Personal Assistant

Personal Assistant

Permanent

Location: Bristol or London

Salary: £31,908 – £33,379

Plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension and

London weighting £3,566 where appropriate

Who We Are

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We regulate higher education on behalf of all students, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has a fulfilling experience that enriches their lives and careers.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Personal Assistant to support the Director for Fair Access and Participation within our Regulation directorate. This is an exciting opportunity to join the OfS as we embark on our ambitious new strategy focused on quality, standards, and equality of opportunity.

Role Responsibilities

As a Personal Assistant to the Director for Fair Access and Participation, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the Director's office. Your responsibilities will include:

• Calendar management: Efficiently managing the Director's calendar, scheduling meetings, engagements, and events, and resolving any scheduling conflicts.
• Email management: Overseeing multiple mailboxes, prioritising and responding to emails, flagging important messages, and ensuring timely follow-up on all correspondence.
• Briefing preparation: Preparing and compiling daily briefing packs, including relevant documents, reports, and summaries, to keep the Director informed and prepared for meetings and engagements.
• Travel coordination: Arranging travel and accommodation for the Director, ensuring all logistics are handled smoothly.
• Stakeholder communication: Communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring a positive impression of the OfS.
• Problem solving: Addressing day-to-day issues and contributing to the continuous improvement of organisational processes.
• Decision making: Making informed decisions on diary management and performing initial research to assist the Director in responding to stakeholders.
• Team collaboration: Working as part of a team to deliver time-bound projects and supporting the overall objectives of the Regulation directorate. Working with other personal assistants within the directorate to solve ad hoc problems that arise in a timely manner, while contributing to continuous improvement of a fast-paced directorate.
• Minute taking: Attend meetings with the director, accurately record minutes, and ensure all outstanding actions are captured and followed up.
• Administrative systems: Maintain a comprehensive understanding of administrative systems and procedures, collaborating with the strategic adviser to ensure effective and timely decision-making for both internal and external colleagues.

What We Are Looking For – Person Specification

We are seeking a dedicated and proactive individual who embodies the following qualities:

• Professional experience: You have a solid background in office administration, with confident use of standard software and business processes, particularly within the MS Office suite (Word, Outlook, Teams, Excel).
• Organisational and time management skills: Your exceptional time management and organisational skills enable you to manage multiple tasks efficiently, prioritise effectively, and ensure smooth day-to-day operations.
• Customer service: You are committed to providing excellent customer service to both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring their needs are met promptly and professionally.
• Attention to detail: You have a keen eye for detail, ensuring accuracy in managing office records, preparing documents, and handling correspondence.
• Communication skills: Your communication skills, both written and verbal, are clear, concise, and tailored to your audience, creating a positive impression of the OfS.
• Team player: You thrive in a team environment, contributing to the successful delivery of time-bound projects and supporting your colleagues.
• Problem-solving ability: You are adept at identifying and resolving issues, contributing to the continuous improvement of organisational processes.

Benefits

Our Total Reward Framework offers a range of benefits to suit your way of life:

• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Comprehensive learning and development opportunities
• Generous Civil Service pension scheme
• Health benefits

Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience, and ideas it brings to our work. We strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background.

Working Arrangements

We embrace flexible and hybrid working arrangements, typically requiring office presence for two or three days per week.

Next Steps

If you are shortlisted for the role, we will ask you to complete pre-interview tasks.

Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 10 March 2025