Senior Executive Assistant to the Joint Chief Executive

North Bristol NHS Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits as a Senior Executive Assistant to the Joint Chief Executive at a prominent NHS Trust. This dynamic role requires a professional with proven experience in executive support, adept at managing complex workloads and fostering effective communication across diverse teams. As you navigate the fast-paced environment of healthcare, you'll play a crucial role in supporting leadership, managing priorities, and ensuring smooth operations within the organization. Join a dedicated team in a vibrant city and contribute to impactful healthcare services while advancing your career in a supportive and inclusive workplace.

Qualifications

• Proven Executive/Board level PA experience is essential.
• Experience managing complex diaries and correspondence.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level PA support to the Joint Chief Executive.
• Manage diary, correspondence, and project management tasks.
• Communicate sensitive information across teams.

Skills

Excellent communication

Workload management

Attention to detail

Diplomacy

Listening skills

Education

Substantial secretarial experience

Understanding of local healthcare sector

Previous NHS experience

Job description

Senior Executive Assistant to the Joint Chief Executive

NHS AfC: Band 6

Main area: Chief Executive Division

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Job ref: 339-KLE5379

Site: Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Infirmary

Town: Bristol

Salary: £37,338 - £44,962 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 16/01/2025 23:59

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced and high performing Senior Executive PA for the Joint Chief Executive of NBT and UHBW. This is a new and exciting opportunity for someone with proven Executive/Board level Executive PA experience. The postholder will work across both organisations.

Why apply?

• You will be working across two large acute NHS providers, in a vibrant and diverse city.
• Work at the heart of both organisations as they form their hospital group.
• A fascinating, fast-paced, and dynamic role; each day will be different.
• You will be joining a friendly and high performing team.

The Role:

As the Senior Executive PA supporting the Joint Chief Executive you will:

• Provide high level, professional PA support.
• Act as an interface between the Joint Chief Executive and staff at all levels.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the Joint Chief Executive’s priorities and ways of working.
• Help ensure that the Joint Chief Executive’s priorities are effectively communicated to the Executive Teams and wider senior leadership.

Main duties of the job

Job purpose

The Senior Executive Assistant is required to lead and develop the functions of the Joint Chief Executive, providing proactive and responsive professional support with their strategic and operational functions at both Trusts. This includes managing their diary and correspondence, project management, and following up on a wide range of issues arising from correspondence and meetings.

The Senior Executive Assistant will provide day-to-day management and supervision of the office administrative support function.

Working for our organisation

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities

Communication

• Provide front of office support to the Joint Chief Executive.
• Communicate confidential, sensitive, and contentious information across multi-disciplinary teams and external organisations.
• Manage organisational arrangements on behalf of the Joint Chief Executive, including formal visits to hospital sites.
• Manage the electronic diary of the Joint Chief Executive, including arranging meetings and taking minutes/notes as necessary.
• Be the point of contact for the Joint Chief Executive for internal and external enquiries.
• Ensure the Joint Chief Executive receives appropriate briefings on current issues and produce reports on key items.
• Foster and maintain effective working relationships with various stakeholders.
• Work with communications teams to ensure internal and external communications are timely and fit for purpose.

Planning and Organisation

• Plan and organise meetings involving the Trust Management Executives and Executive Directors.
• Manage complex and conflicting priorities when managing diaries.
• Prepare and coordinate presentations for the Joint Chief Executive for meetings.
• Coordinate and supervise delegated project work.
• Arrange visits and walk rounds by the Joint Chief Executive.

Finance and Resources

• Assist in managing the Joint CEO budgets and be an authorised signatory for the wider NBT Trust Headquarters office.
• Authorise EROS orders, timesheets, and invoices as necessary.
• Ensure all non-related pay expenditure is managed in line with budget.

Leadership and Management

• Monitor sickness and absences within the Joint Chief Executive’s team.
• Monitor statutory and mandatory training for staff within the office.
• Day-to-day management and supervision of the administrative support function.

Policy and Service Development

• Ensure compliance with all Trust policies and procedures.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and work procedures.
• Implement policies/procedures as requested by the Joint Chief Executive.
• Ensure compliance with information governance regulations.

Freedom to Act

• Work on own initiative and determine how work should be planned, prioritised, and delivered.
• Collaborate with the Executive Coordinator to ensure the Joint Chief Executive receives appropriate support.
• Proactively follow up on actions given to the Joint Chief Executive.

Other

• Provide on-the-job training in relevant administrative tasks.
• Adhere to both Trusts’ Health & Safety procedures.
• Perform other duties appropriate to the grade as agreed.

Person specification

Skills and Experience

• Excellent and professional communications.
• Ability to manage an unpredictable workload.
• Methodical and reliable, with attention to detail.
• Capacity to adopt changes to working practices quickly.
• Exhibit diplomacy and listening skills.

Knowledge & Experience

• Substantial secretarial and personal assistant experience at a senior level.
• A strong understanding of the local healthcare sector.
• Previous NHS experience.

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams. We are committed to equality of opportunity and to being a place where we all belong.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.