Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Grade: Grade 4 (£22,197 - £24,144)
Section: School of Social Sciences
Working Hours: 9am : 5pm (one hour for lunch)
Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry
Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.
The School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University comprises of Edinburgh Business School, the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and the Department of Psychology. We are the largest academic school within Heriot-Watt University, and we specialise in research and industry-informed undergraduate and postgraduate teaching across our core disciplines:
Edinburgh Business School:
- Department of Accountancy, Economics, & Finance
- Department of Management
- Department of Marketing & Operations
Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies
Department of Psychology
A truly global outlook
Everything we do in the School of Social Sciences has a truly global outlook. Many of our programmes are delivered across Heriot-Watt's three main campuses in Edinburgh, Dubai and Malaysia, offering students the opportunity to transfer between Heriot-Watt's global campuses for one semester or more. We have collaborative partnerships with leading business and language schools all over the world including student exchange programmes with universities in North America, China, Europe and Australia.
The Edinburgh Business School is a well-established leader in online learning. It currently supports 14,000 students across more than 150 countries.
Teaching, research and scholarship
We are internationally recognised for the quality of teaching and research across the school. Our students are taught by leading academics who, in many cases, have published the research which shapes their disciplines and written the books which will guide their learning. Many members of staff balance teaching time with continued professional practice as translators, interpreters, practitioner psychologists, tax and finance specialists, and management consultants. This brings real-world experience into the classroom.
The School has a vibrant research community which includes over 100 PhD students. Our academics are involved in a range of research and consultancy work funded by international agencies such as ESRC, EU, EBRD, World Bank, industry, commerce and government both in the UK and overseas.
The WWW site for SoSS is https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/social-sciences.htm
The School is looking to appoint an enthusiastic person to undertake the role of Administrative Assistant in our busy School Executive Support Office. As part of the Executive Support Office team, this role is designed to assist in providing executive support to Senior Academic Leaders and the wider School Leadership Team. This role is also responsible for supporting the Head of Department in Languages and Intercultural Studies. The role holder will be responsible for a range of key duties, including diary management, general administration, and operational support for senior positions across the School. This post reports to and provides comprehensive and confidential administrative support to the Executive Office of the School of Social Science and the Edinburgh Business School. The role also requires outstanding organisational skills, providing administrative support to other members of the executive team.
Main purpose of the job:
- Provide a full range of confidential administrative and support to the Executive office of Edinburgh Business School, and School of Social Science, and the Head of Department for LINCS.
- Provide extensive diary management support to the Executive Office, anticipating diary clashes and responding to sudden changes to appointments.
- Administratively support a range of meeting, committees, and boards from logistical arrangements to secretarial support, and technical set-up of any equipment.
- Making travel arrangements including all itineraries, bookings, currency, and processing expenses claims.
- Engagement with multiple stakeholders, internally and externally, maintaining positive and productive working relationships across an extensive network of contacts.
- Maintain a strong team working ethos within the Executive Support Team and provide cover for the Executive Dean's Executive Assistant when necessary.
- Manage and process the Executive Office expenses and corporate card. Raising and approving purchase orders along with other ad hoc financial matters.
- Solve simple IT problems.
- Administratively support the School Leadership Team operationally but also by being aware of the School's priorities and strategic direction of the School.
- Undertake background research and analysis, presenting data documentation and creating presentations for the Executive Team are required.
- Draft letters and manage emails on behalf of the Executive Dean, ensuring that all correspondence is prioritised and managed appropriately.
- Ensure the Executive Team have effective time with each of their students.
- Provide cover on the School Reception as required.
- Undertake other specific and/or related tasks and administrative roles and duties as required.
All the support services within the School are committed to delivering a customer focused service to students, staff and visitors. To achieve this commitment all support staff need to be adaptable and prepared to support other teams and individuals within the School.
Please note this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Diary Management
- Management of the calendars of Senior Staff
- Scheduling appointments and coordinating invitations.
- Manage conflicting priorities using judgement and negotiating to avoid clashes.
Correspondence
- Monitor all Executive Office mailboxes
- Create and update staff and distribution lists
Meetings and Events
- Plan meetings in advance to optimise attendance.
- Book venues, catering, AV equipment, and an Interpreter (if required).
- Prepare presentations, agenda, and any other documentation as required.
- Attend meetings, take notes/minutes, and follow-up on actions.
- Assist in the organisation of events and be on hand to assist at events.
- Undertake background research to inform decision making.
- Assist in the use of relevant software to facilitate meeting (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, Menti meter polls etc.)
Communications and Promotional Materials
- Collection of news stories and distribution of approved news stories and newsletters.
- Monitoring of communications in this area and seeking authorisation of content.
- Use of relevant software (e.g. Junglemail) with training.
Reception and Client Services
- Cover the School Reception when Reception Staff are absent.
- Handle student requests and re-direct when necessary.
- Welcome and take care of visitors
- Arrange for Wi-Fi for visitors (if required)
Finance and Expenses
- Occasionally undertake purchasing, including raising requisitions, setting up new suppliers, and paying invoices etc.
- Process expenses for Senior Staff in the School.
- Manage the School's hospitality account.
- Handle ad-hoc requests that may come from University Finance.
People and Organisation
- Update organisational charts
- Manage annual appraisal data collection and reporting.
- Assist with the processing casual employment contracts when required.
- Handle ad-hoc request that may come from HR
- Make IT requests for new equipment, reporting faults, arranging new starter accounts etc.
Travel
- Plan executive travel arrangements including travel itinerary, meeting arrangements, and making any necessary changes.
- Complete all necessary risk assessments related to Executive travel.
- Provide immediate support for the Executive whilst overseas and take prompt action where necessary.
- Make all necessary travel booking for flights, car hire, train travel, accommodation, transfers using the online booking system.
- Arrange for foreign currency, raise requisitions to pay for travel, and process travel expenses.
- Prepare background information on relevant contacts and meeting details, as required.
Teamwork
- Work closely with the School's Executive Dean's Executive Assistant and other School administrative staff.
- Provide support and cover for the Executive Assistant when required.
- Maintain professional relationships with other departments across the wider University,
Other
- Ad-hoc research as required.
- Using own judgement and always acting with the utmost discretion.
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on 11th June 2022.
Applications should be submitted including your CV to evidence how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.
Non-UK candidates who do not already have permission to work in the UK should note that by reference to the applicable SOC code for this role sponsorship will not be possible under the Skilled Worker Route.
For an informal discussion on this post please contact Dr. Darren Cunningham (Head of Operations) by email D.P.Cunningham@hw.ac.uk
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.