• Job Description

  Req#: 2500001Y

  The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

  EA to the Executive Chair

  Salary: £36,650 per annum
  Hours: Full time or Part time (min 0.8 FTC)
  Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
  Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
  Grade: UKRI Band D
  Closing Date: 09 Feb 25

  Role Context

  This is an exciting position at the very heart of the organisation, where you will be exposed to arts and humanities communities and Government partners across AHRC and UKRI. You will form an essential part of the executive support team and will predominantly provide proactive diary management, make travel arrangements and mailbox management.

  This is a varied and ambitious role, which requires you to build relationships across academia, business, and Government. You will have great attention to detail with the ability to execute tasks with speed and efficiency whilst communicating and collaborating effectively with a variety of stakeholders.

  Key Responsibilities

  • Manages diary and travel, using initiative to make considered judgements
  • Keeping key individuals informed of diary issues and alert them to any potential problems regarding the future diary schedule
  • Building close working partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, whilst demonstrating a high level of tact, diplomacy, integrity, and discretion
  • Manage information flow, using knowledge and judgement to respond or to divert relevant information/queries to others where appropriate
  • Monitor and handle correspondence and e-mails, taking the initiative to redirect queries to the right team or individual where appropriate; filtering and prioritising inwards communications
  • Ensure appropriate preparation for meetings by collating meeting papers, briefings and travel directions
  • Provide administrative support including preparing correspondence, expense claims and registering gifts and hospitality
  • Take notes of meetings, draft resulting decisions and actions of meetings and follow up on actions
  • Working flexibly to support colleagues and contributing to the overall functioning of an effective, efficient, and friendly executive support team
  • Find opportunities for continuous improvement of activities
  • Carry out any other duties appropriate to the role
  • Raising purchase orders and receipting them
  • Logistical arrangement of AHRC staff away days, AHRC All Staff webinars and ECDG and SMT away days.

  Team:

  • Work collaboratively with the other members of the GEO and PMI teams to ensure a smooth, joined-up approach to problems
  • The successful candidate will not have line management responsibilities but will be expected to work closely with the Band Ds in the team, task managing appropriately and demonstrating inclusive and supportive leadership behaviour

  Person Requirements

  S - Assessed at shortlisting
  I - Assessed at interview

  • Experience using Microsoft Outlook (S&I)
  • Excellent organisational skills (S&I)
  • Able to work independently and as part of a small team, taking a lead role when appropriate (S&I)
  • Able to juggle multiple demands and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines (S&I)
  • Demonstrates a high level of tact, diplomacy, integrity, resilience, patience, and discretion (S&I)
  • Able to take a positive approach to identify and deal with problems and initiate solutions (S&I)
  • Attention to detail and quality focused (S&I)
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (verbal, presentational and written) (S&I)
  • Ability to work with competing priorities and to tight deadlines (S&I)

  FIXED TERM ASSIGNMENTS

  Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance Recruitment at UKRI – policy and information (sharepoint.com) for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

  APPLICATIONS

  Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘Experience’ section of the application process.

  About The Arts and Humanities Research Council

  The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.

  Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/

  
  About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

  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.

  More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

  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 at UK Research and Innovation (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.

  
  How we support EDI in the workforce

  At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

  
  Disability Confident Employer

  As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

  
  How to apply

  Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

  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.

• About the company

  UK Research and Innovation is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

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