Senior Business Support Assistant - School Growth

The Salary for the role is Grade 14 ranging from £25,185 to £25,989 per annum.

The Education Places team plays a vital role in shaping the future of education across Somerset. We work to make sure there are enough Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) school places for children and young people in the years ahead, supporting exciting programmes to create new schools and expand existing facilities where they’re needed most.

We’re looking for an organised and dependable individual to provide day‑to‑day support to the team and its project activity, helping to keep things running smoothly by maintaining records, updating systems, supporting meetings and assisting with routine project tasks.

If you enjoy working as part of a collaborative team, can manage your own workload, and communicate clearly while following established procedures, this could be a great opportunity for you.

Role Purpose

Provide high‑quality business support to practitioners and senior officers, helping services run smoothly and meet statutory or operational deadlines. You’ll coordinate complex activity, manage information and act as a key point of contact for sensitive enquiries.

Key Responsibilities

• Organise, administer and minute a range of meetings, panels and reviews (often multi‑agency)

• Handle complex or sensitive enquiries, using judgement to resolve issues or escalate appropriately

• Support operational processes, maintaining accurate records and management information

• Provide business support including finance administration where required (e.g. reconciliation, budget tasks)

• Use office systems and Microsoft 365 tools to support reporting, communications and service coordination

What We’re Looking For – Essential Skills/Experience

Strong administration experience, excellent written and verbal communication and the ability to prioritise competing demands. Confident using Microsoft 365 and handling sensitive information with discretion.

Any Additional Information

• The Salary for the role is Grade 14 ranging from £25,185 to £25,989 per annum.
• 25 day’s annual leave (additional to bank holidays).
• Flexible and Hybrid working (1-2 days per week in the Office).
• This role may involve working with confidential information and supporting statutory or time‑critical processes. Some flexibility may be required to meet service demands, in line with Somerset Council’s working arrangements.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Mike Keal, Programme Manager – School Growth via email at mike.keal@somerset.gov.uk  

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.