IS Admin Manager in Edinburgh

Grade and Salary: Grade 6, 31,236 - 36,636 per annum

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35hrs per week) Open-ended

Reward and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff.

Are you an experienced administrator ready to take the next step into operational management? Heriot-Watt University's Global Information Services Directorate is looking for a proactive, digitally-minded IS Administration Manager to lead a small professional team and help deliver the services that underpin a modern, global university. This is not a traditional administration role.

You'll be responsible for driving efficient, digital-first administration across Information Services, managing key operational processes, supporting senior leaders, leading a team of three, and identifying opportunities to improve services and deliver value for money.

About our Team: The Global Information Services directorate at Heriot-Watt University provides a range of services to support, promote and supply information, information skills and infrastructure to support a modern research-intensive university in a global setting. This straddles academic library provision alongside a range of technical services and systems such as IT and AV services, systems and support for learning & teaching, research & enterprise, operational effectiveness. It is an integrated global service, providing services to students, staff, applicants, alumni, external users across all five campuses based in Edinburgh, Galashiels, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia.

The IS Admin team is responsible for providing a comprehensive administrative management and support service to the IS Directorate, supporting the Global Director of IS, the IS Leadership Team and each of the Divisions within the directorate.

Purpose of Role: The IS Admin manager will lead the IS Admin team within the Information Services Directorate in providing administrative support and secretarial support to all members of the Global IS directorate. The role holder is a member of the IS leadership team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Managing the IS Admin processes and services, including finances, purchases procurement and software asset management totally c5m.
• Identify and manage potential savings for the University particularly within the software budget.
• Provide information to the IS Finance Business Partner on a regular basis to assist with finance reports and budget planning.
• Raising purchase orders for goods and services required for the IS Directorate checking appropriate processes in line with the University Financial Regulations.
• Managing and motivating team members, line management of 3 staff and completion of annual performance development reviews.
• Staff recruitment, induction, and preparation of training materials including personal development plans.
• Providing cover for team members.
• Developing and creating digitised administrative processes to drive efficiency in a busy and fast paced professional service directorate.
• Developing and maintaining an up-to-date service level catalogue with the range of services and support provided by the IS Admin team.
• Managing the IS Admin SharePoint document management system.
• Managing information in line with the University's records management policy.
• Provide administrative support to the British Sign Language co-ordinator including raising purchase orders, reconciling invoices, raising sales invoices, processing Access to Work documentation.
• Managing the administration of the University staff mobile phones estate, maintaining an up-to-date asset register, raising purchase orders, invoice reconciliation.
• Managing the student laptop and technical equipment loan scheme alongside the Student Services & Library Customer Service teams.
• Liaison with global IS divisions in support of service delivery and sharing expertise.
• Managing and monitoring the team's service desk queue.
• Part of the IS leadership team, supporting the Global Director of IS, delegating for them as required.

Person Specification: These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.

Essential:

• Educated to Highers/A level standard (or equivalent).
• Several years' experience working in a senior administrative role.
• Competent in the use of the Microsoft Office 365 suite, familiarity with Teams and SharePoint and a keen interest in and willingness to develop your digital skills and capabilities.
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.
• Well-developed organisational and planning skills with the ability to make decisions and prioritise workloads and requests on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Excellent customer service values.
• Experience of working in a team and leading on your own initiative.
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach, prioritising workloads across a small team.
• Demonstrable understanding of data protection and information security principles relevant to the role.

Desirable:

• Previous supervisory experience.
• Experience of working with a purchasing and finance system such as Oracle Fusion ERP and PECOS.
• Experience of working within the HE Sector.

How to Apply: Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV. Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Wednesday 9th September 2026.

About Heriot-Watt University: At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.