Job Description: Business Support Officer
Salary: £27,000 – £31,000 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Forster Business Centre, Durham, with occasional travel across County Durham
Reports to: Head of Resources & Corporate Services, or Chief Executive pending appointment
About the Role
The Business Support Officer plays a key role in ensuring the smooth running of Moving On Durham’s corporate support functions.
This is a varied and important role providing high-quality administration across recruitment, HR, training, finance, compliance and general business support. The postholder will help ensure the organisation remains well-organised, responsive, compliant and resilient.
The role will work closely with colleagues across the organisation, supporting managers and senior leaders to maintain effective systems, accurate records and clear processes. It will also contribute to improved business continuity by helping document key organisational procedures and supporting the development of robust administrative systems.
Safer recruitment and safeguarding
Because Moving On Durham works with young people, including 16–17-year-olds in supported accommodation, safer recruitment is central to how we appoint staff.
The Business Support Officer will help coordinate safer recruitment administration, including DBS checks, references, right to work checks, identity verification, recruitment records and pre-employment documentation. The role will help ensure that recruitment records are accurate, checks are completed before staff start, and any gaps or concerns are escalated appropriately.
We are looking for someone who understands the importance of careful administration, confidentiality and professional curiosity in keeping young people, staff and the organisation safe.
About Moving On Durham
Moving On Durham is the leading independent provider of supported accommodation for young people aged 16–25 across County Durham.
Our vision is simple:
Young people can live independently and sustainably in the community.
We support young people to move from crisis and uncertainty to safety, confidence and independence through high-quality accommodation, strengths-based support, effective partnerships and a committed staff team.
Purpose of the Post
The purpose of the Business Support Officer role is to provide reliable, accurate and proactive administrative support across Moving On Durham’s corporate functions.
The postholder will support:
- recruitment and safer recruitment administration
- HR records and employee documentation
- staff training records and compliance monitoring
- finance administration and filing
- meeting administration and organisational record keeping
- document, policy and systems management
- business continuity and process improvement
This role is central to helping Moving On Durham maintain strong internal systems that support safe, effective services for young people.
Key Responsibilities1. Recruitment and HR Administration
- Support recruitment campaigns, including preparing adverts, posting vacancies and arranging interviews.
- Maintain recruitment records and applicant tracking systems.
- Coordinate safer recruitment checks, including DBS checks, references, right to work checks and identity verification.
- Support the preparation and issuing of recruitment correspondence.
- Maintain accurate employee records and personnel files.
- Support onboarding and induction processes for new starters.
- Assist with HR correspondence, forms and documentation.
- Monitor probation review dates, induction milestones and training deadlines.
- Support managers to ensure recruitment and HR records are complete, accurate and up to date.
2. Training and Compliance Administration
- Maintain accurate staff training records and compliance trackers.
- Coordinate bookings for mandatory and specialist training.
- Monitor renewal dates and follow up on overdue training.
- Produce reports on training completion and compliance levels.
- Support managers to identify gaps in staff training records.
- Assist with internal audits and quality assurance checks linked to training, recruitment and compliance.
- Support the organisation to maintain evidence of staff competence and safer recruitment practice.
3. Finance Administration
- Support routine finance administration processes.
- Assist with invoice processing, purchase records and reconciliations.
- Support payroll administration and related record keeping.
- Maintain accurate financial records and filing systems.
- Assist with finance-related reporting and information requests as required.
- Work closely with finance colleagues to ensure documentation is accurate, timely and well organised.
4. General Business Support
- Provide administrative support to managers and senior leaders.
- Maintain organisational databases, trackers and records.
- Support meeting administration, including preparing agendas, taking minutes and tracking actions.
- Assist with policy and document management, including version control and filing.
- Support organisational projects, service developments and internal improvement work.
- Help ensure information is stored appropriately, securely and accessibly.
- Respond to internal queries and support colleagues with administrative processes.
5. Business Continuity, Systems and Process Improvement
- Learn and document key organisational processes to improve resilience and continuity.
- Support continuous improvement of systems, templates and procedures.
- Assist with maintaining accurate operational records and management information.
- Work alongside experienced colleagues to understand and strengthen business-critical systems.
- Support the development of clear administrative processes that reduce duplication and improve consistency.
- Contribute to organisational readiness by ensuring key records, contacts, templates and processes are easy to locate and maintain.
6. Confidentiality, Safeguarding and Professional Standards
- Handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately and in line with organisational policies.
- Maintain high standards of accuracy, discretion and professionalism.
- Follow Moving On Durham policies and procedures, including data protection, confidentiality, safeguarding and safer recruitment requirements.
- Escalate concerns appropriately where records, checks or compliance requirements are incomplete or at risk.
- Support safer recruitment processes by helping ensure recruitment checks, records and documentation are complete before appointment and start dates are confirmed.
Person SpecificationEssential Experience
- Experience in an administrative, business support or office-based role.
- Experience maintaining accurate records, databases or tracking systems.
- Experience supporting busy teams or managers with a range of administrative tasks.
- Experience handling confidential information appropriately.
- Experience using Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook and Excel.
Desirable Experience
- Experience of HR administration.
- Experience of recruitment administration.
- Experience of training administration or compliance tracking.
- Experience working in a charity, housing, education, care or public service environment.
- Experience using CRM, HR, finance or workforce management systems.
- Knowledge of safer recruitment processes.
Essential Skills and Attributes
- Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong IT and digital administration skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Methodical, accurate and able to follow processes carefully.
- Confident maintaining records, trackers and filing systems.
- Able to work with discretion, confidentiality and professionalism.
- Proactive and willing to learn new systems and processes.
- Positive, practical and solution-focused.
Personal Qualities
- Reliable, organised and calm under pressure.
- Helpful and approachable, with a strong team ethic.
- Committed to supporting the smooth running of the organisation.
- Understands the importance of good administration in supporting safe, effective services.
- Willing to contribute to continuous improvement and organisational resilience.
What Success Looks Like
Within 12 months, the postholder will:
- Be confidently managing day-to-day recruitment administration.
- Support DBS, safer recruitment, training and compliance systems effectively.
- Maintain accurate HR, recruitment, training and business support records.
- Have developed a strong understanding of Moving On Durham’s systems and processes.
- Provide additional resilience across HR, finance and business support functions.
- Support managers with timely, accurate administrative information.
- Contribute to improved organisational efficiency, continuity and compliance.
- Help ensure key processes are documented, accessible and consistently followed.
Working Pattern and Benefits
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Forster Business Centre, Durham, with occasional travel across County Durham
Benefits will align with Moving On Durham’s standard employment offer and may include:
- Company pension
- Life insurance
- Sick pay
- Casual dress
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
Safer recruitment notice
Moving On Durham is committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding young people.
Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a full application form before interview. Any offer of employment will be conditional on satisfactory pre-employment checks, including references, right to work checks, identity verification and an appropriate DBS check.
No on-site start, access to systems, or access to confidential information will be permitted until required checks are complete, unless a specific risk-assessed exception has been approved by the Chief Executive.
This role involves supporting safer recruitment administration, so accuracy, confidentiality and attention to detail are essential.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £27,000.00-£31,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Sick pay
Application question(s):
- Do you have a experience of finance and/or HR?
- Do you have a valid DBS certificate?
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- Administrative: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
