Executive Assistant

Job id: 074307. Salary: £36,532 – £41,299 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 07 September 2023. Closing date: 25 September 2023.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: Biomed Eng & Imaging Sci School Office.

Contact details:Laura Zappulla. [email protected]

Location: St. Thomas’ Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

The School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, based at St Thomas’ hospital, is looking for a highly motivated and experienced executive assistant to provide high-level, professional secretarial and administrative support to the Head of School and senior leadership in the School.

This role will focus on ensuring the efficient and effective running of the office by supporting the senior leadership to function to the highest standard, assisting their work with internal and external stakeholders and providing excellent personal support. We are looking for candidates who have significant experience working with senior executive leaders providing efficient diary management, secretarial and administrative support in a Higher Education setting. The role holder will also work collaboratively with other staff within the School’s Professional Services Office and undertake duties that contribute to the operational efficiency of the wider School.

You must be educated to degree level or have substantial relevant experience, and experience providing high-level administrative and personal support, using a range of IT software packages including Office. Excellent communication and influencing skills, including excellent written and verbal skills, organising events, servicing formal committees and meetings and proven ability to maintain confidentiality are essential.

This post will be offered on a fixed term contract for 2 years. 

This is a full-time post and the post holder will be expected to be on campus full time.

Key responsibilities

• Provide high-level quality and timely executive assistance in respect of diary and correspondence management to Senior Leadership
• Arrange travel and accommodation as required, providing briefing documents and background materials, and support in the prioritisation of management and academic commitments
• Be the main point of contact when required and be responsible for drafting and distributing communications such as emails and letters of support
• Manage and administer expenses where required, liaising with the finance team with regard to invoicing, purchase orders, research grants and other budgets as required
• Liaise with School, Faculty and university colleagues and external key stakeholders, creating a network of relationships to maximise the effective and efficient completion of tasks
• Provide administrative support to the School Manager as required
• Work closely with members of the School, contributing to and supporting initiatives and projects led by the School Manager and other members of the School team
• Provide local support of recruitment, in collaboration with the School’s HR Manager and colleagues in King’s Human Resources team
• Ensure the School complies with information requests from the university, or other sources in a timely and efficient manner, and assist the Head of School in embedding compliance to regulations and policies
• Support, plan and lead a range of projects including School Away Days, campus roadshows, symposia, public engagement activities and other projects or work streams, ensuring the effective allocation and use of resources
• Organise and support meetings, workshops, roundtables and visits by external/international delegations, including contacting speakers and attendees, arranging logistics, preparing the agenda, writing the minutes and coordinating follow-up action as required
• Support an ethos of collaboration and collegiality, establishing effective communications and relationships, working in partnership with academic and Professional Services colleagues across the university, joining professional networks and working groups, as appropriate, and making a wider contribution to the School, Faculty and university as required
• To support school leadership to implement staff and student consultation and engagement initiatives, such as the Faculty Good Practice in Employment survey, in order to strengthen the education and working environment and wellbeing for staff and students
• To lead on specific projects, including School Away Days and open days as required
• Act as Secretary to School Committees and other groups as required
• Undertake any reasonable duties and projects as requested by the School Manager or academic lead. These will include School-specific duties, for example supporting specialist Centre, liaising with external bodies etc to underpin the School’s core activity

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

Educated to degree level or substantial relevant experience

Experience of providing high-level administrative and secretarial support to senior leadership in a Higher Education establishment

Experience using a range of IT software packages including Office software including spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and databases

Excellent communication and influencing skills, including excellent written and verbal skills, in formal documents, briefs, letters, emails and other communications

Experience of project planning and implementation, including organising events

Experience of servicing formal committees and meetings, drafting and proofreading documents

Proven ability to maintain confidentiality, handle situations sensitively, exhibiting a high level of awareness and confidentiality, tact and diplomacy

Enthusiasm and can-do attitude with a strong work ethic, using initiative and creativity to address complex situations and challenges quickly and efficiently

Proactive approach with the ability to work independently and flexibly, managing and prioritising own workload, working under pressure in a busy environment and meeting deadlines

Ability to work as part of a team and with colleagues at all levels, within and outside the organisation, representing the university, being responsive, polite, friendly and efficient

A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively addressing areas of potential bias

Desirable criteria

Proven commitment to ongoing skills development

Interest in HE issues, particularly those involving health education and research