Executive Assistant

Salary:  £32,080 to £33,002 with progression to £34,610 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 15 April 2026

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join Newcastle University Executive Office. We are seeking a motivated and organised Executive Assistant to provide high level executive support to members of the Senior Management team by identifying and anticipating needs, managing communications, and managing the flow of business in and out of the Senior Management Team.   The role also includes high level support for the University’s governance activities including administrative support for meetings of Council, Senate and Court.  

We are particularly keen to hear from colleagues who can be proactive and work independently as well as part of an established team of colleagues.   You will work closely with the administrative team in the Executive Office while liaising with teams supporting Pro-Vice-Chancellors and senior management within the University faculties. This is a fantastic opportunity, with a broad range of responsibilities.    

To provide high level administrative and project support for the University’s senior management team based in King’s Gate. This will include providing specific day-to-day support for one or more senior managers, at least one of whom will be a member of Executive Board. To support the University’s governance arrangements and provide professional committee support.

You may be called upon to provide support wherever it is required in the office, to ensure full cover for the senior management team on a day-to-day basis.

To apply, please complete an online application and upload a CV and a cover letter. Please complete any application questions as directed. Your cover letter is a supporting statement, and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples.

Please contact Heidi Shultz on heidi.shultz@ncl.ac.uk for an informal chat.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide high level support for the University’s governance arrangements as required. These activities will vary from time to time, depending on the needs of the business. Examples include arrangements and support for the annual meeting of graduates of the University (Convocation), and sub-committees of Executive Board.
• Responsible for the effective management of the flow of business in and out for the  senior management. This requires a detailed knowledge of wider senior managers’ 
  portfolios, regular referral to University policies and procedures and an awareness of any sensitivities.  Considerable judgement needs to be exercised to decide on the actions required.
• Set up and/or co-ordinate business meetings both internally and externally, including preparation of agendas, distribution of minutes and papers, progressing actions and making the administrative arrangements such as travel, accommodation, etc. Ensure that arrangements make the best use of management time, are sustainable and represent the best value for money.
• Ensure that managers are fully prepared and briefed for meetings, reviewing background information, and producing drafts of documents or briefing papers to save the manager’s time. This will include scanning websites or printed documentation for relevant information and presenting this information in an appropriate format.
• Ensure that travel arrangements are made to make the best use of manager’s time and that the most cost-effective bookings are made, with value for money and environmental sustainability as key considerations.
• Ensure that critical issues are referred to the relevant member of the senior management team along with any relevant background information or paperwork and assisting by prioritising tasks and keeping track of important deadlines in a detailed task management system. This includes identifying, devising and implementing effective office procedures to support the work of the office.
• Make decisions on less regular issues where necessary in the absence of the managers (e.g. accepting or declining external invitations to events; agreeing to deadline changes; providing information in response to requests, etc).
• Act as proxy for senior managers, occasionally representing them in internal meetings or communications, and acting on any operational issues arising in the absence of that manager.
• Work on specific projects being led by the senior managers. This may involve carrying out background research, attendance at formal and informal meetings, contributing to the discussion, taking the minutes, and ensuring that the action points are completed.
• Be responsible for the organisation and support for a variety of events where the Vice-Chancellor and/or other members of the senior management team are involved. Examples include Honorary Degrees ceremonies, Celebrating Success events, Away Days, overseas trips undertaken by members of the senior management team, engagement activities, etc. This will involve working alongside the relevant staff in the Executive and Governance Office and the Academic Hub to ensure that the appropriate standards are met for the delivery of such events.
• Provide the first point of contact for internal and external telephone and electronic contacts, enquiries, and personal visitors, for the senior management team.
• Deal with highly confidential issues with discretion, recognising the sensitivity of such matters and ensuring appropriate liaison with managers and other internal and external colleagues.
• Contribute pro-actively to a team-working environment; sharing ideas and showing a willingness to cross-train colleagues and shadow colleagues when appropriate.
• Ensure joined-up thinking and shared processes within the Executive Office team and with partner teams across the University.
• Be encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions in order to benefit the organisation and work of the Executive Office in particular, and the Academic Hub and University in general.

The Person (Essential unless stated) 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• High level of organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage a range of tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work calmly and efficiently under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written to build professional relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders
• Comprehensive experience of acting as secretary to high-level meetings, (including planning agendas, taking minutes and following up actions)
• Experience of work practices relevant to the role of an assistant to a senior executive preferably in a large organisation
• Pay close attention to detail and work with accuracy
• Substantial experience of working with Microsoft Office software

Attributes and Behaviour

• Consistently displays a positive customer focused ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Interacts professionally and confidently with all levels of the organisation and external stakeholders.
• Takes a high level of initiative.
• Plays a positive role in teams and works to build cross-functional networks while also working independently and with minimal direction.
• High levels of discretion and political awareness.
• Confidently deals with a broad range of information.
• Proactively anticipates and plans for likely problem areas or obstacles by assessing and managing risks.
• Supports and mentors less experienced colleagues.

Qualifications

• Hold an HND/C or equivalent, possibly in Business Administration, or have substantial vocational experience working in similar role. 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29196

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