Job summary
We are seeking an
experienced and highly organised Personal Assistant to support our
Executive Team. This is a key role within Cumbria Health, providing
professional, confidential, and efficient support to our senior leadership and
contributing to the smooth running of the wider organisation.
In addition to strong administrative and reporting abilities, the post holder will demonstrate flexibility, excellent word processing and database skills, a solid understanding of audit processes, and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of professionals.
This is a permanent position, with hours negotiable between 30 to 37.5 hours per week.
Closing Date: 14th July 2025
In person interviews will take place on 24th July 2025
WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MOBILE NUMBER ON YOUR APPLICATION SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED. PLEASE ALSO CHECK YOUR SPAM OR JUNK FOLDER REGULARLY AS EMAILS FROM US MAY OCCASIONALLY BE FILTERED THERE.
We encourage you to apply as early as possible as this job may close earlier than the advertised closing date once enough applications have been received
Please note that we are unable to offer an Employer Sponsored Visa for this role.
Main duties of the job
The post involves responsibility for the effective day-to-day organisation of Executive team diaries, meetings, calls and teleconferences, proactively dealing with a wide range of tasks, sometimes highly confidential and/or urgent, while demonstrating initiative and sound judgement.
You will:
- Provide high-level PA support to the Executive Team, including diary management, meeting coordination, call scheduling, and travel arrangements
- Act as the first point of contact for the Executive Team, handling correspondence and enquiries with professionalism and discretion
- Prepare agendas, take minutes, and coordinate follow-up actions for meetings, including board-level and confidential discussions
- Support the production of accurate reports, presentations, and documentation as required
- Maintain confidential records and manage sensitive information in line with data protection regulations and organisational policies
- Assist with internal and external communications, liaising with stakeholders at all levels
All staff are expected to work to Cumbria Health Values:
About us
Cumbria Health on Call - CH places the patient, their family and their community at the heart of everything we do. We are an award-winning organisation, the first out-of-hours organisation in the country to be rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We provide primary health care services, both in and out of hours, across Cumbria. We are values-driven and place great emphasis on inclusivity and the wellbeing and development of our staff, while striving to provide a consistently high-quality service. Our service is designed to improve health and wellbeing.
Working for CH can offer flexible opportunities in terms of location, hours and working patterns so you can enjoy a great work life balance. In order to provide the best patient care we understand the importance of ensuring staff satisfaction and are consistently trying to ensure we offer our staff a positive working environment whether that be though training or social events.
Listen to your heart. Have the work life balance you'd love.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This list of duties and responsibilities, which follows, represents the broad range of tasks which may be required to be undertaken either routinely or periodically. This list is not exhaustive, and the role may include additional duties which are not listed here.
- Provide a high-level administrative service to the Executive Team, including providing an efficient and effective administrative service
- Provide high quality support to meetings including agenda-setting; collection of papers; accurate minute-taking; action logs and timely distribution of minutes
- Use independent, analytical, and judgement skills, to support the Executive Team with prioritising their work schedule, ensuring that contributions to relevant work plans are maintained within appropriate deadlines
- Run an effective and efficient multiple diary management system as necessary to ensure co-ordination between Executive Team and their direct reports
- Prepare letters, reports, agendas, minutes, presentations and other similar documents using typing skills and a variety of software packages
- Deal with incoming telephone enquiries and written queries promptly and efficiently, exercising tact, discretion, independent judgement and initiative
- Use personal judgement to deal with day-to-day correspondence including email and post, prioritising issues and collating/co-ordinating information and responses on their behalf, as necessary
- Develop and maintain an efficient comprehensive electronic filing system and undertake continuous improvement of office information systems and procedures to ensure efficient and effective service
- Support new services where appropriate such as legal and external accounts
- Support the Executive Team with their direct report functions which include, but are not limited to, facilitating appraisals, supporting with mandatory training compliance, coordinating training courses and managing annual leave
- Assist in the process of recruiting new members of the Board, including planning, arranging and supporting the administrative functions of this
- Support the induction of new members of the Board, ensuring all necessary setup is in place for relevant systems/access and coordinating a robust induction plan
- Liaise confidently with staff and colleagues and a range of internal and external stakeholders
- Manage own workload capacities to ensure deadlines are met by working on own initiative as required
- To organise strategic time away for the Board and Senior Team
- Action all tasks in a professional, timely and efficient manner and to promptly inform the Chief Executive of any issues or delays
- To adopt a flexible approach in order to meet the changing needs of the organisation
- To create and maintain professional relationships with all clients and members of the public
- To be called in to support the Executive / Senior team during any major incident
- To have the flexibility to travel with the Executive Team when required
- To adhere to all Cumbria Health Policies and Procedures
- Participate and ensure own on-going development
Job description
Job responsibilities
This list of duties and responsibilities, which follows, represents the broad range of tasks which may be required to be undertaken either routinely or periodically. This list is not exhaustive, and the role may include additional duties which are not listed here.
- Provide a high-level administrative service to the Executive Team, including providing an efficient and effective administrative service
- Provide high quality support to meetings including agenda-setting; collection of papers; accurate minute-taking; action logs and timely distribution of minutes
- Use independent, analytical, and judgement skills, to support the Executive Team with prioritising their work schedule, ensuring that contributions to relevant work plans are maintained within appropriate deadlines
- Run an effective and efficient multiple diary management system as necessary to ensure co-ordination between Executive Team and their direct reports
- Prepare letters, reports, agendas, minutes, presentations and other similar documents using typing skills and a variety of software packages
- Deal with incoming telephone enquiries and written queries promptly and efficiently, exercising tact, discretion, independent judgement and initiative
- Use personal judgement to deal with day-to-day correspondence including email and post, prioritising issues and collating/co-ordinating information and responses on their behalf, as necessary
- Develop and maintain an efficient comprehensive electronic filing system and undertake continuous improvement of office information systems and procedures to ensure efficient and effective service
- Support new services where appropriate such as legal and external accounts
- Support the Executive Team with their direct report functions which include, but are not limited to, facilitating appraisals, supporting with mandatory training compliance, coordinating training courses and managing annual leave
- Assist in the process of recruiting new members of the Board, including planning, arranging and supporting the administrative functions of this
- Support the induction of new members of the Board, ensuring all necessary setup is in place for relevant systems/access and coordinating a robust induction plan
- Liaise confidently with staff and colleagues and a range of internal and external stakeholders
- Manage own workload capacities to ensure deadlines are met by working on own initiative as required
- To organise strategic time away for the Board and Senior Team
- Action all tasks in a professional, timely and efficient manner and to promptly inform the Chief Executive of any issues or delays
- To adopt a flexible approach in order to meet the changing needs of the organisation
- To create and maintain professional relationships with all clients and members of the public
- To be called in to support the Executive / Senior team during any major incident
- To have the flexibility to travel with the Executive Team when required
- To adhere to all Cumbria Health Policies and Procedures
- Participate and ensure own on-going development
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant qualifications in business administration
Desirable
- RSA Level 3
- Degree level education
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
Personal Circumstances
Essential
- It is acknowledged that all work within the Executive Team is of a confidential nature and the postholder will be required to adhere to maintaining absolute confidentiality in all his or her duties in line with contractual obligations.
- Positive
- Confident
- Team player
- Flexible
Other requirements
Essential
- Car driver
- Willingness to undertake further training
- Flexibility to work out of hours and to travel if required
Knowledge
Essential
- Previous secretarial/personal assistant experience
- Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook skills
- Working knowledge of data protection legislation
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS
- Experience of working in a sensitive and confidential environment
- Awareness of NHS structures
- An understanding of the CQC
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential
- Proficient copy/audio typist
- Excellent Database skills
- Competent typist
- Close attention to detail
- Excellent proof reader
- Excellent organisational skills
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely
- Ability to rebalance priorities at short notice to meet Executive Team needs
- Ability to respond and work quickly and accurately to deadlines
- Efficient customer care skills
- Ability to maintain systems & databases
- Minute taking skills
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Ability to work under pressure
- Organisational skills and the ability to prioritise & manage own workload
- Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
- Ability to build rapport and effective relationships at all levels
Desirable
- Good knowledge & understanding of medical terminology
- Excellent audit skills
- Evidence of excellent report writing and business case documentation
- Previous line management experience
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant qualifications in business administration
Desirable
- RSA Level 3
- Degree level education
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
Personal Circumstances
Essential
- It is acknowledged that all work within the Executive Team is of a confidential nature and the postholder will be required to adhere to maintaining absolute confidentiality in all his or her duties in line with contractual obligations.
- Positive
- Confident
- Team player
- Flexible
Other requirements
Essential
- Car driver
- Willingness to undertake further training
- Flexibility to work out of hours and to travel if required
Knowledge
Essential
- Previous secretarial/personal assistant experience
- Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook skills
- Working knowledge of data protection legislation
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS
- Experience of working in a sensitive and confidential environment
- Awareness of NHS structures
- An understanding of the CQC
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential
- Proficient copy/audio typist
- Excellent Database skills
- Competent typist
- Close attention to detail
- Excellent proof reader
- Excellent organisational skills
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely
- Ability to rebalance priorities at short notice to meet Executive Team needs
- Ability to respond and work quickly and accurately to deadlines
- Efficient customer care skills
- Ability to maintain systems & databases
- Minute taking skills
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Ability to work under pressure
- Organisational skills and the ability to prioritise & manage own workload
- Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality
- Ability to build rapport and effective relationships at all levels
Desirable
- Good knowledge & understanding of medical terminology
- Excellent audit skills
- Evidence of excellent report writing and business case documentation
- Previous line management experience
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
