Divisional Administrator

Diversity Dashboard; Manchester; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Christmas closure

Purple Place discount

Job summary

University of Manchester is seeking a motivated Divisional Administrator to join the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry. You will provide proactive PA, administrative, operational, people services and finance support across the division, coordinating meetings, events, recruitment and processes.

The earliest start date is Monday 2nd November 2026. The role requires strong organisational and communication skills, with excellent IT proficiency in Microsoft 365 and diary management.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative, customer-facing roles and providing PA support including diary management and meeting coordination.
• Experience supporting meetings, committees or events with logistics, documentation and action follow-up.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with a range of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and resolve routine problems.
• Good IT skills, particularly in Microsoft 365 applications, with proactive collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive PA and administrative support, including diary coordination, meeting arrangements, agenda preparation, minute taking and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate divisional meetings, committees, seminars, visitor programmes and events, ensuring logistics, materials and arrangements are in place.
• Support recruitment and people-related administration, including selection arrangements, interview coordination, appointments, onboarding and induction activity.
• Support finance and procurement administration, including purchasing, expenses, invoice-related activity, payment forms and liaison with finance colleagues.
• Maintain effective communication with academic, research, professional services and external stakeholders, signposting queries and escalating matters as required.

Skills

PA support

Diary management

Meeting coordination

Minutes taking

Communication

Organisational skills

Microsoft 365

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

We are seeking a motivated, organised and collaborative individual to join our Division of Pharmacy and Optometry as a Divisional Administrator. This role provides comprehensive and proactive PA, administrative, operational, people services and finance support to staff and activities across the Division. You will help ensure the smooth running of day-to-day divisional activity by coordinating meetings, events, recruitment and administrative processes, while working professionally with colleagues and stakeholders across the University.

Please note that the earliest start date for this post is Monday 2nd November 2026

You will be responsible for:

• Providing proactive PA and administrative support, including diary coordination, meeting arrangements, agenda preparation, minute taking and following up agreed actions.
• Coordinating divisional meetings, committees, seminars, visitor programmes and events, ensuring logistics, materials and related arrangements are in place.
• Supporting recruitment and people-related administration, including selection arrangements, interview coordination, appointments, onboarding and induction activity.
• Supporting finance and procurement administration, including purchasing, expenses, invoice-related activity, payment forms and liaison with finance colleagues.
• Maintaining effective communication with academic, research, professional services and external stakeholders, signposting queries appropriately and escalating matters where required.

We welcome candidates who bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to their work.

About You

We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate the following essential criteria:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working in an administrative, customer-facing role and providing effective PA support, including diary management and meeting coordination.
• Experience of supporting meetings, committees or events, including arranging logistics, preparing documentation, taking minutes and following up actions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work professionally with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing tasks, meet deadlines, maintain accuracy and resolve routine problems effectively.
• Good IT skills, particularly in Microsoft 365 applications, with a proactive, flexible and collaborative approach to supporting colleagues and responding to changing priorities.

We value transferable skills and real-world experience as much as formal qualifications.

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer pension contribution
• Christmas closure across all departments outside of annual leave and bank holidays
• Purple Place employee discount platform

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits . You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here .

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy .

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must demonstrate the right to work in the UK.

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars (with person specification) linked below.