Executive Office PA - Executive Office - Band 500 - 80766

Position Details x 2

Executive Office

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £23,699 to £25,458. With potential progression once in post to £29,471 a year.

Band 500

Full time

Permanent and Fixed term contract or Secondment until 5th August 2022 

Closing Date: 7th October 2021

Interview Date: 19th October 2021

Job Purpose

This is a great opportunity to join a friendly team of EAs and PAs in the Executive Office. The team works together to provide outstanding support for the senior management of the University and there are lots of opportunities for learning and development.

There are two posts available, each supporting one more Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellors. One post is permanent and the other is fixed term until 5th August 2022, at which point there may be opportunities for further employment at the University dependent on funding. When you apply you will be asked to indicate whether you are interested in one or both posts.

The Executive Office was created in September 2018 as part of the wider Executive Support Division that includes Strategic Planning, Strategic Change, Legal Services, and Governance Support. The Executive Office provides executive support to the University’s senior leadership team including through ownership and co-ordination of University-wide initiatives and projects such as Birmingham Professional, the Graduate Management Training Scheme, and Vice-Chancellor's Challenge, preparation of speeches and briefings, secretarial support to University-level committees and groups, organisation of institutional events, and through a cadre of Personal/Executive Assistants.

Job Role
We are looking for a highly-organised, proactive and enthusiastic individual who enjoys using their initiative in their work to meet challenges and deliver to deadline. The successful candidate will take a flexible approach and have an ability to problem solve. 

As Executive Office PA, you will provide high-quality and timely administrative and organisational support through a broad range of duties including: complex email and diary management, organising meetings and events, undertaking complex travel arrangements, liaising with a range of internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the senior team and providing project support.
You will use your excellent organisational skills and attention to detail to ensure members of the senior team are well prepared, your outstanding communication skills to represent the senior team, and you will enjoy navigating a large complex organisation in order to get things done.

The post is line managed by the Head of Executive Office and you will join a well-established team with opportunities for training and development. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities
•    Effective management of complex electronic diaries, always looking up to 12 months ahead and ensuring effective use of the time of the senior team.
•    Proactive inbox management, with confidence to make decisions on behalf of the senior team where appropriate. 
•    Proactive preparation and collation of meeting-related papers, working collaboratively to determine what information might be required in advance of a meeting, articulating clear deadlines for submission and proactively chasing where necessary.
•    Production of documents, presentations and briefings in relation to the work undertaken by the senior team, including undertaking desk research and sourcing information from internal and external stakeholders.
•    Provision of outstanding customer service at all times, including ensuring that all visitors, both internal and external, are welcomed in an appropriate manner.
•    Arranging complex UK and overseas travel, including booking flights, hotels, transfers, and organisation and planning of itineraries.
•    Arranging a variety of events, and organising high profile visits by senior external stakeholders, which will require close liaison with a range of departments. 
•    Dealing with a wide range of enquiries independently, or exercising judgement to redirect them to senior colleagues or other departments within the University.
•    Provision of high-quality committee support where necessary, taking minutes and ensuring that any action points are followed up in a timely manner. 
•    Assisting with specific project work where this is delegated from the senior team.
•    Monitoring and processing financial information in accordance with the University’s policies. 
•    Provision of flexible cover for colleagues in the Executive Office as necessary.
•    The postholder is required to be flexible in developing their role and will from time to time be required to undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post.

Person Specification
•    Educated to A-level, or with equivalent work experience, with a proven ability to plan ahead and anticipate what might be required.
•    Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write for different audiences, and to required deadlines. 
•    A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues. 
•    Excellent interpersonal skills. The postholder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues.
•    Build network with peers to facilitate cross-institutional collaboration.
•    Ability to research required protocols and appropriate styles when dealing with stakeholders.
•    Highly proficient IT skills, in particular the ability to handle complex electronic diaries and emails and the MS Office suite of programmes. The post holder should also be confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.
•    A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility, and a self-motivating approach. 
•    An ability to bring personal ideas and creativity to projects and tasks.
Enthusiasm and willingness to meet challenging demands, working to different  people and deadlines.
•    Demonstrable confident and welcoming style and the ability to adapt to different situations as required, to ensure the University is represented and portrayed in a positive manner.
•    Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work.
•    A commitment to promote and adhere to the agreed values of the University and the Executive Support Division.

For informal enquiries please contact Rebecca Lewis, email: [email protected] or Katy Caves, email [email protected]

When completing the application form, please remember to fully complete the section that says: This section should set out your reasons for applying, skills and experience, other interests and activities as appropriate to the post which you are applying. As a rough guide, we would expect this to be in the region of 600-1000 words and cover how your skills and experience apply to the role.

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment  

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.