Executive Assistant

To provide integral support to the Executive Chair of Research England. Responsible to the Associate Director, Strategy, Planning and Implementation, working closely with the Senior Policy Advisor, to support the Research England Executive Chair and ensure the Executive Chair is able to carry out their responsibilities fully and appropriately.

The postholder will develop an understanding of Research England policy areas and deal with a range of complex and fast-paced agendas. Intelligence gathering and horizon scanning will be key to enabling the Executive Chair to be well informed and effective.

This is a varied and challenging role, which requires you to build trusted relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. The post holder will be expected to deliver at pace, communicate and collaborate effectively, and demonstrate attention to detail to ensure that the Executive Chair and organisation are both well supported. You will need to possess integrity as well as understand the need for, and exercise, discretion, and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• To provide comprehensive and proactive support to the Executive Chair (EC) for Research England (RE).


• Act as a key link between the Executive Chair and teams across Research England.


• You will work with other colleagues in the Executive Chair's Office to ensure that the EC is well prepared with background information, in the right place, at the right time with the right set of people. Ensuring they are making good use of their time and focus so that they can deliver their role and responsibilities as efficiently and effectively as possible.


• Maintain a strong awareness of upcoming issues and decisions, recognise urgent issues and ensure they are brought to the attention of the EC and senior team as appropriate.


• Undertake and manage administrative support activities including secretariat for meetings, undertaking all associated responsibilities. Ensuring all work is carried out to high professional standards and in a timely manner, maintaining confidentiality.


• Support and manage information flow to and from the Executive team, using knowledge and judgement to brief relevant stakeholders on key issues.


• Monitor and manage all correspondence and e-mails for the EC, taking the initiative to redirect queries to the right individual or respond on their behalf where appropriate, escalating issues if required. This includes drafting letters, presentations and other documents. Ensure accurate record keeping and appropriate audit trails are maintained.


• This role is central to the organisation and will require you to respond to different types of challenges and tasks daily in a pressurised, fast paced environment.


• You will act as an important interface with external and internal colleagues and stakeholders at the most senior levels, building strong and trusted relationships.


• Work flexibly as required to support colleagues across the team and organisation.


• You may be required to deliver ad-hoc projects.


Reporting lines

• Line managed by: Associate Director, Strategy, Planning & Implementation


• Line management: n/a
  
  A proven professional PA/Executive Assistant with experience of providing high quality support to senior staff


• A confident, assertive and co-operative style with an ability to build positive relationships and deal effectively with stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally.


• Able to write clear and accurate correspondence, appropriately tailored to the audience.


• Able to communicate confidently in a clear, concise manner to different audiences across all levels of seniority.


• Strong planning and prioritisation skills, with the ability to work autonomously and as part of a team, managing own workload, changing priorities and resolving competing demands in a flexible and proactive way.


• Display an exceptionally high level of attention to detail and demonstrate a conscientious approach to work with a high degree of accuracy.


• To demonstrate resilience and the ability to remain calm and professional under pressure and in the face of conflicting and changing priorities to ensure that business critical tasks are delivered, showing awareness of the impact of any decisions and actions.


• A creative, flexible and positive approach to problem-solving. Questions established ideas and generates solutions to problems. Able to collaborate to achieve results in a timely manner.


• The ability to show initiative, manage ambiguity, able to think and adapt quickly; and be able to operate independently when required.


• Able to proactively listen and apply feedback regarding quality, performance and value in continually improving business processes and operations; demonstrate an ongoing commitment to learning and development.


• Interest in developing knowledge of the higher education sector in which Research England operates., Graduate or equivalent qualifications
  
  Research England is one of the nine Councils within UK Research and Innovation. As a key component of the research funding system, Research England will oversee UKRI's England-only functions in relation to university research and knowledge exchange (KE). This includes providing grant funding to English universities for related activities; developing and implementing the Research Excellence Framework in partnership with the UK Higher Education funding bodies; supervising the sustainability of the Higher Education research base in England; guide the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund; and coordinate the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). Research England will build and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and KE system in English universities. They also work closely with their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations., UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.


Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation., UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.