The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

PA to Clinical Research Leadership Team

The closing date is 14 October 2025

Job summary

We are seeking a proactive and highly organised Personal Assistant to provide dedicated support to the NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and the newly established NIHR Newcastle Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC).

The CRF is a purpose-built facility designed to support researchers in delivering early-phase and complex experimental studies. The CRDC complements this by accelerating the speed and efficiency of commercial clinical research delivery across the region. Together, these centres play a vital role in advancing cutting-edge medical research and improving patient outcomes. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and growing team at the forefront of clinical research innovation.

This is a key administrative role within a dynamic and fast-paced research environment, offering the opportunity to contribute to nationally recognised clinical research initiatives.

You will provide comprehensive secretarial support including diary management, minute-taking, meeting coordination, and handling sensitive communications. The role requires excellent interpersonal skills, discretion, and the ability to manage competing priorities with confidence and professionalism.

If you are approachable, diplomatic, and thrive in a collaborative setting, we welcome your application.

Interview Date Wednesday 12 November 2025
37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

As Personal Assistant to the CRF and CRDC, you will provide high-level secretarial and administrative support across the teams. Key responsibilities include

managing complex diaries
coordinating meetings and travel arrangements
minute-taking, tracking actions and handling sensitive communications
act as a central point of contact, ensuring efficient enquiry handling and escalation where necessary
maintain departmental records,
support HR processes (e.g. sickness, leave, training)
preparing reports, presentations, and supporting research-related documentation

Strong IT skills are essential for managing databases, spreadsheets, and NHS systems.This is a varied and fast-paced role requiring excellent organisation, discretion, and interpersonal skills to liaise effectively across multidisciplinary teams and external partners.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospitalo Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)o Newcastle Dental Hospitalo Newcastle Fertility Centreo Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbriao Northern Genetics Serviceo Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Date posted

10 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2025-39-016

Job locations

Trustwide

317 Trustwide

NE1 4LP

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide efficient and comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Clinical Research Leadership Team across the Directorate.
To co-ordinate all enquiries made of the Clinical Research Leadership Team and taking appropriate action or escalating to senior staff to ensure the continuity of effective service provision.

You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide efficient and comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Clinical Research Leadership Team across the Directorate.
To co-ordinate all enquiries made of the Clinical Research Leadership Team and taking appropriate action or escalating to senior staff to ensure the continuity of effective service provision.

You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

Good working knowledge of Office software packages to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Desirable

Knowledge of the Clinical Research Directorate

Skills

Essential

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - able to communicate across a multi-disciplinary team
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks

Desirable

Shorthand

Experience

Essential

Previous experience in a PA / secretarial role including experience of diary management
Experience of medical terminology
Experience of minute taking

Qualifications

Essential

A recognised typing / text processing qualification or equivalent experience
NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience
Educated to GCSE level including GCSE English Language Grade 4 or above
An IT qualification such as ECDL or Microsoft Office Specialist qualification (or equivalent experience)

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

Good working knowledge of Office software packages to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Desirable

Knowledge of the Clinical Research Directorate

Skills

Essential

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - able to communicate across a multi-disciplinary team
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks

Desirable

Shorthand

Experience

Essential

Previous experience in a PA / secretarial role including experience of diary management
Experience of medical terminology
Experience of minute taking

Qualifications

Essential

A recognised typing / text processing qualification or equivalent experience
NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience
Educated to GCSE level including GCSE English Language Grade 4 or above
An IT qualification such as ECDL or Microsoft Office Specialist qualification (or equivalent 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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