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Executive assistant to executive leadership team

Role brief

Directorate Strategy and corporate services Base location

ection

London Grade H Date February 2016 Reports to Senior executive assistant to chief executive Responsible for Executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people

1. Background

This is a role in the strategy and corporate services directorate. That directorate, working closely with finance and

commercial, will bring together into a single management framework all functions that support the operations and

governance aspects of Jisc’s offering. These will optimise Jisc’s activities in these areas as a cohesive whole in order

to help enable people in higher education (HE), further education (FE) and skills in the UK exploit fully the

possibilities of modern digital empowerment, content and connectivity. Jisc will have high quality support services

in place across the organisation, which are not simply fit for purpose, but act as exemplars to others.

The strategy and corporate services team will work together to enable the Jisc board and executive directorates

(digital technologies, digital resources, digital futures, marketing and communications, sales and customer

relations, finance and commercial and strategy and corporate services) to deliver our organisational priorities and

the objectives outlined in our strategic framework in the most efficient and effective way for the benefit of our

customers. Working collaboratively with colleagues as required, strategy and corporate services will:

Ensure we meet our regulatory requirements as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity

Ensure effective governance and well supported board and committees, engaged with the key strategic issues

Ensure each funder is clear how Jisc supports their own objectives and context and that Jisc delivers incredible value for money

Ensure each of our owners is clear how Jisc supports their members (our customers) and the value and impact of Jisc’s work

Revise our governance as necessary in the context of establishing Jisc as a VAT cost sharing group

Provide an effective and high quality support team for the chief executive and executive leadership team

Develop the strategic support unit to deliver efficiency and impact data to evidence value and strategic impact within the sectors and to our communities

Ensure there is a performance framework in place to ensure understanding of how we are performing against the delivery of our strategic objectives, which individual functions and business units evaluate and report their performance against agreed operational targets

Responsive and appropriately staffed people services team, agreed pay and reward and performance framework in place; focus on organisational development

Ensure robust health and safety processes and measures and monitoring are in place

Deliver an agreed IT and information management architecture and systems to support the organisation

Provide clear and fit for purpose business processes embedded across the organisation and customer relationship management approach in place

Oversee an IP policy, which maximises the potential for Jisc to exploit IP as appropriate

Provide a positive working environment in each office, appropriate to organisational needs, and support services to staff

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2. Purpose and scope The executive assistant will provide high level support to the executive leadership team (ELT) including full personal

assistant support to the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people.

The prime purpose is to be responsible for managing the day to day workload and assisting with overseeing the way

that the team delivers for the ELT, working closely with other relevant colleagues.

The executive assistant will sit in the ELT support office and the senior executive assistant will hold the formal

reporting line.

3. Key accountabilities and role outputs Responsibilities will be expected to be developed and finalised over time and will include but will not be restricted to:

Provide personal support to the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people

Develop knowledge and understanding of the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people’s priorities, activities and approach to working in order to provide proactive and appropriate support at all times, act as ‘gatekeeper’ for their time

Take an overview of the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people’s diaries and provide input to ensure that meetings, eg key contacts, institutional visits, are scheduled in at appropriate intervals

Communicate effectively and act as a link between the ELT and Jisc colleagues and other contacts

Arrange programmes for the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people visitors and overseeing arrangements, liaising with other parts of Jisc as required

Project work for the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people

Cover for senior executive assistant and other colleagues in the executive leadership team support office.

Researching information and drafting briefings for the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people

Preparing letters, emails and other correspondence on behalf of the executive director sales and customer relations and group director for people

Liaising with the strategic support unit as necessary

Dealing with enquiries

Assisting with managing the day to day relationships and workload across the ELT support office and acting flexibly and as a supportive member of the ELT support office to ensure an efficient and effective service is delivered to the ELT at all times

4. Skills, knowledge and experience Essential

Track record of providing personal support to a chief executive and senior leadership team

Experience in a customer facing administrative role at an appropriate level, including handling a wide range of enquiries through email and telephone

Strong analytical skills - able to evaluate and interpret data to form preliminary judgements and make appropriate recommendations

Ability to understand new issues and to take the initiative to develop and broaden knowledge and understanding in new areas

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Able to take a proactive approach to planning, managing, and organising the flow of incoming and outgoing communication to the executive director sales and customer relationships and group director for people, ensuring that appropriate and timely action is taken

Able to manage own workload, resolve competing demands, and cope with changing priorities in a flexible and proactive way

Ability to work with ambiguity and to take the initiative to problem solving where there may be a lack of clear direction or guidance and judge when to consult with the ELT or others

A proven ability to work in project teams and a knowledge of project management tools

Ability to develop effective delegation skills

Able to appropriately tailor verbal and written communications in style and content according to audience.

Able to write clear and accurate correspondence, minutes, papers and reports appropriately tailored to the audience

Ability to work to a high degree of accuracy, attention to detail and high professional standards of presentation

Able to represent the views of the executive director sales and customer relationships and group director for people in liaising with external stakeholders

Able to have an eye for detail even when working under pressure to ensure an accurate and high quality approach is taken to drafting, editing and proof reading of reports, papers and speeches for the ELT.

A confident, assertive and co-operative style with an ability to deal effectively with people at all levels

Able to build positive and effective working relationships with colleagues with limited face-to-face contact, using email, phone, VC and other IT communications effectively

Able to give and receive constructive feedback

Able to provide support to others and develop coaching skills

A personal ethos for high professional standards

Flexibility to travel to meetings, including sometimes working outside of office hours and staying away overnight

Ability to work independently and be self-motivated while the executive director sales and customer relationships and group director for people are away from the office and with limited face-to-face contact with other colleagues

Has a positive and flexible attitude and is willing to collaborate with colleagues to achieve results.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external colleagues, and is personable and courteous with contacts at all levels

Awareness of own impact on others and maintains a diplomatic and tactful approach

Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times

Desirable

Knowledge of/interest in higher education and the broader political context in which Jisc operates

Previous experience of working in a human resources team

5. Key contacts

Jisc chief executive

Executive director sales and customer relations

Group director for people

Jisc leadership team members and teams

Heads of Jisc corporate functions and senior managers and colleagues across the organisation

Customer and sector representatives at all levels

Jisc partners and collaborators in the context of logistical arrangements for the chief executive

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IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The senior executive assistant will discuss all elements of the role brief with the appointee on appointment and

after six months, recognising that some elements may need changing.

The above is provided for guidance, is not contractual, and is not an exhaustive list of all accountabilities that the

post holder may have.