Administration Supervisor in London

An established international financial services organisation is looking for an experienced Administration Supervisor to lead a small administration team within its London operation. People management is central to this position. You will be responsible for managing and developing a small team, overseeing their day-to-day performance, allocating and reviewing work, setting priorities and providing coaching and guidance. You will ensure that work is completed accurately, deadlines are met and the team consistently delivers a professional and reliable service.

Alongside your management responsibilities, you will take ownership of a broad range of administrative operations, including facilities and vendor management, supplier governance, expenditure and invoice controls, management reporting and support to senior stakeholders. The position would particularly suit someone who has developed their career within a small or medium-sized bank, financial services company or similarly regulated organisation, where managers are expected to be hands-on and comfortable taking responsibility for both their team and the work being delivered.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Managing, mentoring and developing a small administration team, including setting objectives, conducting appraisals and providing regular performance feedback
• Allocating and delegating work, reviewing output and ensuring consistently high standards of quality and accuracy
• Coaching and supporting team members, identifying development needs and addressing performance issues where necessary
• Taking ownership of day-to-day administrative operations and resolving operational issues independently
• Managing facilities, vendors and external suppliers, including oversight of contracts, expenditure, invoices, approvals and service delivery
• Building effective relationships with senior executives, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders
• Maintaining appropriate administration policies, procedures, governance and internal controls
• Identifying operational risks, control weaknesses and opportunities to improve processes
• Preparing accurate management information and supporting operational projects
• Deputising for the Head of Department across Administration and Facilities when required

The most important requirement for this position is that you are a capable and experienced people manager. We are not simply looking for an experienced administrator who has occasionally supervised colleagues. You should have genuine experience of managing employees and be comfortable delegating work, reviewing its quality, providing feedback, developing individuals and addressing performance issues when required.

We are particularly looking for:

• At least two years' experience managing and developing staff, including responsibility for performance reviews and appraisals
• Experience gained within banking, financial services or another regulated environment
• Ideally, experience within a small or medium-sized financial services organisation, where you have worked in a broad, hands-on role
• Practical experience of vendor, supplier and/or facilities management
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to identify errors and maintain high standards of accuracy
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with the ability to prioritise both your own workload and that of your team
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, including confidence working with senior management
• The judgement and confidence to make decisions and resolve operational issues independently
• An understanding of governance, approval processes and internal controls

You will need to be comfortable switching between managing people, reviewing detailed administrative work, dealing with suppliers and supporting senior stakeholders. Strong people-management skills and exceptional attention to detail are therefore equally important. A relevant Business Administration or Communications qualification would be advantageous but is not essential.