PA to Directors of R&D

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a highly organised, proactive and confident Personal Assistant to support the Directors of Research & Development. This is a pivotal role at the heart of a dynamic, fast paced research environment, providing high level administrative and organisational support to senior leaders who are shaping the future of healthcare research.

This role would suit someone who enjoys variety, thrives on responsibility, and takes pride in enabling senior teams to operate effectively. You will be trusted to manage complex diaries, coordinate high profile meetings, and act as a key point of contact across NHS and University stakeholders.

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

• Proactively managing complex diaries, appointments and competing priorities, using judgement and discretion to ensure effective use of senior leaders’ time
• Organising, coordinating and servicing a range of meetings, including senior leadership, governance and external stakeholder meetings
• Preparing agendas, collating papers, taking accurate minutes, and following up actions to support effective decision making
• Acting as a first point of contact for the Directors office, liaising professionally with internal and external stakeholders across the NHS, University and wider research community

• Experience working as a Personal Assistant, in business administration, or a relevant graduate role, or demonstrable transferable skills gained through study, placements or internships
• Experience of working in a busy, fast paced environment, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with excellent attention to detail
• Ability to work independently, using initiative and judgement, while also contributing effectively as part of a team
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise professionally with a range of stakeholders, including senior staff
• Good IT skills, with experience using Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word and Excel
• A proactive, solution focused approach, with a willingness to learn and develop

• Good standard of secondary education with English skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
• NVQ level 4 in business admin or equivalent level of experience gained in a fast paced PA/business support role
• Experience working as a Personal Assistant or in business administration
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, using sound judgement and initiative.
• Ability to plan ahead, prioritise workloads and manage competing demands in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to use technology to improve efficiency and workflows, applies digital tools such as MS CoPilot to streamline administrative processes, create templates and automate tasks.

• Experience with in an Acute Trust or other healthcare sector
• Previous experience of working in a complex and busy environment
• Experience in a role requiring budget or financial sign-off.
• Ability to create MS Forms

• Prioritisation
• Working under pressure
• Organisational skills
• Time management
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills
• Coordination
• Working autonomously

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together