We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Personal Assistant to join our team. This role is ideal for someone who excels at managing complex diaries and travel, coordinating meetings and correspondence, supporting senior colleagues, and building effective relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.
The position is set to commence ASAP and will be from 36.5 hours per week for 12 weeks (with a pay rate of £16.92 per hour + holiday pay).
Main Duties:
- Communicate effectively and professionally with internal and external stakeholders, recognising the highly confidential nature of the correspondence and documentation and treating it appropriately.
- Manage complex diary arrangements, ensuring efficient use of time and factoring in travel time, remote meetings and different work locations. This will include checking availability, confirming attendance or offering replacements/alternatives as required and making sure that any meeting papers have been received and circulated.
- Be responsible for organising correspondence, identifying and prioritising items of business, referring these to the correct member of staff as appropriate; initiating correspondence according to instructions, including some typing of general correspondence; and liaison with other secretarial/PA support staff.
- Fully support the Head in all of their day-to-day activities, including committee work and ensure appropriate support is given at all times and that deadlines are met.
- Undertake training and development activities in order to effectively carry out the role.
- Take a proactive approach in suggesting, developing and implementing systems to increase the efficiency of the administration.
- Organise meetings; book venues, arrange catering and AV requirements, send electronic invitations, collate responses, prepare documentation, meeting materials and agendas, maintain email distribution lists and take minutes.
- Coordinate complex travel arrangements when required, including booking flights and accommodation, obtaining visas, setting up meetings.
- To maintain comprehensive records, including filing of documents, typing up notes, action points and minutes, ensuring that any follow-up action is recorded and taken forward.
- To liaise with a broad range of people, from scientists and research institutions, to university departments, clinicians and senior national and international figures.
- To field telephone calls and emails, and deal with incoming enquiries.
- To liaise with internal and external visitors; meeting, greeting and catering for their requirements (e.g. accommodation, pre-meeting preparation, directions and parking).
- To collate and format agendas, reports and slides.
- To trouble shoot and solve IT problems in partnership with the Head, pre-empting and supporting their IT needs.
- Work as part of a small and efficient team of administrators who help, support and train one another, providing cover where necessary.
- Carry out other duties appropriate to the post.
Selection Criteria:
- Experience of acting as a personal assistant (or comparable role) in a large and/or complex organisation
- including planning and organisational skills developed through a range of experiences in different teams.
- Experience of complex diary management, minute-taking, preparation of papers for meetings, and the ability
- to research, coordinate and organise travel arrangements, including obtaining visas where necessary.
- Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills; you should be comfortable liaising with people at all levels and with
- •very senior personnel, in particular, both inside and outside of the University.
- Demonstrate a high level of literacy and excellent communication skills, including the ability to draft all forms
- •of correspondence, minutes, and generating summary documents.
- Demonstrate excellent time-management and organisational skills, ability to deal with sudden challenges in a
- cool and competent manner; able to work unsupervised and plan/manage a variety of complex tasks in parallel, with meticulous attention to detail.
- Proven ability to solve problems; work calmly under pressure; respect confidentiality.
- Demonstrable ability to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility, discretion, good judgement and
- initiative, with a positive, proactive and highly flexible approach.
- Evidence of high levels of computer literacy; proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office (in particular Outlook,
- Word and Excel) and confidence in using databases.
- Ability to solve IT problems in partnership with others
- Confidence to work independently and effectively as part of a team
- Previous experience of working in a higher education or NHS/Health environment.
- Familiarity with scientific terminology.
- Experience of using financial information systems (e.g. SAP Concur, Oracle Financials)
- Experience of using or administering online meetings using Teams, Zoom, OneDrive or SharePoint.
- Experience of organising events.
Vacancy ID: 24286
Please be aware that all candidates need to be able to start work immediately and must be able to work on site if required to do so.
Further information can about the Temporary Staffing Service can be found on our website https://www.jobs.ox.ac.uk/temporary-staffing-service