PA to the Director of Communications, Marketing & Student Recruitment

15580BR

Communications & Marketing

Administrative Support

Advert

PA to the Director of Communications, Marketing & Student Recruitment

We are recruiting for a PA to the Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment, an important role in a busy department which oversees all elements of the University’s brand including student recruitment and admissions, international relations, communications, public affairs, digital communications and marketing. 

You will be the first point of contact for many of our internal and external stakeholders, and will gain a detailed insight into the activities of each of the department’s teams, providing them with administrative support as well as giving high quality support to the Director.

A can-do, positive and professional outlook is a must, along with the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain confidentiality. 

The post is open-ended and full-time.

Salary: £23,715 – £27,929 per annum (Grade 4)

Date advert posted: Tuesday, 15 November 2022

Closing date: Tuesday, 13 December 2022

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

Key Duties

•    Act as the first line professional point of contact for the Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment. Interpret and prioritise requests received through email, written correspondence and by telephone, providing advice and guidance where possible, re-directing queries and forwarding requests as necessary.
•    Proactively manage diaries, arranging appointments for internal and external contacts while preserving time for work to progress and finding creative solutions to diary management issues.
•    Manage the Director’s email inbox, prioritising urgent and important requests.  Maintain a fully confidential and efficient electronic filing system, refining established systems and contributing to enhancements where appropriate.
•    Provide daily/weekly schedules as required and to ensure papers and briefings are prepared and available in advance of any meetings.
•    Organise and facilitate key events and meetings, both in-person and online, and of varying scales, including overseeing IT arrangements, booking venues and catering where needed.
•    Support and service key meetings, including preparing agendas and papers, producing, and circulating notes and minutes, and following up on/monitoring any actions.
•    Make travel arrangements including research into travel options and accommodation in the UK and overseas, obtain necessary approvals for travel, UK and overseas, and process expenses.
•    Establish excellent working relationships with key contacts and stakeholder groups, developing appropriate professional relationships and communication links.
•    Contribute to and support specific projects and initiatives across a broad portfolio, collaborating stakeholders across the University, and managing timescales accordingly.
•    Provision of assistance with the wider work of the department, working closely with the COMMS senior management team, ensuring the Director is fully informed and updated on key activities and maintaining proper communication channels/links with stakeholders.
•    Carry out independent background research into topics and issues, including data gathering, interpretation and preparation.
•    Take responsibility for ensuring that monitoring systems are in place to check that responses to official enquiries and consultations are made by due dates.
•    Respond promptly to a variety of enquiries, using own initiative to draft letters and other documents, preparing presentations and liaising effectively with internal and external contacts.
•    Draft regular updates and reports, liaising with colleagues across the University, as appropriate.
•    Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates/ PA groups and external bodies as required.
•    Assist in the planning, organisation and delivery of high profile Cardiff University visits, functions, dinners and events, as and when required by Director/Department.
•    Work closely with the departmental Business Manager to monitor, progress/action any HR related matters as appropriate.
•    Monitor and action relevant purchasing, invoicing, supplier requests as and when required via the admin shared mailbox 

General Duties

•    Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
•    Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education
1.    NVQ 3/A-Levels or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2.    Substantial experience of working as a PA or in an administrative role, including provision of high-quality executive support for individuals working in a busy, high-pressured role, with considerable demands on their time requiring ongoing strategic prioritisation of work
3.    Excellent IT literacy, including extensive experience with Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Zoom, Microsoft Outlook, as well as willingness to use new digital and online approaches to collaborative working, as required.
4.    Ability to set up standard office systems and procedures and make improvements as appropriate

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working
5.    Ability to establish and maintain effective and professional working relationships with a wide range of internal and external contacts, providing an effective and positive customer service to a diverse range of people
6.    Ability to communicate specialist and complex information effectively and professionally to a range of customers with varying levels of understanding
7.    Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work across a broad range of projects and to strict deadlines;

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving
8.    Ability to solve problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose practical solutions and to resolve problems where there are a range of potential options available
9.    Ability to analyse processes and procedures, and advise on improvements
10.  Ability to work flexibly, independently or as part of a team and in a confidential environment, planning and setting priorities for your own work. 

Desirable Criteria

1.    Degree or an equivalent qualification or equivalent work-related experience
2.    Experience of working in a Higher Education environment
3.    Fluency in Welsh, written and oral

Job Category

Marketing, Media and Public Relations