Receptionist/Administration Assistant

Are you organised, customer-focused and enjoy the drive of working within a thriving and busy University environment? Then step into a Reception/Assistant Administrator role, at the University of Plymouth, where your drive to grow and your commiment to smooth, efficient operations will make a real impact.

About the rol

Under the direction of the Receptionist Programme Administrator and Senior Programme Administrator and as a key member of the team, you'll provide a responsive front-line service to students, staff, and external partners for the Faculty of Health. You will help co-ordinate day-to-day operations, supporting the administration and related activities for the postgraduate and undergratuate programmes within the Faculty of Health, playing an important role in ensuring our processes run efficiently and in line with the University regulations, professional guidelines, and legislative requirements: contributing to a high-quality, supportive, and compliant service environment.

You will:

  • Provide flexible and adaptable customer-focused front line administrative support
  • Deliver clear advice and timely response to students, staff, and stakeholders
  • Have a good working knowledge of Office 365 packages

For more information on Faculty of Health please visit our dedicated webpage at https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools

Due to the nature of the role, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate working from home.

Due to the nature of this role, a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service Check will be required.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Lisa Campbell: by email at

We’re currently unable to sponsor this role under the Skilled Worker visa route. However, we welcome applicants who already have the right to work in the UK, including those on visa routes we can accept (e.g. Graduate visas).

What we’re looking for

Essential Qualifications:

  • Numeracy and literacy at secondary education [or equivalent demonstrable experience]
  • Educational attainment at further education level [or equivalent demonstrable experience

Essential Knowledge and skills:

  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages - [Word/Excel/Outlook/Powerpoint]
  • Ability to produce accurate documents and maintain records, Experience of working in a customer service or office environment, with a good understanding of administrative processes
  • Effective verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to plan, organise and prioritise as well as resolve queries using knowledge and initiative.

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

About us

The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, skills and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Our Offer

A successful external candidate for this position would be employed by the University of Plymouth Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. Employees of the University of Plymouth Services Limited work alongside the University of Plymouth colleagues in delivery of Plymouth’s strategic vision, and will adopt the University of Plymouth’s HR policies and procedures in full unless otherwise stated.

We have a wide range of staff benefits available to employees, depending on eligibility:

  • Generous annual leave : 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
  • Generous pension scheme
  • Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Development opportunities
  • Enhanced family leave
  • Flexible working
  • Retailer discounts
  • On-site nursery

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

Additional Information

The University of Plymouth is building an inclusive and equitable university where everyone feels represented, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is guided by the Inclusive Institutions Framework, a strategic and externally validated approach that embeds these principles across the entire institution. To find out more please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...