Executive Assistant to the Head of School

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. As Executive Assistant, you will provide executive level support to the Head of School and School Manager to ensure they are fully supported in their day-to-day roles and on projects and activities related to the School, Faculty and University. Due to the complexity of the Head of School's role, it is essential that the post-holder is able to work quickly to meet deadlines, to balance competing priorities and to be proactive, forward planning to anticipate requirements and put in place arrangements. Much of the business of the Head of School's office is highly confidential and sensitive and may have human resources or public relations implications, and so the ability to act with discretion and sensitivity is critical.

Provide professional and confidential Executive Assistant support to the Head of School and School Manager, supporting them in their day-to-day roles and on projects and activities related to the School, Faculty and University.
Be the first point of contact for enquiries to the Head of School, which will require dealing effectively with a wide range of enquiries and daily liaison with colleagues at all levels across the University and with external organisations.
Deal with high volumes of correspondence (incoming and outgoing) on behalf of the Head of School and School Manager.
Undertake diary and event management and coordination for the Head of School ensuring appropriate travel and catering arrangements are in place (also includes making arrangements for external visitors to the School as required).
Support Head of School and School Manager in the drafting and preparation of correspondence, reports and presentations, undertaking some initial analysis of information and collation of materials for inclusion.
Support the HoD and School Manager by overseeing Human Resources related administrative processes (including resources, staff recruitment processes, SRDS organisation, academic probation organisation, academic visitor processing, mandatory training logs, etc.) for the School Office to maximise efficiency.
Oversee the organisation of School events involving staff, students and visitors, including annual summer/end of year events and graduation receptions as appropriate.
Provide finance support to the Head of School and School Manager, including the processing of requisitions for goods and service, and reconciliation of purchasing transactions.
Service School committees and any other meeting as required. Plan and organise individual and School Office team activity over short, medium ­and long-term, ensuring plans complement and feed into wider aims of the School and Faculty strategy and that there is cohesion with other relevant areas, e.g. Faculty Executive Board, University Executive Board and external stakeholders.
Support the School Manager in the improvement of systems and processes within the School, reviewing and enhancing existing practice.
Provide line management of the Personal Assistant to the School Executive Board.
Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. Experience of working in a senior secretarial / PA role
High level IT skills, including advanced use of internet and email, as well as the Microsoft Office suite and/or Google Apps
Experience of delegating work to others and monitoring work to ensure it is completed to standard and within timescales
Excellent organisation and time management skills to prioritise own workload and work accurately to tight deadlines with minimal supervision
Ability to analyse and solve problems creatively with an appreciation of longer-term implications
Experience of working across departments, Faculties and central University teams, developing strong working relationships and maintaining a network of contacts.
School Manager but with input from the Head of School
Personal Assistant to the School Executive Board
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For informal enquiries about this job contact David Whittaker, School Manager on: d.whittaker@sheffield.It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on 22 January 2026 . We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 12 January 2026 . If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process, please contact the School’s Operations Team at slas-operations@sheffield.We are the University of Sheffield. A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
Generous pension scheme.
A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
A range of generous family-friendly policies
paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
paid time off and support for fertility treatment
We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision () outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.