Personal Assistant

University and College Union; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

University and College Union based in London seeks a Personal Assistant to the General Secretary to provide diary and administrative support, organise meetings and manage expenses. This is a permanent, full-time role reporting to the General Secretary and Executive Officer, based at Carlock Street, London NW1 7LH.

The successful candidate will have GCSEs (incl. Maths & English), experience in a union or not-for-profit setting, and proven ability to prioritise, plan and communicate effectively at

Qualifications

• GCSE level or equivalent (incl. Maths & English)
• Experience of a similar working environment and/or understanding of working for a Trade Union or other not-for-profit organisation
• Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication at all levels
• Experience of planning and organising workload to meet deadlines

Responsibilities

• Provide diary and administrative support to the General Secretary and Executive Officer
• Administer meetings, committees, conferences and seminars
• Maintain departmental expense records

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Diary management

Administrative support

Communication

Organisational skills

Education

GCSE level or equivalent (incl. Maths & English)

Job description

University and College Union have a new opportunity for Personal Assistant to the General Secretary!

Reference Number:PA1

Salary: £46,635p.a (inclusive of London Allowance)

Hours:35 per week

Contract: Permanent and full time

Location: Carlock Street, London NW1 7LH

Closing Date: Monday 19 October 2026 at 10.00 am

About Us:

The University and College Union (UCU) represents over 120,000 academics, lecturers, trainers, instructors, researchers, managers, administrators, computer staff, librarians and postgraduates in universities, colleges, prisons, adult education and training organisations across the UK.We also have members in the private sector, for example in private training agencies and language schools, as well as members working on a freelance basis. Students training to teach in post-school education also belong to UCU.

PA to the General Secretary – About the role:

UCU is seeking a capable, sensitive and reliable Personal Assistant, to join the team at the head office in Carlock Street, London NW1 7LH, on a permanent, full time basis. In this exciting role, reporting to the General Secretary and Executive Officer, your main duties will be:

• To provide diary and administrative support to the General Secretary, and Executive Officer to the General Secretary
• To provide the administration of meetings/committees/conferences and seminars
• To maintain departmental expense records

PA to the General Secretary – You:

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent (incl. Maths & English)
• Experience of a similar working environment and/or understanding of working for a Trade Union or other not-for-profit organisation
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively (verbally and in writing) at all levels
• Experience of effectively planning and organising workload to meet deadlines
• Experience of providing sound administrative and secretarial support at a senior level

Benefits of working for the University and College Union

We offer a number of financial and welfare benefits to support our employees, highlights include:

• Supportive Family Policies: Embrace family life with enhanced Maternity, Adoption, Paternity, and Shared Parental Leave schemes
• Health and Well-being Support: Access to confidential counselling 24/7 through our Employee Assistance Programme; advice and face-to-face interventionfrom via our Physiotherapy Advice Line; healthcare assessment
• FlexibleWorking: Take advantageof our Flexitime scheme, allowing you to tailoryour work hours withinour WorkLifeBalance policy
• FinancialAssistanc
• Trainingand Development: Elevate your skills with tailored training, developmental support, and access to live and on demand courses available through our online training platform

Note: working arrangements

UCU requires its employees to work from their office/in the field for at least 60% of their working week.They may applyto work from home for the remaining 40% but UCU cannot guarantee that this will be agreed.

Diversity & Inclusion Monitoring

We need your support to make sure our employees come from a variety of backgrounds, so we especially welcome applications from disadvantaged communities. Even if you are not selected, it would be really helpful if you could complete the diversity & inclusion data when you apply for this role, because we can make sure we are encouraging a diverse mixture of candidates to apply. Thank you very much.

Equal Opportunities

UCU is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

We are happy to accept applications in alternative formats from applicants who, for reasons of disability, may find it difficult to fill in our standard form. Please see the advert on our website for further details

Closing date for applications: Monday 19 October 2026 at 10 am.

Interview date: Thursday 19 November 2026