At the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB), we are on a mission to place ethics at the centre of decisions regarding biomedicine and health so that we all benefit. We are now recruiting to the new position of Operations Administrator to enable the efficient functioning of the organisation.

In this role, you will provide administrative support to the senior leadership and wider NCOB team which will include acting as the first point on contact on administrative and operational matters including financial and HR related processes. You will also be responsible for updating NCOB’s contact database in Salesforce, maintaining NCOB’s work tracker in order to contribute to smooth organisational delivery and reporting, and ensuring compliance with data protection and risk management matters. You will also provide diary management support to the Director, coordinate meetings on behalf of the Senior Leadership Team and the wider team as needed, and support the Operations Manager in the management of Board and Council meetings.

We are looking for someone with experience of working in administrative roles, with knowledge of office systems and processes. You will have excellent administrative and coordination skills, be a strong communicator and comfortable working with a range of people across multiple workstreams as well as liaising with external stakeholders. You will have excellent organisational and planning skills, be comfortable juggling different tasks and have a problem-solving mindset. 

Above all you will be someone who is proactive, willing to 'muck in' when needed and be able to work in a collaborative and inclusive style. 

For further information about the role, please click here to download the full job description (PDF).   

About us  

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. 

For over thirty years we have tackled some of the most complex and controversial bioethical issues facing society. We are funded jointly by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council.   

 We aim to inform policy and public debate through timely consideration of the ethical questions raised by biological and medical research so that the benefits to society are realised in a way that is consistent with public values. Our work has led to shifts in public understanding and policy change on topics ranging from assisted reproduction and genome editing to managing the disagreements that arise in the care of critically ill children.  

We value diversity in background, skills, perspectives and life experiences.

Further information and how to apply  

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on Tuesday 5 May 2026. With interviews scheduled to take place on 20th May 2026. 

You will be required to complete some questions as part of this application process, and you are also required to upload an up-to-date copy of your CV. The Applied platform lets you save an application and resume it ahead of submitting before the application deadline.

Should you need to make an application in a different format or require any adjustments as part of the application process, please get in touch with us: recruitment@nuffieldfoundation.org 

The Nuffield Foundation and its Centres think deeply about the role of emerging technology in society. All recruitment decisions are made by a person (we do not use AI tools to rate or reject applicants). We ask applicants to respond to the questions using their own experience, thinking and opinion, writing in their own tone of voice rather than using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. The use of generative AI can result in generic responses to individual questions which stand out less to reviewers. 

Please note that for vacancies which receive a high volume of applications, we may undertake an initial screening of CVs. 

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:    

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job.  

• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc    

• reimbursing reasonable travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required    

Our benefits package includes:    

• Genuine flexibility - we are open to requests for part-time hours, compressed working weeks, or job shares.  

• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (prorated for part time staff).  

• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.     

• Life assurance scheme.     

• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.     

• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.     

• Regular opportunities for learning and development – including coaching, mentoring, and dedicated reading days for personal development and reflection.  

• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.  

• A warm and welcoming workplace culture, with active peer groups and social networks to help you connect and belong.