23403 - Business Administrator (BA) - HMP Swaleside

The Ministry of Justice is hiring for a full-time Business Administrator to join the Swaleside establishment. This is an onsite, permanent post that sits in the Swaleside unit and carries a Civil Service AO grade. The role is based at HMP Swaleside in Sheerness, Kent, within the Kent, Surrey & Sussex region, and it’s expected to work a 37-hour week. It’s an external vacancy, with a single opening, and the closing date is 02 November 2026. If you’ve got a knack for structured admin, meticulous record-keeping and coordinating busy schedules, this could suit you well.

The position sits in a supportive, non-operational part of the establishment. There’s no line management responsibility, but you’ll be behind the scenes helping residential staff and units run smoothly. Your work will revolve around keeping administration systems up to date and running to set timescales, ensuring information is visible on notice boards, and helping manage the wider administrative workflow that keeps the establishment informed and compliant.

This is a role for someone who enjoys steady, process-driven work in a public-sector setting and who wants to contribute to the day-to-day efficiency of a prison environment. It’s well suited to administrative professionals who are comfortable with databases, documentation, and regular communications across teams, agencies, and stakeholders.

A day in the life of a Swaleside administrator

In this job you’ll refresh public-facing notices and internal information folders, making sure the latest documents are displayed and outdated ones are removed. You’ll manage key databases like the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment, passing updated risk data to the wing manager, and you’ll coordinate diaries and meetings for residential units and the Head of Function. A big part of the week involves compiling and updating lists such as the Personal Officer List, and you’ll handle the complaints process by logging items, allocating responses, and nudging colleagues to meet deadlines.

You’ll also keep track of equality data, ensuring BME figures are updated and reported to the Equality Team weekly. Organising, producing and maintaining accurate records for your area of work will be a constant task, as will acting as the first point of contact for communications to the team and ensuring messages reach the right people. You’ll support the administration by processing requisitions on the finance system, coordinating awareness sessions, and preparing paperwork for managerial checks while conducting initial verifications as required.

Other duties include maintaining and reviewing establishment databases and filing systems, responding within set times, and producing reports as needed. You’ll help collate information related to Service Delivery Indicators and, when required, act as the secretary for meetings, setting agendas, taking minutes, and tracking action points. The role requires adaptability to additional tasks of a similar level as needs shift, and it expects you to communicate with a range of stakeholders to keep information shared and current.

What you’ll need and what helps

You will be required to complete the designated training for your specialism once you take up the post, so relevant training or certification that demonstrates readiness for this field is important.

• You must have a strong command of spoken English to cover all role duties with confidence.
• Evidence of hosting administrative processes, including updating and maintaining records and coordinating multi-person schedules, will help you hit the ground running.

There are no additional nice-to-haves listed beyond these essentials, but showing steady experience in structured office work and a calm, methodical approach to filing, databases and communications will help your application.

Pay, benefits and practical details

The salary range for this post is £29,107 to £30,648 per year. You’ll work 37 hours per week in a full-time, onsite capacity. The role is permanent and sits at Civil Service Grade AO, with the job reference 23403 and one available position. The location is Sheerness, within HMP Swaleside, Kent, in the Kent, Surrey & Sussex region. The vacancy is an external hire, and a reserve list may be held for up to 12 months.

The MoJ notes that hybrid working arrangements may be available where business needs allow, though the role will be based at a MoJ office location and on-site duties are expected. Some roles may be located at nearby Justice Collaboration Centres or Justice Satellite Offices, with arrangements discussed and agreed upon appointment. Standard full-time hours are 37 per week, with unpaid breaks, and there are values around flexible working patterns that may apply after probation and assessment of business needs.

Security and eligibility are important, with DBS Standard checks required and security/identity checks prior to starting. Nationality rules apply for Civil Service roles, and there are probationary periods for external candidates. The package also notes opportunities for training and development, pension options, and a range of work-life balance supports typical of Civil Service roles, including potential access to season-ticket advances and childcare vouchers within policy. The Civil Service Code governs behavior, and the Civil Service recruitment principles guide merit-based selection. If you’re moving from another Civil Service role, there may be transfer considerations tied to terms of service.

In addition, there are formal references to veterans’ interview guarantees and redeployment opportunities, and a framework for diversity and inclusion across the Civil Service. You’ll also be expected to participate in security and identity checks, and there are guidelines around potential adjustments to recruitment for candidates with disabilities.

Advice for applicants

Put your strongest relevant admin experience up front on your resume, and clearly state that you have the required specialism training ready to complete after you join. Lead with roles where you managed notices, updated databases, coordinated diaries and supported complaint handling or similar processes.

Demonstrate how you’ve handled diaries, meetings and daily communications in prior jobs. Cite concrete examples of organizing agendas, taking minutes, distributing action points and ensuring deadlines are met, these align directly with the role’s core duties.

Be ready to talk about security-minded work and how you’ve approached confidential information, record-keeping and standard operating procedures. If you’ve worked in environments requiring DBS checks, emphasize your comfort with compliance and sensitive data handling.

Ask a targeted question in your interview about how hybrid working is balanced with on-site priorities at Swaleside, and how admin tasks are allocated across shifts or sites. A good question shows you’ve thought about how the role fits into the broader establishment and its flexible arrangements.

How to apply

To apply, reference job ID 23403 and follow the external vacancy channel. If you need assistance, you can contact the MoJ recruitment team at 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm) or via [email protected], quoting the reference 23403. For HMPPS inquiries, you can reach 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm) or the same email address, again quoting 23403. Applications are reviewed in line with Civil Service recruitment principles, and candidates may be asked to participate in both written and interview assessments as part of the process.