Job Posting Title
Senior Executive Assistant
Grade and Salary
Grade 6 £31,236 - £36,636
FTE and working pattern
1.0 FTE, preferably full time in office, with some flexibility to hybrid working (max 2 days working from home per week)
Organisation Name
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh campus
About Our School/Directorate and Team
An outstanding opportunity has arisen for an experienced Senior Executive Assistant to join the Office of the Principal team, providing outstanding support to members of the University Executive, as well as members of our Executive team when required. This role will have a profile across our global campuses, and we are seeking an individual that can contribute and deliver to help us on our strategic journey to 2025. The Office of the Principal provides executive, strategic, and administrative support to the Principal and the Senior Executive Team.
Purpose of Role
We are seeking to recruit a Senior Executive Assistant to provide high quality support to our University Executive. The ideal candidate will act as a point of contact for the Deputy Principals (DP), both internally and externally, whilst supporting other Executive Assistants and Admin Assistants within the group to drive collaboration and effective teamwork. This role includes providing information and administrative support, determining work priorities, managing information, decisions and communications, and developing and implementing projects. The role holder will be responsible for diary management, email prioritisation, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, purchasing and invoice payments. Other tasks include communication with internal colleagues and external bodies and a variety of discrete tasks and projects. The holder will be expected to manage workload, delegate tasks to others in their team and be the designated expert user of related IT systems.
Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities
* Preparation of papers for meetings and organising diary appointments.
* Securely managing travel, expenses and other general budget management utilising a departmental purchase card to make authorised purchases.
* Receive, understand and convey information in a clear and accurate manner, e.g. drafting meeting notes and circulating to the right people to tight deadlines, or engaging personally, by email or telephone.
* Be supportive and encouraging of others in a team and help build co-operation by setting an example and showing a flexible approach to deliver team results, for example by contributing to the work of the team and helping coordinate work to meet deadlines.
* Deal with internal and external contacts who ask for service or require information.
* Create a positive image of the University by being responsive and prompt in responding to requests and referring the user to the right person as necessary.
* Designated Service Expert/Lead User of ERP, Office 365 and Admin Control (app used by University Executive) providing advice and guidance on various processes.
* Contribute to decision making by providing relevant information and opinions to meet individual/team goals, anticipating any issues which need to be taken into account and using sound judgement to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data.
* Plan, prioritise and organise own work to agreed objectives, as well as those of their team.
* Solve standard day‑to‑day problems, identify their cause, choose the best option available, and take proactive actions to resolve the problem.
Education, Qualifications & Experience
These are the criteria on which the short‑listing and recruitment selection will be made. This role requires digital literacy, organisational ability, proactivity and accuracy. Knowledge of the University’s policies, procedures and processes is advantageous, as is experience of working with committees and other complex meeting groups.
Essential
* Educated to first degree level or equivalent practical experience in the workplace.
* Experience of working within a similar fast‑paced environment with proven relevant experience of supporting senior level management.
* Demonstrable experience in managing a team, including strong people management skills.
* Competent and proficient in the use of Office 365 and other IT packages.
* A high degree of attention to detail and accuracy of working; and experience of team working and effectiveness as a good team player.
* Well‑developed interpersonal skills.
* Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
* Demonstrable professional and proactive approach.
Desirable
* Experience of working in the Higher Education sector is highly desirable.
Applications
Applications with CV and Covering Letter should be submitted by midnight Friday 03rd April 2026.
Additional Information
This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.
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