Executive Assistant (Executive Support Office)

Job Description

The School is looking to appoint an enthusiastic person to undertake the role of Executive Assistant in our busy School Executive Support Office. As part of the Executive Support Office team, this role is designed to provide executive support to Senior Academic Leaders and the wider School Leadership Team. The role holder will act as Executive Assistant to the Executive Dean of the School and a small number of senior staff, developing high-quality relationships to allow for the School, and staff, to function effectively in role. The role will provide a range of key duties, including diary management, general administration and operational support for the management of logistics including travel and in-country activities.

The role of the Executive Assistant to the Executive Dean is critical and complex, supporting the leadership team in their multi-faceted positions, and coordinating administrative and operational duties at the School level. You will be supporting the day-to-day operational running of the School Executive Support Office, providing an excellent standard of administrative support and act as the main interface between the leadership team and the wider university and the Departments respectively.

Purpose of Role

• To provide executive support daily to the Executive Dean
• Providing executive support to senior roles in the School Leadership Team as required
• Co-ordinating high-level events and meetings
• Assisting with report and presentation production
• Taking and preparing minutes
• Undertaking specialist analytical tasks
• Interacting daily with senior staff on operational issues
• Maintaining a professional approach always
• Manage, and be the key point of contact for recruitment activities within the departments they support
• Member of a small team of dedicated to providing Executive level support
• Report to the Executive Dean of the School

To work collaboratively

• Provide cover to other Executive Support Office roles when necessary
• Exercise independent judgement in a variety of situations understanding when escalation or referral is appropriate
• Work with the Director(s) supported and other colleagues within the department(s) supported (such as Group Managers and Heads of Groups) to maximise the benefits of having an Executive Assistant
• All the support services within the School are committed to delivering a customer focused service to students, staff and visitors. To achieve this commitment all support staff need to be adaptable and prepared to support other teams and individuals within the School.

Diary Management

• Manage and maintain the Executive Dean’s complex diary and email account
• Ensure diary commitments, papers, and arrangements are managed effectively
• Liaise with other Senior Academic Leaders and members of the Executive Support Office team as well as key contacts across the University and externally to organise meetings as required
• Ensure priorities and key issues within the Schools departments are understood in order to effectively categorise and prioritise meetings and events
• Help assist with meetings and the diary management of key senior managers, group managers and heads of groups reporting to the Executive Dean of the School (as required)
• Co-ordinate and negotiate conflicting demands in order to schedule priority meetings in the Executive Dean’s diary

Correspondence Management

• Draft and respond to emails where appropriate in accordance with Executive Dean’s needs and escalate as appropriate
• Identify messages that need to be cascaded to group managers or line managers within the department(s) supported
• Filter general information, queries, phone calls and invitations to the Executive Dean by redirecting or taking forward such contacts as appropriate
• Filter emails, responding where appropriate, and highlight urgent correspondence for review by the Executive Dean
• Prepare correspondence on behalf of the Executive Dean including the drafting of general replies
• Proofread correspondence and documents as required

Organisation Documentation and Reporting

• Collate and print presentations, meeting papers, briefings for the Executive Dean ahead of meetings, scheduling time for their review, to ensure they are prepared
• Update board papers and other correspondence to a good draft standard for the Executive Dean to finalise
• Liaise with the Departmental Heads to request forecasting reports
• Monitor expenditure and budget forecasting, raising potential overspends to the Executive Dean

Event Management

• Organise events, departmental away days, departmental and/or group events
• Manage attendance, agenda preparation, meeting logistics including catering and notes/minutes where required
• Book venues, coordinate invitations and check facilities are set-up

Location: Edinburgh

Grade 5: £26,038 - £30,505

Post: Fixed Term 12 months

Closing date: Midnight (UK time) on Monday 4th November

Interviews are expected to take place Monday 11th November