Personal Assistant to the chair in the Chief Executive and Chair’s Private Office

Job summary

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.

The Chief Executive’s Office plays a critical role in the running of the OfS. Our purpose is to get the best out of our leadership and organisation, to enhance our reputation and deliver for students.

Our team provides an excellent private office service to the OfS chief executive (CE) and chair, and ensures that business critical work is delivered on their behalf. We are also responsible for keeping internal processes running smoothly and ensuring the wider executive team work together effectively. Our work is varied, fast paced and impacts numerous stakeholders across the OfS and wider higher education sector.

Job description

The Personal Assistant (PA) is a key role in our team, providing high quality, effective and proactive support to the chair. You will be accountable for managing the chair’s diary, correspondence and travel, as well as ensuring they have everything they need to work effectively. You will also provide administration and project support when required within the wider private office.

The successful candidate will be exceptionally organised, have a keen eye for detail and be able to keep many plates spinning. You’ll be calm and controlled under pressure, have excellent judgement and confident in helping other team members to prioritise.

This is an exciting role at the centre of the organisation, working directly with the chair in a dynamic and fast paced private office team.

You will be responsible for:

• Delivering high quality administrative support, including diary and mailbox management, meeting logistics, arranging travel and managing correspondence.

• Ensuring the chair is well prepared for each day, anticipating their needs and ensuring all diary detail is correct, day packs are prioritised and up to date, and papers and briefings are available on time and in the correct format.

• Handling and responding to internal and external queries effectively, autonomously, and accurately representing views of the chair.

• Maintaining administrative systems and databases, in line with organisation-wide policies where appropriate, to enable effective team working and information management.

• Building effective working relationships with external stakeholders and maintaining the highest standards of professional and effective communication, while handling sensitive information with discretion.

• Supporting in meetings where required, drafting and circulating agendas and minutes promptly, and following up efficiently and robustly on outstanding actions.

• Maintaining a strong understanding of the chief executive’s priorities and the wider context in which the OfS operates, to effectively prioritise the chief executive’s time and the work of the team, while effectively escalating risks.

• Demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement, identifying and progressing improvements to administrative systems and team ways of working.

• Providing project support and delivering tasks as required on the chair’s behalf, working closely with other members of the chief executive’s office.

Person specification

Essential

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work accurately in a fast-paced environment and deliver to a high standard under pressure, with a keen attention to detail.
• Ability to take the initiative, exercise judgement and make effective decisions aligned with the strategic priorities of a senior leader.

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise efficiently and juggle multiple tasks in the face of competing demands.
• Resourceful in resolving scheduling conflicts and addressing operational challenges.

• Highly proficient with Microsoft Office (or equivalent software suite) and managing information in a hybrid team.

Desirable

• Experience of working in an environment with a complex range of internal and external stakeholders with competing interests.
• Previous experience of supporting a senior leader.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,946, Office for Students contributes £9,544 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application stage, please contact us at recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : The Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk
• Telephone : 0117 931 7444

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk

Further information

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/