The Business Support Manager runs the business behind the projects. The role is the first point of contact through the company's main inbox and the person accountable for onboarding, competence and training records, compliance accreditation, document control, procurement administration and the systems that hold all of it together. It exists so that the directors and project teams spend their time on delivery and new work rather than on administration.
Project Safe works in rail and construction, so the role carries genuine compliance weight: RISQS, Constructionline and ISO evidence, Sentinel competence and medical records, and client vendor management platforms. The successful candidate will be comfortable setting a standard, holding people to it, and keeping the company audit ready at any point in the year rather than in the fortnight before an audit.
Key Responsibilities
Business and Director Support
Act as first point of contact through the company's main inbox, triaging enquiries and routing each one to the right person with a clear owner and deadline.
Support the directors with diary management, meeting preparation, minutes, action tracking and follow-up.
Prepare correspondence, agendas and summaries, and make sure agreed actions are closed out rather than left open.
Compile the monthly directors' pack covering delivery status, compliance position, risks and open actions.
Onboarding, Competence and Training
Run onboarding for staff and contractors, including right-to-work checks, employment and CIS contracts, inductions, PPE and site access requirements.
Set new starters up across every company system, including Coreloops, Microsoft 365 and any client platform they need, so that they hold the correct project, cost code and event access and can book on from their first shift.
Coordinate IT accounts, licences and hardware with the company's managed service provider so that new starters are ready before their first day.
Maintain the training matrix and competence records, issuing expiry alerts and booking renewals before certificates lapse.
Administer Sentinel, covering competence, training and medical monitoring, and sponsorship administration.
Maintain HR lifecycle records, including probation, appraisals, absence and leave, working with external HR advisors where required.
Compliance and Industry Accreditation
Maintain and administer RISQS, Constructionline and ISO portals, responding to requirement reviews and renewal reminders within the deadline given.
Prepare audit evidence packs and maintain the audit calendar, corrective actions and continuous improvement log.
Administer client vendor management platforms and supplier compliance portals.
Monitor company insurances, policies, DSE assessments, equipment registers and data protection housekeeping.
Document Control and Project Administration
Own document control: version control, approvals, transmittals, naming conventions, registers and audit trail.
Control the company template library, including letters, RFIs, subcontracts, non-disclosure agreements, CVs and capability statements.
Support project and design administration through deliverable registers, drawing schedules, trackers and meeting notes.
Collate and issue progress reports, evidence packs and handover documentation.
Procurement and Supplier Management
Onboard suppliers and subcontractors, checking insurances, accreditations and competence cards before engagement.
Maintain the approved supplier list, equipment and asset registers, and calibration and renewal dates.
Systems and Process Improvement
Maintain the company's Microsoft 365 environment, including SharePoint structure, Teams channels and permissions, so that information stays organised, secure and searchable.
Build and maintain trackers and dashboards for training, audits and deliverables.
Develop and maintain the company operations manual of standard procedures, templates and workflows.
Identify and deliver practical automations using Power Automate, Microsoft Forms, SharePoint lists and the AI tools available to the business.
Challenge processes that only exist through habit, and propose better ones. Nobody in this business is expected to keep doing something inefficiently because that is how it has always been done.
Use AI and Microsoft Copilot in day-to-day work to cut manual effort, and share what works so the rest of the team benefits from it.
Required Skills and Experience
Substantial experience in a senior administration or business support role within a small or mid-sized business.
Proven document control and project administration capability in construction, rail, infrastructure or engineering.
Hands-on experience maintaining RISQS, ISO and Constructionline accreditation and preparing for the associated audits.
Familiarity with rail industry administration, including Sentinel competence and medical records.
Strong Microsoft 365 skills across Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint and Teams, with the ability to build trackers and forms.
Confident written communication and the judgement to handle confidential commercial and personal information.
Organised and self-directed, able to set a standard and hold others to it without being asked twice.
A forward attitude to AI and automation, with the curiosity to test new tools and the judgement to know where they belong and where they do not.
Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
* Experience of ISO 9001, 14001 or 45001 systems, or internal auditor training.
* Experience of GDPR and data protection coordination.
Benefits
* Competitive salary, dependent on experience.
* Funded training towards relevant certifications, for example ISO internal auditor or data protection practitioner.
* Opportunities for career progression in a growing organisation.
* Flexible working arrangements
Salary description
£35000.00 - £45000.00 per year