Job summary
Are you a confident, proactive personal assistant ready to support senior leaders at the heart of a busy NHS Trust? This fixed-term secondment offers a unique opportunity to work within Trust Headquarters, supporting both an Executive Director and a Corporate Director in a fast-paced, high-trust environment. You'll need excellent judgement, strong diary and inbox management skills, and the ability to handle sensitive information with professionalism and discretion. In return, you'll be part of a dynamic team shaping strategic decisions across UCLH, with exposure to senior stakeholders and the chance to contribute meaningfully to projects that impact patient care and organisational performance. If you thrive on variety, responsibility, and making things run smoothly behind the scenes, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Personal Assistant to an Executive Director and a Corporate Director, you'll play a pivotal role in enabling senior leadership to operate smoothly and effectively. You'll manage complex diaries and inboxes, coordinate meetings and projects, and act as a trusted first point of contact for senior stakeholders. The role demands excellent judgement, discretion, and communication skills, alongside the ability to prioritise competing demands and maintain momentum across a varied portfolio. You'll need to be confident working independently, proactive in anticipating needs, and comfortable handling sensitive information. If you thrive in a fast-paced, high-trust environment and enjoy making things run seamlessly behind the scenes, this role offers challenge, variety, and visibility at the heart of the organisation.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
This is a fixed-term secondment opportunity to join Trust Headquarters as Personal Assistant to an Executive Director and a Corporate Director. The postholder will provide high-quality administrative and personal assistant support, enabling senior leaders to operate effectively and maintain strategic oversight across the organisation.
Key responsibilities include managing complex diaries and inboxes, coordinating meetings and delegated projects, and acting as a trusted first point of contact for senior internal and external stakeholders. The role requires excellent judgement, discretion, and communication skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and maintain momentum across a varied portfolio.
The postholder will handle confidential matters with professionalism, liaise with national and local bodies including the Department of Health and NHS England, and support the smooth running of Trust HQ. They will contribute to project delivery, governance support, and cross-cover planning, ensuring continuity of service during periods of absence.
Additional duties include preparing agendas and minutes for meetings, managing travel arrangements, supporting recruitment and induction processes, and maintaining accurate records and databases. The role also involves supporting staff experience initiatives, coordinating events, and acting as a local lead for fire safety and environmental matters.
This is a varied and visible role at the heart of the organisation, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-trust environment and enjoys making things run smoothly behind the scenes.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
This is a fixed-term secondment opportunity to join Trust Headquarters as Personal Assistant to an Executive Director and a Corporate Director. The postholder will provide high-quality administrative and personal assistant support, enabling senior leaders to operate effectively and maintain strategic oversight across the organisation.
Key responsibilities include managing complex diaries and inboxes, coordinating meetings and delegated projects, and acting as a trusted first point of contact for senior internal and external stakeholders. The role requires excellent judgement, discretion, and communication skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and maintain momentum across a varied portfolio.
The postholder will handle confidential matters with professionalism, liaise with national and local bodies including the Department of Health and NHS England, and support the smooth running of Trust HQ. They will contribute to project delivery, governance support, and cross-cover planning, ensuring continuity of service during periods of absence.
Additional duties include preparing agendas and minutes for meetings, managing travel arrangements, supporting recruitment and induction processes, and maintaining accurate records and databases. The role also involves supporting staff experience initiatives, coordinating events, and acting as a local lead for fire safety and environmental matters.
This is a varied and visible role at the heart of the organisation, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-trust environment and enjoys making things run smoothly behind the scenes.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum 3 years' experience as a Personal Assistant or Senior Secretary.
- Ability to manage complex diaries.
- Experience of working in a large organisation.
- Minute taking and meeting secretariat experience.
Desirable
- Secretarial / PA qualification (i.e. RSA level 3 / NVQ level 4 BSMSA/AMSPAR) or equivalent experience
- Experience of working in a healthcare environment.
- Knowledge of a wide range of Trust/NHS procedures and practices.
- Project coordination experience.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- The ability to receive and deal effectively with confidential and sensitive information; which requires empathy and reassurance skills
- Skills in motivating and influencing others.
- The ability to deal with and respond to various external agencies particularly, Department of Health, Strategic Health Authorities and other NHS Trusts
- To act in such a manner as to maintain and protect patient and staff confidentiality at all times
- To work with a positive attitude and keen interest in making contributions to the work carried out at Trust Headquarters (may need to frame)
- Ability to accept responsibility
- Ability to make sensible judgements involving facts/situations which may require analysis and interpretations
- Demonstrate skills in organising and prioritising of diaries and schedules.
- Experience in prioritising your own workload and supporting the directors and their deputies to ensure priorities are.
- The ability to plan and organise a broad range of activities.
Values
Essential
- Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Ability to prioritise workload based on urgency and importance.
- To set a high-quality standard and work in a positive and mature manner
- Ability to adopt an objective view and be a good team player.
- Ability to use own judgement to resolve issues.
Quality and service improvement
Essential
- Information processing (IT skills)
- Advanced Microsoft office and keyboard skills, ability to type a minimum of 55 words per minute
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable and cope with frequent and unpredictable interruptions.
- Ability to work within a team environment and display initiative when necessary.
- Ability to work unsupervised.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum 3 years' experience as a Personal Assistant or Senior Secretary.
- Ability to manage complex diaries.
- Experience of working in a large organisation.
- Minute taking and meeting secretariat experience.
Desirable
- Secretarial / PA qualification (i.e. RSA level 3 / NVQ level 4 BSMSA/AMSPAR) or equivalent experience
- Experience of working in a healthcare environment.
- Knowledge of a wide range of Trust/NHS procedures and practices.
- Project coordination experience.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- The ability to receive and deal effectively with confidential and sensitive information; which requires empathy and reassurance skills
- Skills in motivating and influencing others.
- The ability to deal with and respond to various external agencies particularly, Department of Health, Strategic Health Authorities and other NHS Trusts
- To act in such a manner as to maintain and protect patient and staff confidentiality at all times
- To work with a positive attitude and keen interest in making contributions to the work carried out at Trust Headquarters (may need to frame)
- Ability to accept responsibility
- Ability to make sensible judgements involving facts/situations which may require analysis and interpretations
- Demonstrate skills in organising and prioritising of diaries and schedules.
- Experience in prioritising your own workload and supporting the directors and their deputies to ensure priorities are.
- The ability to plan and organise a broad range of activities.
Values
Essential
- Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Ability to prioritise workload based on urgency and importance.
- To set a high-quality standard and work in a positive and mature manner
- Ability to adopt an objective view and be a good team player.
- Ability to use own judgement to resolve issues.
Quality and service improvement
Essential
- Information processing (IT skills)
- Advanced Microsoft office and keyboard skills, ability to type a minimum of 55 words per minute
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable and cope with frequent and unpredictable interruptions.
- Ability to work within a team environment and display initiative when necessary.
- Ability to work unsupervised.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
