Part-Time Business Support Administrator in Chelmsford

Fixed Term, Part Time £25,959 – £28,786 Per Annum (Full Time Equivalent) Location: Chelmsford Closing Date: 05/08/2026

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term, 29.6 hours per week contract up until date 30/04/2027. The actual salary for this role is £20,767.20 – £23,028.80.

The Opportunity

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK and is undergoing significant transformational change to further enhance customer focus, service and delivery. As part of this, the Business Support team will work in specialised Business Centre Support Teams and Service Support Teams to promote specialised knowledge and improved service and efficiencies. This is an Anywhere Worker position, offering a blend of remote and office-based working. You’ll be expected to attend the office at County Hall, Chelmsford for up to four days per week, depending on business need. On days where full-time attendance isn’t required, remote working will apply. There may also be occasional travel to other ECC offices during the contract.

The Role

As a Business Support Administrator, you’ll be part of a friendly, collaborative team that plays a crucial role in keeping our services running smoothly. This is a varied and rewarding position where you’ll use your strengths, build confidence, and develop new skills all within a supportive environment that values teamwork, initiative, and growth. In this role, you’ll deliver a wide range of administrative and business support activities, proactively managing your workload and using your judgement to resolve queries from internal and external customers. You’ll become a trusted point of contact for colleagues and stakeholders, using clear communication and strong organisational skills to provide professional, solution‑focused support.

Your day‑to‑day work may include tasks such as:

• Word processing
• Minute‑taking
• Data entry
• Updating databases
• Call handling
• Managing shared inboxes ensuring information is accurate, accessible, and well organised

A strong understanding of business support processes is essential, as you’ll provide coaching and mentoring to Business Support Assistants and Business Support Apprentices, supporting their development and helping maintain high standards across the team. You may also be required to provide occasional administrative support to your line manager to ensure the smooth running of the service. You’ll contribute to a range of on‑site and reception activities, acting as a welcoming, reliable presence for staff, visitors, and customers. This involves supporting reception duties, managing enquiries, handling petty cash, and helping to keep the site operating efficiently. Flexibility is key. You may be asked to support different workflows, adapt to changing service needs, or step into onsite responsibilities as required. Your ability to stay calm, organised, and responsive will help ensure the operational needs of the service are met effectively.

We’re looking for someone with a natural curiosity for continuous improvement someone who notices opportunities to make processes smoother, smarter or more consistent, and feels confident sharing ideas that help the team work even better together. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys being the dependable “go‑to” person, thrives in a varied environment, and wants to contribute to a team that recognises achievement, encourages ownership, and supports development every step of the way.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Organised and reliable, with good attention to detail
• Friendly, approachable and confident in their communication
• Proactive in managing their workload and providing high‑quality support
• Flexible and adaptable, able to move between tasks, workflows and onsite activity
• Supportive of others, with the confidence to offer guidance or mentoring when needed

This is an excellent opportunity if you enjoy working with people, appreciate variety, and want to be part of a role that offers a genuinely rewarding experience.

Accountabilities

• Providing high quality, more complex business support activities within a business centre or service support team.
• Managing time effectively to meet deadlines and SLAs and proactively communicating with customers and/or Business Centre Manager(s) to update on progress.
• Resolving internal and customer queries whilst alerting customers and/or line managers to urgent or complex issues when required.
• Providing advice and guidance to Business Support Assistants, acting as their Coach/Mentor and being their first point of escalation for resolving unusual or complex customer work requests.
• Maintaining an up to date knowledge of processes, corporate systems and standards, sharing useful knowledge and information to the Business Support team.
• Demonstrate effective communication and engagement with customers, Business Centre Managers, Service Support Managers, Senior Business Support Administrators and Business Support Administrators to ensure an effective business support service.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
• Understands the importance of continuous improvement and remains aware of potential improvements.
• Promotes onsite collaboration and leads by example in flexible working.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF Level 2 (GCSE), including Maths and English, with an NVQ Administration Level 2 or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of the ability to develop skills and knowledge within role.
• Demonstrable experience and competence of MS Office applications and their practical application.
• Ability to use computerised systems with a high level of speed and accuracy.
• Previous experience of managing electronic or hard copy filing systems.
• Ability to communicate in a manner which is easily understood and tailored to meet the needs of the audience.