Personal Assistant

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Personal Assistant to join our team. This role is ideal for someone who excels at providing high-level administrative and executive support, managing complex diaries and travel, coordinating meetings and committees, and building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

The position is set to commence ASAP and will be from 36.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri from 7:30am-3:30pm) for 12 weeks
(with a pay rate of £16.92 per hour + holiday pay
).

• Provide first-class administrative support, including diary management as required, making appointments, organising and supporting meetings, and booking refreshments/catering for meetings.
• Act as an ambassador and a key contact on behalf of the academics, establishing and maintaining key relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, recognising the highly confidential nature of correspondence and documentation and treating it appropriately.
• Research and source information as requested to respond to queries, provide material for presentations or papers or undertake ad hoc projects for the academics sometimes to tight timescales.
• Maintain, develop and improve as appropriate, online record-keeping and filing systems
• Process Purchase Orders, using Oracle Financials, and ensure accurate records are maintained, including liaison with suppliers to ensure that orders are processed and can be delivered in a timely manner.
• Manage email accounts, flagging any high priority emails and responding to emails on behalf of the academics when appropriate. This includes providing advice and using own initiative to field queries to all levels of external stakeholders; monitoring and independently responding to email and hard copy correspondence, drafting and preparing documents on behalf of the academics.
• Make the arrangements for conferences, seminars and meetings, including booking accommodation, meals and registration
• Provide assistance for visitors and new arrivals to the research groups, including dealing with basic queries and making travel and accommodation arrangements

• Manage a Committee Schedule.
• Make arrangements for committee meetings, for example, make room bookings and order catering as required. Collate presentations. Liaise with IT colleagues to ensure technical arrangements run smoothly, particularly for hybrid meetings.
• Prepare agendas and papers. Prepare lists of attendees and apologies. Take and circulate minutes.
• Support the tracking of action plans and reporting on progress to senior management and committees.

• Support research group projects as required such as getting quotations, investigating supplier options and raising purchase orders.
• Supporting the research group with planning for visits to research labs, exhibitions and conference attendance.
• Administrative tasks associated with project publications.

• Provide cover as needed
• Develop effective and successful working relationships with academic and support staff colleagues across the Department and in the Divisional office.
• As a member of the Department’s Operational Support Network, share information and exchange best practise.
• Act as a role model and mentor for other administrative staff, particularly those in administrative support/PA positions.
• Carry out any other duties which are requested and are commensurate with the grade of this post.
• Manage submission of project funder reports for the professors, liaising with internal and external collaborators.
• Submitting publications to ORA on behalf of the professors.
• Make complex travel arrangements for UK and international travel (for ORI academic staff), including production of itineraries and travel packs, booking of flights, travel insurance, and making arrangements for visas where necessary etc.

Many of these duties will have to be completed to tight deadlines or in the absence of detailed information, and the post-holder will need to use their initiative, balanced with a keen sense of the extent of their executive authority.

• A good level of general education,…