 2024 and should be sent by email to ni-adminao@rfca.org.uk marked “Estates Administrative Officer Application”. The shortlist of applicants called for interview will be notified shortly after this date.

Applications should comprise:

· A completed application form (available on request from: ni-adminao@rfca.org.uk).

· A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for applying for the role and outlining their suitability and eligibility.

1. ABOUT US

At RFCA NI we champion Northern Ireland’s Reserves Forces and Cadets through community and corporate engagement, estate management and support to local Reserve Units and Cadet Detachments. Uniquely to Northern Ireland we also provide support to Veterans through the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Organisation.

Our Background

Established in 1908 (as Territorial Associations) the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCAs) were originally designed to provide local support to the Territorial Force in every county. Over 100 years later the name has changed, the number of associations has reduced and the RFCA dependency has grown to encompass reserves and cadets of all 3 services.

RFCA business is publicly funded, delivered regionally and provides support to the single services of the MOD (Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force).

The RFCA is comprised of 13 individual associations which cover the United Kingdom, and are central government bodies with Crown status. The RFCAs are established by an Act of Parliament, each with its own scheme of association, drawn up by the Defence Council under the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96), therefore the RFCAs are ‘arm’s length bodies’ of the MOD.

Each association comprises a body of volunteer members drawn from across society with a professional (salaried) staff that is responsible for the wellbeing of the region’s reserve forces and cadets and promoting their interests, whilst building relationships with the local community and employers.

Our Responsibilities

We are responsible for:

· Providing regional advice on behalf of the UK’s volunteer reserve forces and cadets.

· Working with the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force to deliver support to the reserves and cadets against Service Level Agreements.

· Establishing and maintaining links within the Northern Ireland community.

· Delivering employer engagement on behalf of Defence.

· Managing the volunteer estate through the maintenance and support of reserve training centres, cadet centres and training areas.

· Offering a trusted single point of contact for all organisations which provide services to support veterans.

Our Team

Our dedicated team of salaried staff and voluntary members strive to promote the value and diverse skill set of the Armed Forces family within the Northern Ireland community and employers from all sectors.

Our Work

VOLUNTEER ESTATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

We maintain the estate to the required legal standard, ensuring that all sites are kept in good condition, fit for purpose and secure. Through our estate expertise and local knowledge we aim to provide an attractive environment in which to recruit, train and ‘refresh the spirit” of our volunteers.

ENGAGEMENT

We work to establish and maintain strong relationships with employers and community stakeholders to develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with the Ministry of Defence.

Stakeholders are invited to discover the benefits of partnering with Defence through unit engagement activities and domestic military initiatives. These events allow employers to see first-hand the transferable skill set Reservists bring to the workplace.

We support the Reservists and their employers during periods of operational deployment, through the Defence Relationship Management (DRM) organization which provides the interface between the military and those employers who have reserves on their staff.

CADETS AND YOUTH

We provide financial, administrative and logistical support to the 2,500+ cadets across Northern Ireland, enabling them to experience challenges and adventures that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Importantly, we provide the recruitment support for the adult volunteers without which the cadet organisations would cease to exist.

In schools our commitment to the Cadet Expansion Programme is led by our dedicated School Cadet Expansion Officer who guides schools and offers advice throughout the process of establishing a unit.

2. JOB DESCRIPTION

Estates Administrative Officer

Grade: AO

Department: Estates

Reporting To: Assistant Facilities Manager

Location: 25 Windsor Park, Belfast, BT9 6FR

General Description of Role

The RFCA NI Administrative Officer is responsible for ensuring an efficient and effective administrative support service is provided to the RFCA NI Estates Team and that all activity conforms with all agreed RFCA/CRFCA processes and operating procedures.

Key skills include strong organisational skills, excellent communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills, customer service, problem solving and understanding of MS Office applications.

Principal Areas of Accountability, Tasks and Duties

1. Leadership:

a. Demonstrate a personal commitment to the aims and objectives of the RFCA

b. Demonstrate a clear understanding of own area of responsibility

c. Support line management in delivering RFCA goals

d. Understand and support the RFCA Estates Team activity

2. Administrative support:

a. Provide an effective administrative support service to the RFCA Estates Team

b. Produce Estate reports and other management information to support RFCA Estates Team business requirements

c. Collation and validation of data and reports provided by the industry partner e.g. service delivery reports, Health & Safety compliance reports, etc.

d. Execute RFCA Information Management Policy on behalf of the RFCA Estates Team

e. Effective and efficient management of the RFCA Estates Team group mailbox

f. Carry out general administrative duties as required e.g. photocopying, filing and post

3. Meeting management:

a. Arrange meetings as required, ensuring availability of attendees, booking meeting rooms, confirm arrangements and, if required, manage arrangements on the day

b. Collation of papers for meetings or other requirements as requested

4. Stakeholder Engagement / Communications:

a. Ensure stakeholders and customers experience an effective administrative service

b. Maintain all RFCA Estates Team stakeholder contact information in accordance with RFCA Information Management policy

c. Support the Assistant Facilities Manager in ensuring customers remain fully informed on all aspects of service delivery

d. Support the Head of Estates in addressing complaints which the industry partner has been unable to resolve

e. Maintain awareness of CRFCA/RFCA corporate messaging

This Job Description will be reviewed annually and may be amended from time to time, however the job holder will be consulted if such a situation occurs.

The post holder must have, or agree to applying for, Security Clearance (SC). Failure to gain the clearance will result in cessation of employment.

Person Specification - The role requires the following personal attributes:

1. A self-starter, comfortable working autonomously without recourse to direct supervision.

2. A strong team player, comfortable both leading and following as the situation dictates.

3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

4. Honest and reliable with a strong work ethic.

5. A flexible, adaptable and “can-do” attitude to work tasks that support the Estates team outputs.

6. Enthusiastic and able to be trained and gain competency in a range of bespoke IT systems and processes and to continue to retrain in new systems as and when implemented.

Competences Required for the Post

Essential and desirable competences for the role of the Estates Administrative Support are as follows:

1. IT literate including familiarity and comfort with Microsoft Office applications.

2. Good organisational and time management skills, attention to detail and ability to prioritise tasks.

3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills

4. Administrative experience within an office or Facilities Management environment

5. Experience in a customer service environment

Skills & Behaviours (AO grade) (Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours)

· Seeing the Big Picture - Understand what your responsibilities are and how these contribute to the priorities of your team. Consider the varied impact your work could have on individuals with different needs and from other backgrounds. Gather information from both inside and outside of the organisation to inform your area of work.

· Changing and Improving - Review ways of working and suggest improvements, including how to make full use of new digital technologies. Learn new procedures and help colleagues to do the same. Query any issues that arise from changes in a suitable way. Respond in an effective and appropriate manner when emergencies arise.

· Making Effective Decisions - Use guidance, analyse relevant information and ask colleagues for input to support decision making. Identify and deal with any errors or gaps in information before making a decision. Consider the diverse needs of those affected by decisions and how it will impact them. Provide advice and feedback to support others in making accurate decisions. Ask others to clarify decisions when confused and query any issues that arise constructively.

· Leadership - Show enthusiasm for your work and take personal accountability for your role. Demonstrate responsibility for your own objectives. Act in a fair, inclusive and respectful way when dealing with others. Be considerate and understanding of other people’s points of view. Understand and support the objectives of the wider team. Demonstrate consideration of the wider consequences of own actions.

· Communicating and Influencing - Put forward your views in a clear, constructive and considerate manner. Use an appropriate method of communication for each person such as an email, telephone call or face-to-face, taking into consideration their individual needs. Use plain and simple language, being careful to check written work for errors. Consider the impact of language used on different groups of stakeholders. Remain honest and truthful when explaining opinions. Listen and ask questions to ensure your understanding.

· Working Together - Proactively contribute to the work of the whole team and remain open to taking on new and different roles. Get to know your colleagues and build supportive relationships. Listen to alternative perspectives and needs, responding sensitively and checking understanding where necessary. Ask for help when needed and support others when the opportunity arises. Be aware of the need to consider your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Understand that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.

· Developing Self and Others - Identify gaps in your skills and knowledge and make plans of how to develop these. Take time to achieve development objectives. Listen to and act on feedback from colleagues to find areas you can develop. Share knowledge and skills learnt with colleagues to contribute to the learning and development of the whole team.

· Managing a Quality Service - Gain a clear understanding of customers’ needs and expectations. Plan, organise and manage your own time to deliver a high quality service which gives taxpayers a good return for their money. Act to prevent problems by identifying issues, reporting them and providing solutions. Keep customers and all colleagues up to date with progress. Show customers where to access relevant information and support that will help them to use services more effectively.

· Delivering at Pace - Always work with focus and pace to get the job done on time and to a high standard. Follow the relevant policies, procedures and rules that apply to the job. Use own knowledge and expertise to organise work. Keep focused on delivery and take responsibility for the quality of work produced. Keep a consistent level of personal performance. Keep managers and stakeholders updated on how work is progressing.

Benefits Package

· Salary of £24,040 plus Northern Ireland allowance of £750 pa

· Pension Scheme 5% Employee and 13% Employer

· Annual Leave 25 Days (rising by up to 5 days for reckonable service) plus bank holidays

· Hybrid working is negotiable, with up to 2 days working from home

· Bonus Scheme

· Support for further training and CPD

Application Process

Interested Candidates are asked to submit a completed application form and covering letter by noon on Friday 19th April 2024. They may be sent by mail to RFCA for Northern Ireland, 25 Windsor Park, Belfast, BT9 6FR, FAO Business Administrator, or emailed to: ni-adminao@rfca.org.uk.

(Application forms are available from ni-adminao@rfca.org.uk. The covering letter should explain the applicant’s motivation for applying for the role and outline their suitability and eligibility.)

The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from eligible candidates no matter what their gender, marital status, age, race, ethnic origin or religious belief.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: From £24,040.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Yearly bonus

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 19/04/2024