Personal Assistant

School/Department: Cranfield Defence and Security
Based at: Cranfield or Shrivenham, Oxfordshire
Hours of work: Full time hours are 37 per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £26,860 to £30,513 per annum, pro-rata with potential progression to £37,701 per annum, pro-rata
Apply by:  27/11/2022

Role Description

About the Role

This role exists to support the Director of Security (DOS) and Director of Defence (DOD) in the execution of their duties as members of the Senior Management Team and CDS Executive as appropriate.  You will provide support to the Directors and build wide relationships that ensure a greater understanding and collaboration between Cranfield and Shrivenham.

We are open to a full time or job share arrangement.  If full time the role will be based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire with a requirement to travel to Cranfield, Bedfordshire for 1 day a fortnight.

If job sharing, one part time post holder will be based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire and the other part time post holder will be based at Cranfield, Bedfordshire. 

Duties will include:

• To provide a full PA service to the DOS and DOD
• Be the lead contact for the DOS and DOD.  To receive and deal with all enquiries and be the point of contact in their absence
• General PA activities such as diary management, setting up meetings, ensuring deadlines are met.  Gatekeeping using high levels of discretion and diplomacy
• Willingness to travel as required to support Directors in their work
• Supporting the Directors with projects which will involve engagement with Cranfield commercial teams and key stakeholders.  Producing minutes, assisting with drafting policies and processes, following up, tackling actions and supporting successful project delivery
• Office management, welcoming visitors, building a great working environment and ensuring any issues are dealt with promptly

About You

You will be educated to A level or have equivalent experience in senior administrator roles.  You will have specific experience of setting up and preparing for meetings along with minute taking. 

Demonstrable experience of the needs of executive office management at board/senior executive level, ideally within a Higher Educational environment is essential.  You will work well under pressure to meet deadlines, while balancing competing priorities and without compromising your attention to detail. 

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here .

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here .

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families . Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here .

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.