Business & Programmes Support Officer

Hours: 40 hours, 5 days a week

Status: Full-time, Permanent contract  

Location: On-site at the AVOCADO HUB, London

Reports to: Youth & Enterprise Development Lead

Works closely with: AVOCADO HUB Lead

Remuneration:  £33,400

Visa sponsorship: Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available to eligible candidates who are already in the UK and able to apply from within the UK. Sponsorship is not available for applicants applying from outside the UK.

About The AVOCADO Foundation

The AVOCADO Foundation is a UK charity operating in the UK and overseas. We work to eradicate economic inequalities experienced by young people, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organisations from underrepresented communities.

Job Purpose

The Business & Programmes Support Officer plays a key role in supporting the effective delivery of programmes, projects and organisational activities across The AVOCADO Foundation.

The postholder will primarily support the delivery of AVOCADO Seeds and AVOCADO Enterprise. AVOCADO Seeds helps young people build financial capability and practical skills, while AVOCADO Enterprise helps aspiring and established entrepreneurs develop and grow sustainable businesses. 

Working under the direction of the Youth & Enterprise Development Manager, the postholder will support the coordination and delivery of programme activities and workstreams, helping to keep agreed actions, stakeholder activity, programme administration and delivery arrangements on track. 

The role will also provide day-to-day support to services delivered through the AVOCADO HUB, our London-based community and enterprise space. Working closely with the AVOCADO HUB Lead, the postholder will help ensure that HUB users, programme participants, partners and other stakeholders receive a welcoming, organised and responsive service. 

Key Responsibilities 

Programme Delivery Support – 60% 

Working closely with the Youth & Enterprise Development Manager, the postholder will: 

• Support the delivery and coordination of youth and enterprise programmes, projects, workshops and events in line with agreed plans, timescales and priorities. 
• Assist with participant registrations, communications, attendance and follow-up throughout the programme cycle. 
• Help put programme delivery arrangements in place, including venues, room set-up, equipment, materials, accessibility requirements and on-the-day support. 
• Maintain accurate participant and programme records and collect attendance, engagement and feedback information for monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting. 
• Support programme outreach with schools, community organisations, partners and prospective participants in line with agreed priorities. 
• Research potential programme contacts and organisations where requested and maintain relevant outreach information. 
• Support the promotion of programme opportunities through agreed channels and assist with follow-up after programme activities. 
• Maintain agreed project and programme information, actions and deadlines, following up with relevant stakeholders where required to help keep delivery on track. 
• Flag emerging delays, issues or dependencies to the Youth & Enterprise Development Manager at an early stage. 

HUB Business Support – 40% 

Working closely with the AVOCADO HUB Lead, the postholder will: 

• Support the delivery of internal meetings, staff activities, training sessions and organisational events, including logistics and on-the-day arrangements. 
• Manage the day-to-day services provided through the AVOCADO HUB, including bookings, room and desk use, mailbox and printing services. 
• Provide opening and closing cover in line with the HUB rota and established procedures. 
• Respond to enquiries about HUB services, bookings and use of the space, resolving issues where possible and raising matters requiring further attention. 
• Coordinate the set-up and use of rooms and shared spaces for meetings, workshops, events and other activities. 
• Ensure shared equipment, resources and essential supplies are available for use and report shortages, faults, repairs or maintenance requirements to the AVOCADO HUB Lead. 
• Coordinate access and arrangements for approved contractors, service providers and deliveries where required. 
• Maintain accurate records of bookings, HUB usage, incidents, service issues and outstanding actions. 
• Carry out agreed checks relating to the safe and effective use of the HUB and shared workspaces and report any concerns identified. 
• Support the introduction of agreed changes to HUB services, helping ensure updated processes are understood and applied. 
• Gather feedback on HUB services and identify recurring issues or areas where the day-to-day experience could be improved. 
• Provide logistical and coordination support for other agreed HUB and organisational activities where required. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): 

Performance will be assessed against the following measures: 

• Programme delivery: At least 95% of assigned programme activities and delivery actions are completed accurately and within agreed timescales, with any risks or delays raised in advance.  
• Programme administration and monitoring: Participant registrations, attendance, communications, engagement and feedback records are maintained accurately and required monitoring information is recorded within agreed timescales.  
• Project coordination: Programme and project actions, deadlines and stakeholder follow-ups within the postholder’s responsibility are kept on track, with outstanding actions followed up and issues or dependencies escalated promptly where required.  
• HUB operations and service delivery: At least 95% of HUB bookings, service requests, opening and closing duties and other assigned operational activities are completed accurately and in line with agreed procedures.  
• Activity readiness: Meetings, workshops, programmes, training sessions and events within the postholder’s responsibility have the required rooms, equipment, materials and logistical arrangements in place by the agreed time.  
• Service responsiveness: Enquiries and requests within the postholder’s responsibility are acknowledged within one working day and progressed within agreed timescales, with matters requiring management input escalated promptly. 

Person Specification 

Essential Experience, Skills and Knowledge  

• Experience in business support, programme support, service delivery or a similar role. 
• Experience supporting meetings, workshops, events or other organised activities.  
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and complete agreed actions on time.  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.  
• Ability to provide a professional, responsive and welcoming service to a wide range of people.  
• Experience maintaining accurate records and information.  
• Good attention to detail and the ability to deal effectively with day-to-day issues.  
• Confidence using Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, with the ability to learn other systems used by the Foundation.  
• Ability to work independently on assigned responsibilities while contributing effectively as part of a team.  
• Good judgement and the ability to recognise when a matter requires input from a manager or programme lead. 
• Willingness to complete and maintain the Foundation's required Emergency First Aid at Work, Safeguarding, Fire Safety/Fire Marshal and Health & Safety training. 
• Experience coordinating projects or work programmes with multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines. 

Desirable 

• Experience working within a charity, social enterprise or community organisation. 
• Experience supporting youth, enterprise or community programmes.  
• Experience working within a community HUB, co-working space, training centre or similar environment.  
• Experience using booking, participant or service-management systems.  
• Experience collecting information for programme monitoring, evaluation or impact reporting. 
• Existing valid First Aid or Safeguarding certification. 

Safeguarding & Pre-employment Requirements 

The postholder must work in accordance with The AVOCADO Foundation's policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection and health and safety.  

Appointment will be subject to satisfactory employment references and a satisfactory Basic DBS check. 

Working Conditions 

This is an on-site role based at the AVOCADO HUB in London. 

The postholder will work 40 hours over five days, Monday to Friday, on a rota basis within the HUB's 8am–8pm operating hours. 

Occasional weekend work may be required for HUB events or programme delivery, with reasonable notice and appropriate adjustment to working hours. Regular attendance at meetings is expected. 

The job description may be updated from time to time to reflect the evolving needs of the organisation. Any material changes to the role, working pattern or responsibilities will be discussed and confirmed through the appropriate process. 

The Charity operates an annual shutdown in August and December and requires employees to retain sufficient annual leave to cover these periods. Employees who do not have enough entitlement remaining should speak to their line manager about the available options. 

Why Join The AVOCADO Foundation? 

This is an opportunity to contribute directly to programmes and services that help young people, entrepreneurs and communities thrive. The postholder will play a central role in supporting impactful initiatives while helping to shape a welcoming and effective community and enterprise HUB in London. 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 

• The AVOCADO Foundation is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to a fair, accessible and inclusive recruitment process.