Administrative Assistant in Harwell

Serco is a leading Space Services Provider, supporting the European Space Agency across Europe. At ESA ECSAT in Harwell, Serco delivers a wide range of operational and business support services that enable ESA’s activities in telecommunications, integrated applications, climate, technology and science.

You will work at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), located at the Harwell Science, Innovation and Business Campus in Oxfordshire. ECSAT is ESA’s UK centre of excellence, bringing together ESA staff, industry partners, researchers and service providers working at the interface between space, innovation and real-world applications.

Within the CSC Department, you will provide direct administrative and organisational support to the Head of the BUC, while also supporting other ESA staff as required. You will work closely with senior management, colleagues across departments and Facility Management, operating in a highly professional and confidential environment where trust, discretion and reliability are essential.

In this role, you will play a key part in enabling the Head of the BUC and ESA staff at ECSAT to operate effectively and efficiently. Your work will ensure that administrative processes, communications and schedules are well organised, accurate and compliant with ESA rules and procedures.

By managing information flow, coordinating meetings and commitments and handling sensitive matters with care, you will allow managers and teams to focus on their strategic, financial and operational responsibilities. Your contribution will directly support continuity decision making and the smooth running of CSC and BUC activities at ECSAT.

You will support the Head of the BUC and other ESA staff in the preparation and follow-up of administrative, organisational and contractual matters. You will plan and coordinate meetings and commitments, manage calendars and ensure managers are kept informed of priorities and issues requiring attention. This includes preparing and supervising meeting documentation, presentations and supporting materials, as well as tracking actions and follow-ups.

You will handle incoming calls, performing initial screening and ensuring appropriate routing or follow-up, while keeping organised records of communications. You will analyse incoming correspondence, both paper-based and electronic, prioritising and presenting information clearly to ensure timely responses.

Your responsibilities will include preparing staff missions and travel arrangements, composing routine correspondence and producing documents and presentations with textual and graphical content. You will ensure that all actions comply with ESA Staff Rules and Regulations, financial procedures and authorisation requirements, using ESA corporate software tools and documentation systems.

You will administer and maintain office documentation systems, defining folder structures, registering and filing correspondence and ensuring proper distribution and archiving. You will follow up on team actions, collect information and documents needed to support decision-making and provide guidance to staff on the use of relevant administrative systems.

You will coordinate closely with other administrative colleagues to ensure continuity of support during absences and provide coverage where required. You will also interface with Facility Management for on-site support related to arrivals, departures, relocations, office logistics and access matters and contribute to the organisation of events and meetings hosted by the department.

You bring at least two years of experience as an Administrative Assistant supporting managers at an executive level, ideally within an international organisation. You are confident working with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams and comfortable using structured documentation and workflow systems.

Experience with ESA corporate tools such as MAS and ESA-P is an advantage, as is familiarity with the space or telecommunications sector. You communicate clearly and professionally in English and knowledge of another European language is considered an asset.

You are highly organised, proactive and attentive to detail, with a strong sense of responsibility and discretion. You understand the importance of confidentiality and are comfortable supporting senior management and handling sensitive information on a daily basis.

Working with Serco at ESA ECSAT means joining a stable and well-established organisation with a long-standing presence in the European space sector. You will be employed on a permanent UK contract with Serco, subject to ESA acceptance and benefit from a supportive working environment where people development and long-term careers are taken seriously.

Serco is committed to supporting your professional growth through regular performance reviews, annual career development planning and access to a wide range of training opportunities. This includes technical and soft-skills training, workshops, conferences, language courses and online learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning and Serco’s internal learning management system.

You will have regular interaction with Serco management and local support teams, ensuring you feel supported, informed and connected. Serco maintains an open-door approach through its local support offices and provides regular updates on company initiatives, events and opportunities across its European space business.

In addition to a competitive salary, the role includes a comprehensive benefits package. This includes access to a pension scheme, life insurance linked to pension membership, company sick pay from day one depending on length of service and an annual salary review process in line with Serco Group guidelines.

While working at ESA ECSAT, you will benefit from a generous holiday entitlement of 30 days per year, in addition to ESA site public holidays, with the possibility to carry over a limited number of days into the following year.

As part of the Serco team, you will also gain visibility of internal vacancies across the UK, Europe and globally, offering real opportunities for internal mobility without loss of seniority. From day one, you will be part of a company that actively represents its people, listens to feedback and values long-term collaboration with its staff.