Job Description

About us
UCL's Department of History of Art is looking to appoint an Operations Administrator to support the Departmental Manager with a wide range of different operational tasks over the next year. The role is offered as a fixed-term contract from 1st March 2026 for 12 months in the first instance and would make a great secondment opportunity for someone at UCL looking to broaden their experience.
This is an internal secondment role, available to current UCL staff only.
The History of Art Department is a medium-sized department, based within the Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences, with a very high international reputation for scholarship and research. We have 35 staff in total and support around 350 students across our different programmes.
The Department is split across two sites: 20/21 Gordon Square in Bloomsbury and the Marshgate Building at UCL East in Stratford. The postholder is expected to work on site in either Bloomsbury or Stratford for 2-3 days per week, depending on the needs of the Department, and may work remotely for the rest of the week.
It is expected that the postholder will likely work at UCL East on Thursdays and Bloomsbury on Fridays. They may also need to attend training or meetings on campus on Mondays or Wednesdays.
About the role
The Operations Administrator will work in close collaboration with the Departmental Manager to ensure the smooth provision of effective operational services to staff and students in the History of Art Department.
Responsibilities will span helping with a range of operational functions including, but not limited to: HR and recruitment, finance, research grant costings, events organisation, estates and health & safety. The post-holder will undertake a variety of tasks and will be expected to support and advise staff and students on a range of operational matters. Relevant training will be provided where required.
NOTE: The Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences will be reorganizing its Professional Services functions across the wider departments. This may result in changes to some of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position and its reporting line(s). This will be done in full consultation with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to implement change and support continuous improvement as this change process is undertaken across the Faculty, and on an ongoing basis subsequent to this.
About you
The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic administrator with a friendly and professional approach. You will have significant recent experience of working in a fast-paced environment, handling diverse workloads and multi-tasking with confidence. You will have excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrate a high degree of accuracy in your work. We are particularly looking for someone with great problem-solving skills who will be able to demonstrate flexibility and readiness when faced with new challenges.
Proficiency in the use of Microsoft and other software platforms is essential.
A full job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
Application Details:

• The position is available from 1 March 2026 and is offered until 28 February 2027 in the first instance.
• This appointment is subject to the UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

Application Process:

• A full job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
• Please use the personal statement section to explain how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the person specification.

Contact Details:

• If you have any queries regarding the vacancy or the application process, please contact Eleanor Day, Departmental Manager, on e.day@ucl.ac.uk

What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan and expenses
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent.
We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.
You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here:
Available documents

Skills Required