Personal Assistant to School Executive Team

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave with buy‑back option

Flexible working/hybrid

Generous pension scheme

Discounts and rewards

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking a proactive Personal Assistant to provide high‑level support to the School Directors of Research & Innovation, Education and One University. You will manage diaries, handle correspondence, service committees, and arrange travel, contributing to key school processes.

You will also support recruitment activities via the SuccessFactors system, maintain staff records, and help organise School events, while upholding confidentiality and discretion in all duties.

Qualifications

• Experience in secretarial/PA role.
• Ability to manage and prioritise own work and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Outstanding customer service via phone, email, and in person.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration with colleagues.
• Proficient IT skills with MS Office and Google packages.
• Ability to develop creative problem solving and analyse longer-term implications.
• Ability to organise resources and plan work activities.
• High accuracy and attention to detail.
• Confident, professional, and discreet with confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and confidential PA support to the School Directors of Research & Innovation, Education and One University.
• Manage School Directors' diaries with autonomy for meetings and appointments.
• Sort, distribute and draft responses to incoming correspondence.
• Provide administrative support to academic line management/leadership structures.
• Service School committee meetings; prepare agendas, circulate papers, minutes, and follow up on actions.
• Assist in organising School events involving staff, students and visitors.
• Coordinate recruitment activities through the SuccessFactors system from requisition to appointment.
• Maintain records of staff documentation including sickness and annual leave.
• Maintain information on committee members and academic administration responsibilities, including updating School web pages.
• Introduce new procedures and review existing ones under the Executive Assistant guidance.
• Undertake other duties to ensure timely and efficient administrative activities and provide cover for colleagues.

Skills

Diary management

Communication skills

Discretion & confidentiality

Prioritisation

Team working

Microsoft Office / Google Drive

Education

Secretarial training

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Drive

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

You will be responsible for providing comprehensive, high-level personal assistant support to the School Directors of Research & Innovation, Education and One University (the School Executive Board). This includes diary management, handling correspondence, committee servicing and making travel arrangements. In addition, you will support the Executive Assistant to the Head of School in the delivery of key School processes.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Provide professional and confidential P.A. support to the School Directors of Research & Innovation, Education and One University.
• Effective management of the School Directors diaries, working with a high degree of autonomy to scheduling meetings and appointments and handling incoming meeting requests.
• Sort, distribute and respond (or draft responses) to incoming correspondence for the School Directors in a timely and efficient manner.
• Provide administrative support necessary to administer academic line management/ leadership structures
• Service School committee meetings and any other meetings as required. Request agenda items, prepare and circulate the agenda and papers, prepare and circulate minutes and provide follow up on actions.
• Assist the organisation of School events involving staff, students and visitors, including annual summer/end of year events and graduation receptions.
• Act as a Recruiter in the School, providing a point of contact for recruitment issues, liaising with departmental staff and Human Resources. Coordinate the progression of recruitment activities through the SuccessFactors system from requisition through to appointment.
• Maintain records of documentation relating to staff, including recording of sickness/annual leave.
• Maintain information related to committee members and academic administration responsibilities, including updating relevant School web pages.
• Under the direction of the Executive Assistant to the Head of School, work to introduce new procedures, and review and enhance existing procedures.
• Undertake other activities as required to ensure that all administrative activities within the department are carried out in a timely and efficient manner, providing cover for colleagues in the administrative team
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn\'t match perfectly with this role\'s criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a secretarial/clerical/PA capacity. Interview / Application
• Ability to manage and prioritise (and reprioritise as necessary) your own work, and manage conflicting demands, requests and deadlines. Interview / Application /Test
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external contacts. Interview / Application
• Excellent customer service skills, with experience of responding efficiently and effectively to phone, email and in person enquiries. Interview / Application /Test
• Excellent team working skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues. Interview / Application
• Excellent IT skills, with strong experience in using Microsoft Office and/or Google drive packages. Interview / Application /Test
• Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving, with an ability to analyse and solve problems, appreciating longer-term implications. Interview / Application
• Ability to assess and organise resources, plan and progress work activities. Interview / Application /Test
• Ability to work to a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. Interview / Application
• Confident and professional manner, and ability to act with discretion and diplomacy, whilst maintaining confidentiality. Interview / Application

Desirable criteria

• Experience of minuting meetings . Application / Interview

Further Information

Grade: 5

Salary: £27,319 - £31,236 per annum (pro-rata). Potential to progress to £33,951 through sustained exceptional contribution.

Work arrangement: Part Time (0.8 FTE)

Duration: Fixed Term until 30.09.2027

Line manager: Executive Assistant to Head of School

Direct reports: N/A

Our website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mps

For informal enquiries about this job contact Julie Bradley , School Manager

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place in August 2026. This will consist of an Interview and Test. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage within two weeks of the closing date. Contact Kirsty Wallace if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 38days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women\'s and Parent\'s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society.

We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.