St John's College School is seeking to appoint to the new full-time role of Office Administrator from March 2025. This will initially be a fixed-term appointment until the end of September 2025 while the department establish what the resource needs are from October 2025.
The Operations department at St John’s comprises a number of roles in different but related disciplines (e.g. Reception, Timetabling, Events and Logistics, Scheduling, Information Systems, HR, Facilities and Catering, etc.) which provide support to pupils, parents and staff, with the overall aim of upholding the School’s Aims and Ethos and help each child to become their best self. The Operations department strives for excellence at all times to deliver the best outcomes for all key stakeholders and works closely with other departments in the School to achieve this. The Office Administrator reports to the Information Systems Team Leader and works closely with the Director of Operations, Administration Manager, Co-curricular Lead, Registrar, HR Officer, other support staff and the wider staff also.
The Office Administrator is primarily a back-office role, supporting various departments within the organisation to ensure smooth and efficient operations, though at times it may be necessary to cover for absent colleagues in a front-of-house role (e.g. reception cover).
Hours
The Office Administrator works approximately 34 weeks per year (term time), plus an additional 8 weeks outside of term time, according to the needs of the School and as directed by the Director of Operations. The schedule of 8 weeks to be worked outside of term is determined by the Director of Operations but is likely to involve working approximately one week each after the ends of the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, three weeks after the end of the Summer Term, two weeks before the beginning of the new Michaelmas Term, two days each before the beginning of the Lent and Summer Terms (to coincide with staff training days) and one to two days during one of the half terms.
The School is open Monday to Friday from 8:00am until 6:00pm. The normal working hours for the Office Administrator will be 8:30am-4:30pm Monday to Friday, though they may be called on to cover for absent colleagues outside of these times, e.g. staffing the reception desk between 4:30-6:00pm. There will be a daily 30-minute unpaid lunch break, totalling a working week of 37.5 hours. As with all staff, there might be an occasional need for Saturday morning working, e.g. when entry tests occur, or evening working for e.g. parents’ evening, plays or concerts.
Salary
The salary range for full time, 52 weeks will be in the range between £26,000-28,000. The actual salary for this role will be based on 37.5 hours worked per week for 47.1 weeks per year (34 weeks term-time work, 8 weeks non-term-time work and 5.1 weeks paid holiday), which is equivalent to 90.58% of full time. The actual salary range will therefore be 23,550-25,362, dependent on skills and competency. Salaries are paid in arrears in 12 equal monthly instalments.
Lunch from the School’s dining hall is provided free of charge when the School’s catering facilities are in operation (term time and for a limited period outside of term).
Applications
A handwritten letter of application should be sent with a fully completed application form (see ‘ Application and Recruitment Process Explanatory Notes ’) to Mrs Lucy Hargreaves, Information Systems Team Leader, St John's College School, 75 Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AB ( recruitment@sjcs.co.uk ).
Long-list candidates will be invited to attend a first-round interview. Those who are successful after the long-list stage will be invited to complete a skills assessment to inform the short-listing decision. References will be taken up on short-listed candidates who will be invited to return a second-round interview, including a tour of the school and the final interview itself which will include questions relating to safeguarding children.
All reasonable interview expenses will be reimbursed by the School.
St John’s College School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.
All appointments are subject to a criminal background check and proof of qualifications in accordance with the requirements of the Children Act.