Senior Executive Assistant London, England
Job description
About us
UCL is a world-leading teaching and research university and a diverse global community of world-class academics, students, industry links, external partners, and alumni. Our powerful collective of individuals and institutions work together to explore new possibilities and make a positive impact on real world challenges. UCL has recently approved a Strategic Plan that will sets out our whole-university priorities for the next five years, focusing effort and investment on a programme of change and improvement to support our 2034 vision and mission. The President & Provost (P&P) is the chief executive and academic officer of the university, responsible to Council for advancing and delivering UCL’s core academic mission – education, research and knowledge exchange and translation. The P&P also has an active role as UCL’s principal representative in external relations and in promoting UCL’s position as London’s Global University. Dr Michael Spence took up his posts as President & Provost of UCL in January 2021. Dr Spence is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of intellectual property theory, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford, where he headed Oxford’s Law faculty and Social Sciences division. An alumnus of the University of Sydney, he has first degrees in English, Italian and Law, and graduate training in theology, Chinese and Korean. Dr Spence has been involved in the Church all his life and was ordained after training for the priesthood at St Stephen's House, Oxford. The Senior Executive Assistant is part of a wider team that supports the senior leadership and the delivery of a complex programme of institutional priorities. The Office of the President & Provost oversees 13 portfolios led by 4 Vice-Provosts (Faculties; Education and Student Experience; Research, Innovation and Global Engagement; Health), 4 Vice-Presidents (Strategy; External Engagement; Advancement; Operations), the Chief Finance Officer, the Chief People Officer, the General Counsel, the Pro-Provost London and the Pro-Provost Bicentennial. The core team in the Office of the President & Provost is led by Chief of Staff, Dr Clare Goudy, who provides senior advisory support to Dr Spence, assists him in communicating with and coordinating the senior team in addressing complex issues, and to ensure that the operations of the Office are commensurate with a world-leading university. It currently comprises of 11 staff and is undergoing an evolutionary phase and recruiting few new posts, including the Senior Executive Assistant.
About the role
The Senior Executive Assistant is a new role that will work directly with the President & Provost to maximise his impact by supporting the delivery of his priorities and ensuring the effective use of his time. A key part of our busy team, this will be an exciting role because it is based at the heart of our university and will enable the post holder to connect across all areas of our business and community, working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Core responsibilities include: • Strategic planning, organisation and delivery of a calendar that is balanced across the range of Dr Spence’s responsibilities and strategic priorities, managing the consistent review and prioritisation of the P&P time • Briefing the P&P and wider team on daily and weekly priorities, providing senior logistical coordination to ensure that the P&P is in the right place at the right time, and that he is fully prepared and has comprehensive and accurate papers for all commitments and engagements • Act as first point of contact for the President & Provost and as a true gateway for the Office of the President & Provost, liaising with a plethora of stakeholders both internally and externally • Line management of the Diary Secretary and the Team Coordinator to always ensure provision of seamless support for the P&P Office
About you
As someone who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, you will have an exceptional track record of providing executive support in a complex organisation. The key skills to be successful in this role include: • A high degree of emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills • A flexible, proactive, and strategic approach to your work – you must be comfortable working at a fast-pace with many conflicting priorities • Ability to effectively build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, with a constructive attitude in finding ways to successful work with the extended UCL community on cross-institutional projects. • A high degree of discretion, with an understanding of the need for and importance of confidentiality in a highly sensitive environment. If this role speaks to you and your are interested in applying or want to learn more about it, we would be very happy to have an informal chat before you submit your application. Please email Tania Trosini, Head of External Engagement and Operations at [email protected]
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/
