Apply to be an Administrator

Are you organised and efficient with an interest in addiction science, research, policy, and practice? Apply to be an Administrator with the Society for the Study of Addiction.

About the role

The Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) is a UK registered charity with a mission to advance the scientific understanding of addictive products and behaviours and the use of this knowledge in policy and practice. The SSA owns two academic journals, runs the largest scientific conference on addiction in the UK and funds master’s degrees, PhDs, and fellowships in addiction science. From Autumn 2025, the SSA will also lead the flagship Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme, in partnership with the UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences.

The SSA is seeking an Administrator with a good eye for detail and for developing and maintaining efficient processes. This will include supporting the SSA’s day-to-day activities: supporting subcommittee and trustee meetings, maintaining accurate records, producing reports, monitoring and processing funding applications, and processing financial requests.

In this role, your work will support the SSA’s staff and Board of Trustees across communications and operations. A large part of your work will require using a Zoho Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Experience of using online CRM systems will be important.

The ideal candidates will be self-driven, hold themselves to a high standard, and will appreciate that the small details make a big difference.

What you’ll do

Day-to-day administration tasks

• Maintain records relating to the Society’s funding schemes
• Respond to members’ queries and requests
• Financial processing:
  • Check invoices against agreed funding
  • Coordinate payment approvals
  • Ensure that financial records are up to date (these tasks do not include formal accounting and bookkeeping)
• Provide administrative support for the SSA’s in-person events, including the Annual Conference
• Produce and review reports for external stakeholders, including preparation of background documents and data
• Liaise with the Head of Communications to ensure that all online information relating to the Society is accurate and up to date

Applications and CRM

• Monitor applications through our online CRM portal (Zoho)
• Check for completion and respond to applicants when extra information is required
• Coordinate meetings and workflow among the people reviewing applications
• Process reviews and communicate outcomes with applicants
• Ensure that all records are up to date and processed in a timely manner
• Produce summary reports about applications across funding schemes
• Maintain records of funding awarded and associated payments

Administration of regular Society meetings

• Organise in-person or online meetings (usually via Zoom)
• Collate, produce, and distribute SSA meeting minutes
• Maintain records of meetings across the SSA
• Produce and present summary reports to inform meeting discussions
• Produce summaries of Society activities for the trustees and funders, containing information about activities, finance, and other elements as requested

What we’re looking for

Essential criteria

• Ability to maintain accurate records across the organisation and to develop systems for ensuring all records are kept up to date
• Ability to check online applications for completion and against clear eligibility criteria
• Ability to coordinate workloads across a team with different priorities and areas of expertise
• Experience within the charitable, public, or not-for-profit sectors
• Experience with online data and project management platforms (e.g. Zoho or other CRMs)
• Experience of setting up and supporting formal meetings (in-person and online), including taking minutes
• Experience of basic financial checks and record keeping (not accounting or bookkeeping)
• Ability to collect information to build reports for external stakeholders
• High computer literacy across Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) and in using online project management and data collection systems

Desirable criteria

• Qualification in administrative skills
• Knowledge of addictive products and behaviours
• Direct experience of using Zoho CRM
• Experience of working within a charity
• Experience of supporting academic funding schemes
• Willing to participate in continuous personal and professional development
• Experience of managing professional relationships and working as part of a team
• Experience forming professional relationships with external stakeholders
• Experience of supporting event organisation

How to apply

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair and accessible. If you require any reasonable adjustments to apply for this role or to attend an interview, please contact Natalie Davies.

To apply for this role, you will need to submit two online forms:

• An application form: this will ask for information including your contact details and references, and prompt you to upload a CV and cover letter
• A diversity monitoring form: you will be re-directed to this once you have submitted the application form; it is a mandatory part of the application process, but you have a right not to disclose sensitive personal information and can do this via selecting ‘Prefer not to say’ for any of the answers

The cover letter should explain how you meet the essential (and desirable) criteria for the role and why you think you would be a good fit with the SSA.

Interviews will be conducted online via Zoom.

Please contact the SSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Calder, if you have any questions or would like an informal discussion about the role.