JOB DESCRIPTION
FURTHER PARTICULARS
THE SCHOOL
The London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate
education in public and global health. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and
worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and
translation of knowledge into policy and practice.
Founded in 1899 by Sir Patrick Manson, the School has expanded in recent years at its two main sites on Keppel
Street and Tavistock Place. The School’s multidisciplinary expertise includes clinicians, epidemiologists,
statisticians, social scientists, molecular biologists and immunologists, and we work with partners worldwide
to support the development of teaching and research capacity.
Research income has grown to over £85 million per year from national and international funding sources
including the UK government, the European Commission, the Wellcome Trust and philanthropic sources.
Education programmes have grown to more than 1,000 London-based Master’s and Research students, 2,900
studying Master’s by distance learning and 1,000 on short courses and continuous professional development.
We have also launched a series of free online courses, and more than 15,000 people registered on the first of
these, Ebola in context. Our staff, students and alumni work in more than 150 countries in government,
academia, international agencies and health services.
The School is highly ranked in various university league tables. It was named the world’s leading researchfocused graduate school in the Times Higher Education World Rankings in 2013. In 2014, it was ranked in the
top 10 universities in the world for citation rate by the new EU-supported U-Multirank database, fourth in the
world for impact in medical sciences by the Leiden Ranking and third in the world for social science and public
health in the US News Best Global Universities Ranking. According to the results of the UK government’s
Research Excellence Framework, published in December 2014, the School was ranked second overall (after
the Institute for Cancer Research) on the key measure of impact.
THE FACULTY
The Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health (EPH) houses a large group of epidemiologists,
demographers, statisticians and nutritionists working on issues of major public health importance in the UK
and globally. EPH has approximately 400 staff members organised into four research departments.
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Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Department of Medical Statistics
Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology
Department of Population Health
The Faculty has a teaching programme consisting of ten MSc courses: Epidemiology, Demography and Health,
Medical Statistics, Public Health in Developing Countries (run jointly with the Faculties of Infectious & Tropical
Diseases and Public Health & Policy), Nutrition for Global Health, Reproductive & Sexual Health Research,
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Veterinary Epidemiology (run jointly with the Royal Veterinary College), Global Mental Health (run jointly with
Kings College London - Institute of Psychiatry) and the Distance Learning courses in Epidemiology and Clinical
Trials. The Faculty also has approximately 120 research students studying for an MPhil, PhD or DrPH degree.
The Dean of Faculty is Professor John Edmunds.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (Head: Dr Veronique Filippi) has over 80 academic staff
who conduct research on the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases of public health importance.
Work is carried out both in developing countries and in industrialized countries including the United Kingdom.
Research ranges from ecological studies of variations in disease frequency in different populations, through
observational case-control and cohort studies to define risk factors for disease, to randomised controlled trials
to test the impact of specific preventive and curative interventions.
The Department has major field research programmes in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Brazil and Europe
and numerous collaborative projects in other countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Major interests are
in the epidemiology and control of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and other
mycobacteria, malaria and other tropical parasites, hepatitis, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases,
respiratory diseases and gastro-intestinal infections. The Department is home to the MRC-funded Tropical
Epidemiology Group, and a large research programme on maternal and perinatal health. The Department
includes both medical and statistical epidemiologists, and there is considerable interest in methodological
work, including research on statistical methods, transmission models, genetic epidemiology and immuneepidemiology. There are strong collaborative links with other Departments across all three Faculties, including
with the Clinical Research and Immunology Departments. The Department has an active research degree
training programme, with over 40 PhD students.
THE MARCH CENTRE
The School’s strategy is to promote multi-disciplinary, cross faculty research through a limited number of
strategically selected Centres. One of the School’s priority Centres is MARCH, for Maternal, Adolescent,
Reproductive and Child Health. MARCH involves over 150 academics working on life cycle research for
women’s and children’s health. The Centre is organised by three teams: Adolescents, Births and Children,
including all disciplines from epidemiology to epigenetics, from anthropology to implementation research.
There are approximately 90 research studies within the MARCH portfolio, including a number of multi-country,
large-scale evaluations. The Centre is led by the Director, Professor Joy Lawn, a deputy (Dr Tanya Marchant)
and a team with two co-leads for each theme. As well as high impact research, and high profile policy linkage
and dissemination, there is a strong focus on capacity and leadership development especially in Africa.
Job Title: Administrative and Communications Assistant
Department /Division/Unit: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Faculty/Professional Service: Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health (EPH)
Location: The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Reports to:
Professor Joy Lawn
Responsible for: NA
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Full Time/Part Time/Casual: 100%FTE
Hours (if less than full time):
Grade: PSP Grade 3
Overall Purpose of the job
This is a new position within the Every Newborn Action Plan team at the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). It presents an exciting opportunity to join a small and dynamic team working
to improve newborn metrics and contribute towards global efforts to reduce preventable newborn deaths
and stillbirths across the world. The roll will be funded full time for three years.
To support the team with financial management and administrative support., in particular involving the daily
running of the ENAP metrics and Saving Newborn Lives, with particular attention to logistics and routine
communications. The primary tasks include liaison internally with various departments and faculties within
LSHTM as well as externally with partners, collaborators and funding bodies both in the UK and
internationally.
The post holder is expected to assist the team in achieving its aims and objectives by contributing to the
management and development of the team’s projects both within the UK and internationally.
Applicants should have experience working in administration, in addition to the ability to manage financial
and administrative tasks, organise meetings and key events, assist with travel arrangements, and act as the
central point of contact for group members, and specifically the overall project administrator and manager.
Post holders will need administrative skills such as filing, budgeting, managing mailing lists and professional
correspondence, and flexibility for other supportive work with particular aptitude for the communication
tasks expected in this role.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Communications
 Act as a Personal Assistant and central point of contact for Prof. Lawn
 To communicate both orally and in writing with programme staff and administrators at LSHTM,
partner organisations, donors, finance, admin, personnel, and communications staff through
telephone conversations, emails, and at meetings. This includes discussing complex and sensitive
issues in a clear and accurate fashion.
 To actively contribute to discussion of financial planning, administrative, and other matters in
team meetings.
 To convey detailed financial information through creating budgets, expenditure reports and
forecasts in a clear manner for reporting to donors and applying for new funding.
 Alongside the PIs and Project Lead, to update and implement financial systems to ensure that all
project requirements are met and that project runs within budget.
 Alongside the PIs and Project Lead, to maintain a database of all project staff including job
descriptions, CVs, duration of contracts, and ensure that the Departmental Administrator is
advised of all additions and changes.
 To contribute to drafting written material such as annual reports and documentation relating to
the research projects.
 Devise office systems such as expense reporting in order to keep track of external stakeholder
reimbursements, for Prof. Joy Lawn.
 Deal with incoming email and post, often corresponding on behalf of Prof. Joy Lawn.
 To upload project team information by project and communicate updates with overseas partners,
when required.
 Keep an updated Group calendar for team activities, key events and movements.
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 Meet and greet visitors of all levels of seniority.
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2. Teamwork and Motivation
 Act as a central point of contact for the immediate team regarding arrangement of travel
bookings, visa, accommodation and venue for workshops and meetings (E.g. find the best value for
money when hiring venues for meetings, and at the same time ensuring costs are in line with
budget constraints).
 To be a central member of the team, working with research, admin and finance staff throughout
LSHTM.
 Show high levels of personal motivation, flexibility and ability to communicate effectively with team
members. The role holder is expected to act tactfully and ethically at all times.
 Assist the ENAP metrics Project Admin/Finance Manager (and the affiliated group co-ordinators) in
all administrative aspects of the Group’s work, as required (E.g. reconciling credit cards statements,
processing staff expenses, completing payroll forms and responding to queries).
 Provide cover the absence of the Project Administrator/Finance Manager.
3. Financial Management and Grants Administration
 Take responsibility for administrative and financial management including coordination with
various collaborators, the funder, the research operations office (ROO)
 Become proficient in School-wide packages such as Agresso (tool for procurement) and pFACT
(tool for project costings), when producing costing and managing budget expenditure agresso
 Process invoices and reimbursements, credit card reconciliation and to keep records of incurred
expenses by grants
 To update and maintain record keeping and financial tracking systems in liaison with the PIs and
Project Lead.
 Provide administrative guidelines to team members.
 To monitor expenditures against budgets and to forecast future expenditures, liaising with
administrative team members and the Research Operations Office (ROO) as needed.
 To revise quarterly financial reports for submission to funding organisations in conjunction with the
ROO.
 To oversee payment of invoices for collaborators and sub-contractors.
 Alongside the PIs and Project Lead, to be responsible for costs incurred within the project’s budget
(including personnel and other direct costs), ensuring compliance with the School’s Financial
Regulations and procedures, funder’s terms and conditions and in liaison with the Departmental
Operating Officer
 To prepare, collate, and review material for research grant applications, ensuring that all approvals
are obtained and that applications are submitted according to the regulations of the funding
organisation.
 To take responsibility for preparing financial documentation, including drafting, preparing and
reviewing budgets and pFACTS.
 To oversee and execute grant set-up in conjunction with ROO.
 To draft and review sub-contracts between LSHTM and collaborators/sub-contractors, in liaison
with the team and LSHTM ROO, and follow-up on their full execution as needed.
 To manage preparation and collation of contracts, agreements, reports, no-cost extensions and
other documentation, as required by the CURE-ME team and funder.
 To take responsibility, together with the Departmental Operating Officer for the personnel aspects
of the project. This includes funds allocation for existing and any new staff and contract extensions
and helping with the preparation of job descriptions, job evaluation forms, advertisement and
recruitment forms and vacancy management for any new posts.
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3.
To ensure that the Departmental Operating Officer is advised of all necessary changes, including
new recruitments, contract extensions and maternity covers.
To respond to requests from the Departmental and Faculty Operating Officers on administrative
matters.
Liaison and Networking
 Provide administrative assistance to personnel. For instance, to assist the Maternal and Newborn
Team of about 9 people, in organising their travel and, meetings, and assisting liaison with external
committees and Working Groups, and other scientific colleagues world-wide.
 To develop and maintain good working relationships with funding organisations, liaising on
financial, contractual and administrative issues.
 To act as a point of contact for research collaborators, funding organisations, sub-contractors,
visitors, staff and students.
 To participate in the network of project administrators in the Department and share information
on school policies and procedures, professional trainings, specific grants management schemes,
etc. with the project team.
 To liaise with other LSHTM departments including Finance Office and ROO to ensure the effective
financial and contractual management of the programme.
 To attend internal and external meetings and build up a network of useful contacts.
4.
Service Delivery
 Provide administrative support for personnel matters, preparation of job descriptions,
advertisements and other administrative documentation.
 Organisation of contact and mailing lists, and electronic and physical filing systems and
documentation.
 Organisation and administration of the offices and facilities, including ordering stationery,
coordinating specifications for hardware, sourcing software etc.
5. Decision Making
 To advise PIs and researchers on issues related to the finance and administration of the project.
 To make decisions on allocation of expenses, ensuring resources are used effectively.
 To contribute to the setting up of financial plans and monitor performance against them.
 To contribute to decision making about project management.
 Take responsibility for instigating improvements in office management tasks and take an active
role in the operational administrative decision-making processes.
6.
Planning and Organising
 Assist with the organisation of meetings: liaise with speakers to co-ordinate their travel and
accommodation; ensure that relevant audio-visual facilities are available; provide administrative
support for the production of meeting documents and audio-visual materials; organise catering
and social events.
 Provide assistance to ENAP metrics Project Manager and the deputy coordinator in the
preparation of schedules, agendas and minutes for teleconferences, video-conferences and other
meetings, and help to ensure that all agreed actions are followed up.
 Assist with the organisation and administration of short courses and/or workshops organised by
the ENAP Metrics Group
 To manage travel arrangements, including flights, accommodation, visas, advances and travel
insurance.
 To make arrangements for Group visitors, including booking travel and accommodation
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7.
Initiative and Problem Solving
 Alongside the PIs, Project Lead and other team members, to develop strategies to identify and
manage potential financial risks for the projects.
 To anticipate problems that are likely to arise and initiate administrative steps to avoid them. For
example, by creating long term salary projections to identify shortfalls.
 To monitor budgets and expenditures, anticipating problems before they happen, and taking steps
to mitigate them, in consultation with the PIs and project lead as appropriate.
 To maintain, update, coordinate both the team and Prof. Joy Lawn’s schedule making independent
decisions regarding time keeping, cancellations and appointment making.
8.
Analysis and Research
 To analyse funder’s requirements related to the financial management of the projects.
 To analyse financial information and outputs to produce financial statements and reports and
identify potential issues or shortfalls.
 To analyse and assess communications for Prof Joy Lawn, providing triage and independently
management those communications appropriate to do so.
9.
Additional Information
 Contribute to general activities of the Department, Faculty and School that help to promote the
objectives of the School.
 To build and maintain good relationships with LSHTM staff who have relevant experience and
expertise and respond to requests from Departmental and Faculty Operating Officers on matters
relating to School administration;
 To undertake other duties as requested by the ENAP Project Administrator and Finance
Manager, ENAP Technical Co-ordinator and affiliated group members.
E-Essential: Requirement without which the job could not be done
D-Desirable: Requirements that would enable the candidate to perform the job well
Generic duties and responsibilities of all LSHTM employees
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post but may be altered at any time in the future
as duties and responsibilities change and/or develop providing there is full consultation with the post-holder.
The post-holder will carry out any other duties, tasks or responsibilities as reasonably requested by the line
manager, Dean of Faculty, Head of Department or Director of Professional Service.
The post holder will be responsible and accountable for ensuring all School policies, procedures, Regulations
and employment legislative requirements are adhered to including equality and diversity and health and
safety.
This job description is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key
responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to
review as part of the individual performance review (appraisal) process.
SALARY AND CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT
The appointment is full time to commence as soon as possible and is funded for until 30 November 2018 in
the first instance. The post is offered at the Professional Support Grade 3, £24,065 - £27,284 per annum
(inclusive of London Weighting), depending on qualifications and experience. Annual leave entitlement is 30
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
This form lists the essential and desirable requirements needed by the post holder to be able to perform the
job effectively.
Applicants will be shortlisted solely on the extent to which they meet these requirements.
Role Administrative and Communications Assitant
Grade
Competency
Evidence
Education
 Higher education to degree level or equivalent or relevant
experience
Experience
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Knowledge
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Personal Qualities
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E/D
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Proven experience of project administration
Past experience as a Personal Assistant
Proven experience of supporting small and large-scale
meetings/conferences, including minute-taking, preparing
agendas and other meeting documents.
Proven ability to set up, develop and maintain accurate and upto-date computer and paper records.
Proven experience of organizing events and international travel.
Proven experience of administration in a Higher Education
and/or Public Health setting.
Demonstrable experience of grants administration and
management with large-scale and/or international funder
context and understanding of general grants & contracts
processes and procedures.
Demonstrable experience of effective budgetary management
and control, including achieving targets for expenditure and
financial reports on a regular basis
E
D
Excellent written and oral communication skills, in English,
including experience of writing own correspondence and
drafting documents.
High standard of IT skills, ideally including Word (and/or
WordPerfect), Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Endnote (or other
bibliographic software), internet and email with willingness to
become proficient in new software packages.
Financially literate with sound knowledge of budgeting
methodologies and resource management concepts
E
Ability to recognise when work is of a confidential nature and
the implications of confidentiality requirements on how the
work is carried out.
Ability to use initiative, meet tight deadlines and to manage
his/her own workload through effective prioritising and time
management.
Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and
maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural and
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D
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multi-disciplinary environment together with the ability to
communicate at all levels.
Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to
present information in a clear and logical format.
Excellent standard of presentation of work.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
High level of personal motivation and flexibility.
Interest in international health and developing countries.
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working days per year for all staff (pro-rata for part-time staff). In addition, staff are entitled to public holidays
and Director’s days on which the School is closed.
ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION
The School will comply with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, which requires all employees
to provide documentary evidence of their legal right to work in this country prior to commencing employment.
Candidates will be required to bring their passport (and visa if applicable) to interview so that it can be copied
and verified.
This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to enable sponsorship of
migrant workers. Therefore we cannot progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to
work in the UK
Further information about Certificate of Sponsorship and eligibility to work in the UK, can be found at:
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
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