Salary Confirmed higher than National Minimum Wage
This role provides essential business and sales administration support to the management team as needed. As an integral part of the company, the role ensures that our multidisciplinary team—comprising scientists, engineers, software developers, and business development professionals—has the necessary support to maximise their impact in their respective areas of expertise. While primarily operational and administrative, this role offers exposure to a dynamic lab environment where we develop cutting-edge materials for the fashion industry. Additionally, the role supports business development initiatives, including assisting with partnership materials, strategy, and operational support for collaborations with luxury brands.
As part of a growing SME, this position requires enthusiasm, adaptability, and a willingness to take on a variety of tasks beyond those explicitly outlined. The role reports directly to the CEO and the Head of Business Development, with responsibilities that include streamlining processes, assisting senior scientists with administrative tasks to ensure smooth lab and office operations, and providing general administrative support to the Sales team as they drive new opportunities.
A graduate with a background in fashion business would be particularly well-suited to this role, given its intersection of operational support, business development, and exposure to material innovation in the fashion industry.
Skills and Experience Required
Essential main job functions:
1. Scheduling support including arrangement of appointments and diary management, maintenance and updating the CRM system, supporting the Business development team with travel and hotel arrangements.
2. Liaise with our marketing, HR and Accountants to ensure they have all the information they require.
3. Basic bookkeeping and monitoring spend and negotiating for contracts for small expenditure items and lab equipment, with input from the Senior Management team as required.
4. Manage maintenance of plant and machinery in the building and keep relevant records, including training records for equipment usage.
5. Organise and oversee regular cleaning of the office and lab spaces.
6. Assist in ensuring that the health and safety is adhered to and issues recorded, arranging and recording the relevant training.
7. Basic administration as and when required by the team.
8. Prepare and maintain spreadsheets and presentations for use by Senior Management as and when requested.
9. Help prepare and populate proposal documentation for the Head of Business Development and Senior Management as requested.
10. Proofreading and formatting of word documentation/proposals prior to being sent to potential clients.
11. Some low-level budget responsibilities as and when required, monitoring and recording expenditure.
Personnel, training and development:
• Oversee the lab assistants, and ensure that they get what they require from their managers.
General Administration:
1. Updating spreadsheets and ensuring training records and HR records and other inventory systems are accurate and up to date.
2. Organising team meetings, taking notes at meetings.
3. Populate quote generation, and ensure timely responses to potential customer enquiries, ensuring all data safely stored in the appropriate system (CRM).
4. General reporting, sales reports, tracking key metrics, and providing data to support the decision making and strategy.
Experience/qualifications required:
1. Excellent communication skills both in the written form and verbally.
2. Experience of working in a scientific lab environment, aware of the health and safety requirements.
3. At least intermediate experience of MS Office products.
4. Experience of working across multi-disciplines including a sales environment.
5. Strong organisational skills with an ability to multi-task and work closely with various departments to understand and facilitate their needs.
6. Experience of business administration.
7. Familiarity with global markets and cultures is a plus, as the role involves coordinating a team covering various regions as we reach out to clients globally.
8. Collaborative and team-oriented mindset, capable of working closely with sales, production and other departments as required.
9. Must be highly IT literate.
10. Focused on customer satisfaction with a can-do attitude.
11. An interest in sustainability is a strong preference.
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