Executive Assistant to The Principal

Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is a College within the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1879 with a dual passion for learning and for equality, making it possible for the first time for women to study at Oxford. Today, the College continues to draw inspiration from its foundation vision and was the first Oxford College to offer a Foundation Year for disadvantaged students. LMH has been mixed since 1979 and is now an academic community with about 400 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. We are committed to research and scholarship, and to effective, highly personalised teaching and learning in a supportive environment for students from all backgrounds.- The post
- The role of Principal’s EA is available on a full-time temporary basis to cover maternity leave, starting as soon as possible and lasting approximately 15 months. The post-holder is responsible for providing efficient and effective comprehensive administrative and secretarial support to the Principal at the highest level, in a largely independent and self-managed capacity.- The post-holder will manage communications with and for the Principal, and will be the primary point of contact between the Principal, the College community and the outside world.- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are, therefore, central to the role. The manner in which the post-holder undertakes the duties of the role is important. The post-holder requires confidence in managing a demanding workload within tight deadlines. The post-holder will have highly developed skills in assessing and prioritising the urgency of requests for information from, or access to, the Principal.- The post-holder will deal with a wide range of matters, sometimes of a highly confidential nature, on behalf of the Principal. The post-holder will have access to confidential information and documentation, and to personal information about staff, students, donors and other constituents of the College. Discretion and confidentiality are therefore essential.- The post-holder will ensure that requests for the Principal’s time are prioritised effectively so that he can work efficiently.- The Principal’s EA is one of the first points of contact for students, staff, and visitors who wish to meet with the Principal. In addition to supporting the Principal directly, the Principal’s EA is also Secretary to selected College meetings, anticipating as far as possible the needs of these. This will require the exercise of judgement, alongside strong organisational skills, tact and diplomacy.- There is a high level of liaison internally with College Officers, Fellows, support staff, and with students, and frequent contact with senior members of the University and Departments, and other influential contacts.- Major duties and responsibilities:
- Resolve first-line enquiries where possible, ensuring that the Principal is aware of any urgent ongoing issues.
- Effectively manage incoming correspondence, including, as appropriate, directing such correspondence to other staff for action, and replying to a range of routine issues without reference to the Principal.
- Meeting and escorting the Principal’s visitors.
- Ensure that the Principal is briefed on his daily schedule and prepared effectively for meetings.
- Manage the Principal’s diary, prioritising requests for meetings, to ensure efficient use of the Principal’s time. Ensuring that the termly schedule of College Committees and University meetings are fixed in the Principal’s diary.
- Ensure that files (paper and electronic) are maintained in an accurate and timely manner. Liaise with the College Archivist, assist in the management and handling of information, including filing practices and archiving. At all times, act in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the College’s GDPR policy, particularly when dealing with confidential or sensitive information.
- Invite guests to weekly dinner, supper or other events at the Principal's Lodgings during term, and overseeing the practical arrangements, which will include liaison with the Catering team and the creation of table plans.
- Liaise with colleagues concerning arrangements for the Principal’s role in events and College guest nights, including arranging accommodation and/or meals in College as necessary.
- Arranging academic reviews with penultimate year undergraduate students
- Ensure that the College’s entry on the University Calendar is kept up to date. Place notices, where appropriate, in the University Gazette of matters relating to Fellows.
- Assist other College Officers and departments as required.
- Service committees as specified by the Principal, including the preparation and circulation of papers, minute-taking where required, and co-ordination among committees.
- Facilitate and monitor actions required by the Principal from the Development Office, logging interactions on DARS (the alumni relationship database) as needed and working with the t