Business Support Officer – AR

Business Support Officer – AR

Temporary 31500 - 38500 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Carrington Blake Recruitment

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Support the Children & Education Transformation Team with project coordination and administration.
  • Company: Local Authority focused on transforming children's services and education.
  • Benefits: Gain hands-on experience, develop valuable skills, and potential for contract extension.
  • Other info: Hybrid working arrangement with opportunities for professional growth.
  • Why this job: Kickstart your career in public-sector transformation and make a real difference.
  • Qualifications: Strong administrative skills and experience in public sector or education preferred.

The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.

Contract Length: 3 months, with potential extension

Start Date: ASAP

Working Arrangement: Hybrid

Office Attendance: 2-3 days per week on site

Team: Children & Education Transformation Team

About the Role

We are seeking an organised and proactive Business Support Officer to join a Local Authority's Children & Education Transformation Team on an initial 3-month contract, with potential for extension. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced administrator or graduate looking to develop their career and gain valuable experience within a project and transformation environment, with potential progression into a Project Support Officer role. You will provide flexible business and project support to managers, teams and partners, helping to coordinate priorities, maintain effective administration and support service improvement across Children & Education.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide business and project support to the Children & Education Transformation Team.
  • Support project planning, coordination and delivery across multiple workstreams.
  • Maintain project documentation, action logs, risk and issue registers, evidence files, progress updates and governance information.
  • Arrange and support meetings, including preparing agendas, papers and minutes/notes.
  • Record decisions and actions, chase outstanding actions and ensure follow-up activity is completed within agreed deadlines.
  • Collate and maintain information from systems, spreadsheets and project records.
  • Produce clear reports, briefings, dashboards, presentations and management information for senior officers, boards and stakeholders.
  • Provide general business administration, including enquiry handling, mailbox management, diary and meeting coordination, document production and records management.
  • Support purchase order and invoice processing and other general office requirements.
  • Act as a professional point of contact for internal teams, external partners, suppliers, residents/customers and other stakeholders.
  • Handle queries efficiently and elevate sensitive or complex matters appropriately.
  • Support compliance, audit and governance requirements by maintaining accurate records and following council policies, procedures and financial regulations.
  • Handle information in accordance with data protection and confidentiality requirements.
  • Use Microsoft Office, Teams, Excel, databases and relevant project/business systems to maintain accurate information and produce high-quality outputs.
  • Support multiple priorities and workstreams within a busy public-sector environment.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

  • Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
  • Able to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.
  • Proactive and confident working independently using their own initiative.
  • A strong communicator who can build positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
  • Comfortable coordinating meetings, actions, information and documentation.
  • Adaptable, willing to learn and committed to supporting service improvement.
  • Professional, resilient and able to handle sensitive information appropriately.
  • Confident using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Teams.
  • Able to work collaboratively while managing their own workload effectively.

Experience Required

Candidates should ideally have experience within Children's Services, Education, Local Government or another public-sector environment. Relevant backgrounds could include:

  • Business Support Officer
  • Project Support Officer
  • Project Administrator
  • Programme Support Officer
  • Business Support Administrator
  • Senior Administrator
  • Project Coordinator

Strong administrative experience is essential, with experience of supporting projects, programmes, service improvement or multiple workstreams highly desirable.

What This Role Offers

This role offers an opportunity to gain hands‑on experience supporting Children & Education transformation activity within a Local Authority, while developing valuable project coordination, governance, reporting and stakeholder management skills. It would particularly suit an experienced administrator looking to move into Project Support, or a graduate looking to build a career within public‑sector transformation and project delivery.

Business Support Officer – AR employer: Carrington Blake Recruitment

As a leading employer in Harrow, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee development and engagement. Our commitment to professional growth is evident through tailored training programmes and leadership opportunities, ensuring that every team member can thrive while contributing to the Council's strategic objectives. With a focus on diversity and community impact, we offer a unique chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of residents while enjoying a supportive and dynamic workplace.

Carrington Blake Recruitment

Contact Details:

Carrington Blake Recruitment Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Business Support Officer – AR

Join Business Intelligence Meetups

We can’t stress enough how beneficial it is to attend local Business Intelligence meetups and events. These gatherings often bring together industry professionals and can lead to short-term, temporary roles—perfect if you’re looking to land something quickly. Plus, you’ll get to learn some insider tips and tricks from those already in the game!

Leverage Online Freelancing Platforms

Since you’re searching for a temporary gig, check out freelancing platforms like Upwork or Freelancer where businesses often post short-term BI projects. This can be a great way to build your portfolio and gain experience while also showcasing your skills to potential future employers.

Show Off Your BI Projects

Whether you’re working on a personal project or a past endeavour, put your work out there! Create a public portfolio that highlights your best Business Intelligence analyses or visualisations. It’ll give you a leg up when you’re approaching companies like Carrington Blake Recruitment, showing exactly what you can bring to the table.

Tap Into University or College Networks

If you're currently studying or recently graduated, make sure to use your university's career services. Many educational institutions have partnerships with companies looking for temporary talent in Business Intelligence, so keep an eye out for exclusive job postings or internship fairs that could lead to a quick placement.

We think you need these skills to ace Business Support Officer – AR

Organisational Skills
Attention to Detail
Project Coordination
Documentation Management
Meeting Coordination
Report Production
Stakeholder Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Data Skills:In business intelligence, it's crucial to highlight your analytical skills and experience with data tools. Make sure your CV showcases any relevant software you’ve used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Add specific examples of how you've used data to drive insights or improvements in previous roles, even if they were in academic projects or internships.

Keep it Concise and Impactful:For a temporary role like this, hiring managers often have limited time to sift through applications. Get straight to the point in your CV and cover letter. Use bullet points for your achievements, showcasing the impact you've made, like percentage increases in efficiency or specific results from your analyses.

Flexibility is Key:Since this is a temporary position, make sure to emphasise your adaptability. Mention your quick learning abilities and experiences where you adapted to new tools or processes rapidly. This will show that you can jump in and start contributing effectively from day one at Carrington Blake Recruitment.

Craft a Tailored Motivation Statement:In your cover letter, focus on why you’re excited about this temporary role at Carrington Blake Recruitment. Talk about your interest in business intelligence and how this position aligns with your career goals. Remember, it’s not just about what you can offer, but why you’re passionate about becoming part of their team, even for a short time!

How to prepare for a job interview at Carrington Blake Recruitment

Brush Up on Your Data Skills

For a business intelligence role, you'll want to showcase your analytical skills and familiarity with data visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI. Be ready to tackle technical questions or case studies demonstrating your ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations.

Plan Your Portfolio of Projects

Since this is a temporary position, we should highlight any past projects you've worked on in business intelligence. Prepare a portfolio that includes a couple of key pieces where you've effectively utilised data to drive decisions—this will show that you're not just a quick fix but someone who can deliver immediate value.

Demonstrate Your Adaptability

Temporary roles often require us to hit the ground running, so be ready to discuss how you quickly adapt to new tools, teams, and environments. Share specific examples from previous experiences where you thrived under pressure or had to learn a new system or process in a short time frame.

Have Your Metrics Ready

In business intelligence, quantifying your impact is key. Come prepared to share metrics from your past work: think percentages, growth figures, or efficiency improvements. This will really help us paint a picture of how your contributions directly benefited those previous roles.