"School Administration Assistant"

Job Description:

Te Kura Pūtaiao Koiora | School of Biological Sciences

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Part-time (18.75 hours per week)
• Permanent position

Are you highly organised, people-focused, and ready to make a real difference in a busy academic environment? Join our team at the School of Biological Sciences as a School Administration Assistant and play a key role in supporting staff, students, and visitors while helping our School run smoothly every day.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

In this role, you will be the welcoming face of our School, providing professional and friendly support to staff, students, and visitors. From managing enquiries and coordinating events, to ensuring smooth office operations and accurate administration, your work will help keep the School thriving. You will:

• Provide professional reception and customer service support
• Assist with examinations, meetings, travel bookings, and events
• Prepare, edit, and process documents and reports
• Manage communication channels, records, and filing systems
• Support financial and purchasing processes
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and mana-enhancing environment.

Mōu | Who You Are

You will have at least 3-4 years' experience in an administrative role, preferably within a tertiary organisation. You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Experience in front office reception
• Strong administrative skills ie. stationery ordering, minutes, appointment arranging, etc
• Knowledge of University systems and processes such as Flexipurchase, Orbit booking system, UniMarket, Student Management System and Learn would be an advantage
• Experience working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with databases or online systems
• A high level of accuracy, confidentiality, and attention to detail
• A team player who uses initiative and enjoys solving problems
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

The School of Biological Sciences is a dynamic and flexible academic hub offering internationally accredited programmes across all scales of biology—from molecules to ecosystems. With modern lab and field facilities, students gain hands-on experience and tailored learning pathways to support their goals and interests.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

We offer a range of fantastic benefits including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions. For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc. For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 5 September 2025 (midnight, NZ time). Please note applications will be reviewed after the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.

Job Details

Reference #	28769
Posted on	29 Aug 2025
Closes on	05 Sep 2025 23:55
Location(s)	Christchurch
Expertise	Administration
Job level(s)	Experienced
Work type(s)	Continuing (Permanent) part-time
More details (document)	Administration Assistant PD.pdf