Estates Administration Officer

Job summary

Defra Group Property is responsible for providing accommodation to the Defra Group, including the Department, its Executive Agencies (Animal & Plant Health Agency; Rural Payments Agency) and bodies such as the Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation and Natural England. Defra Group Property is broken down into functional teams including property strategy; corporate property; facilities management; build project management; and workplace management. These services are combined to provide a fit for purpose workplace for approx. 23,000 engaged in providing a healthy, safe and protected natural environment; and a thriving productive farming economy and food chain.

The Corporate Property Team manage the commercial property which is used and occupied by Defra Group to accommodate its’ staff and deliver services to the public. This property ranges from small coastal offices for fisheries work to large complex laboratories untaken internationally recognised research. Our primary function is to manage the interests of the Group as an owner and occupier of property ensuring compliance and building relationships with our supplier partners, landlord’s and occupiers. Defra Group is both landlord and tenant and so works in a commercial environment whilst supporting common key objectives aligned to the Government Property Strategy. The team uses its professional skills combined with outsourced service partners to effect transactions and managing property and property occupations

The Estates Administration Officer provides comprehensive administrative and business support to the Corporate Property Team, helping to ensure the effective management of the Defra Group estate. While based within a specialist property team, no previous property experience is required, as full training and support will be provided.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual with strong administrative and organisational skills to contribute to a busy professional team while developing knowledge of corporate property management.

Travel to other sites occasionally for meetings or training may be required.

The post does not include line management responsibilities.

Job description

Responsibilities of this role include (but are not limited to):

• Provide high-quality administrative support across the Corporate Property Team.
• Manage and respond to enquiries received through shared mailboxes, ensuring timely and professional responses.
• Gather, collate and maintain information from a variety of sources, ensuring data accuracy and integrity.
• Input, manage and update data within property management systems and electronic databases.
• Maintain and develop spreadsheets, trackers and management information reports to support business activities.
• Generate, update and distribute management reports, ensuring information is accurate, current and fit for purpose.
• Support the commissioning of external service providers, including raising purchase orders and receipting invoices in line with agreed financial processes.
• Organise, maintain and monitor electronic records and document management systems, including SharePoint Online.
• Provide administrative support to Surveyors and other team members across a range of estate management activities.
• Assist in the development and improvement of administrative processes, systems and management tools to enhance team efficiency and service delivery.

Person specification

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience listed in the essential criteria.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of organising and delivering work to deadlines while managing competing priorities.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and collaborate across teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and respond effectively to changing demands.
• Experience of managing and maintaining data using electronic systems and spreadsheets.
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in data, records and reporting.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word and Excel.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,715, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,608 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Flexi Time Policy. Our Flexi-time policy allows you to vary your hours from day to day, within the requirements of your role, to suit your needs and to offer a better work/life balance.

Leave. If you work full time at Defra you are entitled to 25 days’ leave (rising, over 5 years, to 30 days’). If you work part time it will be pro-rated.

Privilege day. You are also entitled to a privilege day off in May to mark the King’s birthday (date varies), plus time off for the 8 public holidays a year.

Career breaks. We recognise that your work-life balance can extend beyond the short-term to the longer-term, and to support this you are able to apply for career breaks. These are unpaid extended breaks from work, granted at the discretion of the department.

Volunteering leave - 3 days paid volunteering leave every year (pro-rata). Once you have passed probation.

Season ticket loan – for an interest free season ticket loan, if you have worked within the Defra for more than three months. This can be used to purchase train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking.

Tenancy deposit loan – for an interest free loan, to assist you in meeting the deposit costs for your privately rented home.

Salary advances and loans for other circumstances – for salary advances and loans in the following circumstances: for new entrants, for the purchase of bicycles, holidays and religious holidays.

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme – Since the closure to new entrants of the employer childcare voucher scheme, the government introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. In this scheme, working parents open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child or £4,000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare.

Support to buy a bicycle – we run two schemes that can help you buy a bicycle for your commute:

1. The Cycle to Work Scheme –