Job Description

Job Scope
The is an interdisciplinary membership organisation, launched in June 2022, that provides a voice to individuals who are early in their career and are passionate and enthusiastic about driving societal change. The UK Young Academy is currently supported operationally by the Royal Society.
The Society is recruiting a UK Young Academy Assistant to support the UK Young Academy's staff team to deliver a varied programme of work that ultimately enables its members to achieve their aims and engages the organisation's key audiences and networks. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a newly established organisation and help it to reach its full potential. We are seeking a strong team player with excellent planning and administration skills, good attention to detail and an interest in interdisciplinary working and collaboration across different sectors.
Core parts of the role will support the team in the planning and implementation of the annual call for membership applications, assisting potential applicants and referees to complete the application process and engaging with different organisations to promote the call, as well as coordinating the processing of financial reimbursements and payments for the UK Young Academy's activities. The successful candidate will also undertake a variety of other tasks, such as handling day-to-day queries and coordinating the preparations and logistics for some of the Young Academy's events and work programmes. The candidate will therefore need to be proactive, with the ability to work under pressure and manage a varied and diverse workload.
The role will report to the Programme Manager who is responsible for the operational management of the Young Academy. Activities will take place at the Royal Society's offices in Carlton House Terrace in central London, at partner national Academy locations across the UK or delivered virtually.
Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Reports to: UK Young Academy Programme Manager
Line manages: NA
Pay band: B
Salary: 29,660 per annum
Contract type: Fixed term contract until March 2025
Hours: 35
Location: Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus the option for some hybrid remote working
Closing date for applications: Midnight 25 June 2025
Interviews will be held: WC 7 July 2025
Responsibilities
The work of the UK Young Academy Assistant will include:

• Handling day-to-day administrative tasks, including responding to general enquiries, and proofreading of key documents.
• Processing of payments and any relevant financial forms or documents required.
• Supporting the Membership Officer to coordinate the activity of the membership, including logistics coordination for events and activities across the Young Academy's programme of work and the member-led project programme, and delivery of regional and annual members' meetings.
• Assisting the delivery of the annual call for applications for new members, including responding to potential membership queries, managing the planning and logistics of webinar sessions for interested applicants and supporting the reviewers involved in the selection process to carry out the assessments for new membership.
• Performing analysis of application data for reporting and evaluating including the review of applications against set criteria to check for eligibility.
• Drafting a range of written materials for potential applicants and other key audiences and networks.
• Collecting and analysing preliminary evaluation data from across the Young Academy's activities.
• Administrating the UK Young Academy's contact management system to ensure data is kept up to date and in line with the Young Academy's data protection plan.
• Providing ad-hoc support that the Staff team may need for the wider work of the Young Academy.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required
Education / qualifications / knowledge / interests
Excellent knowledge of office systems and procedures, including computer skills in Microsoft Office
Essential
Evidenced interest the research and innovation landscape and its broader social significance.
Desirable
Experience
Good written and oral communication skills, and clear writing style
Essential
Highly organised, and able to manage multiple conflicting priorities and deadlines
Essential
Good time-management and prioritisation skills
Essential
Good attention to detail
Essential
An ability to work under pressure as part of a team in a proactive way
Essential
Circumstances
Able to be flexible about working hours, including working evenings and weekends on occasion, and travel across the UK.
Essential
Able to work in a non-smoking environment
Essential
Competencies
Self-management
Enthusiastic and positive attitude
Reliable and consistent
Output is accurate and of high quality
Punctual and meets deadlines
Confident of own abilities
Knows personal values, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and limits
Gains insight and learns from mistakes
'Let's go' of an issue and knows when to move on
Is open and non-defensive when faced with criticism
Ensures actions are consistent with words and messages
Working with others
Willing to cooperate and share knowledge within the team, Shares all relevant, critical and useful information
Willing to help others in times of need
Listens to and acts upon feedback from senior colleagues and willingly learns from others
Able to give simple presentations to sectional colleagues
Understands that one's own actions and behaviours will influence how others perceive and engage with the Society
Offers their assistance if they have the capacity, without the need to be asked.
Actively seeks opportunities for gaining feedback from others
Presents with confidence within own section and area of remit.
Communicates confidently, asks questions and checks for understanding.
Values the input of others, balances that with a sense of purpose to get the job done
Possesses self-awareness and senses situations prior to acting or communicating.
Resource management
Is aware of and works within budgetary and resource constraints
Organises own workload prioritising according to business need
Is flexible and adapts to changing circumstances and priorities
Looks for ways to improve quality or results
Meets the standards of quality expected of their role
Maintains high standards despite pressing deadlines
Does work right first time, corrects own errors and regularly produces accurate, thorough, professional work.
Is able to multitask and manage urgency in a calm and practical manner.
performs a wide variety of tasks and changes focus quickly as demands change
Undertakes additional responsibilities and responds to situations as they arise with minimal fuss and supervision.
Critical thinking
Thinks tasks, queries and problems through and considers what they need to know
Uses relevant information when providing a service, solving a problem or dealing with a query
Is open to new ideas and willing to try them
Makes decisions within well-defined guidelines
Uses initiative to select most appropriate solution to straightforward problems
Analyses both successes and failures for clues to improvement
Prepares for problems or opportunities in advance
Distinguishes the main issues from side issues
Proposes various solutions or options for consideration defining the pros and cons of each
Adaptability
Adapts to changes in workload without letting standards slip
Listens to and accommodates the alternative views of others
Takes on new challenges when asked to do so
Is receptive and accommodating when asked to take on new projects outside of their usual job specification.
Remains open-minded and changes opinions on the basis of new information
Performs a wide variety of tasks and changes focus quickly as demands change and with minimal disruption or fuss
Managing people and relationships
Values and appreciates the importance of feedback
Shares responsibility for the performance and workload of the team where appropriate
Handles requests promptly and politely
Respects opinions and deals appropriately with complaints
Works to improve the performance of oneself and others by pursuing opportunities for continuous learning.
Constructively helps others in their development.
Exhibits a "can-do, will-do" approach and inspires peers to excel.
Asks questions and probes to understand stated and underlying needs, issues, concerns and problems
Addresses concerns and problems fairly, empathetically, decisively and promptly, maintaining a diplomatic and professional manner
Manages expectations and keeps everyone concerned up-to-date on progress
Raises concerns and recommends potential solutions for those processes that negatively impact on relationships, customer service or the fair treatment of customers.