Join the Baker Consultants Team as Office Manager & Business Support

We are an award-winning, CIEEM-registered ecological consultancy, working across the full development lifecycle — from land acquisition and ecological assessment through to expert witness work at public inquiries. Alongside this, our sister company, Soil Acoustics Ltd, is pioneering soil ecoacoustics technology, bringing innovative research and hardware to market. This role offers the unique opportunity to be part of both a well-established consultancy and a fast-moving start-up, giving you variety, responsibility and a chance to make a real impact.

We’re proud to do things a little differently here. Our people-first culture, enviably low staff turnover, and permanent four-day working week (introduced in January 2024 with no loss of pay) reflect our commitment to helping our team work smarter, feel supported, and enjoy a healthy work/life balance.

About the Role

This is a senior, hybrid role based between our Cromford (Derbyshire) office and home. You’ll be the operational backbone of the business, keeping everything running smoothly so our consultants can focus on their technical work, and supporting both Baker Consultants and Soil Acoustics as the businesses grow.

On a typical day, you could be:

• Managing office operations and communications — from phone and email queries to welcoming visitors and keeping systems organised
• Supporting the Directors with PA tasks and helping coordinate meetings, travel and schedules
• Overseeing people processes including inductions, annual reviews, and quarterly board meetings
• Helping with project setup, tender responses, procurement portals and document management
• Maintaining health and safety, DSE assessments, PPE records and ISO9001 & ISO14001 management systems
• Supporting the operational side of Soil Acoustics as it continues to develop and bring new technology to market

In short, you’ll be the person who makes sure everything behind the scenes runs smoothly, creating the space for our technical experts to do what they do best.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone who is self-motivated, organised and thrives on variety. Ideally, you’ll have at least five years’ experience in office management or senior administration, be comfortable working in a hybrid environment, and enjoy supporting a close-knit, high-performing team.

You should be friendly and professional in all interactions, whether it’s liaising with colleagues, clients or suppliers, and able to take initiative to improve systems and processes. We’re an Apple Mac, cloud-based business, and confidence with Microsoft Office is essential. While a technical background isn’t required, a curiosity about ecology and ecoacoustics will help you really thrive in the role.

Why Join Us?

At Baker Consultants, we genuinely value our people. In return for your skills and commitment, we offer:

• A permanent four-day working week (Monday to Thursday) with no reduction in pay
• Competitive salary and a 4% contributory pension scheme
• Five weeks of annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• A supportive, innovative environment where your ideas are welcomed and encouraged

If you’re an experienced office manager or senior administrator who enjoys variety, likes being at the centre of a team and takes pride in keeping things running smoothly, this could be the role for you.

For full details and how to apply, please see the full job description here.