Executive Assistant

**Executive Assistant to Director, Particle Physics**

**Science and Technology Facilities Council**

**Salary: £36,650 per annum | Open Ended | Full Time/Part time | Closing Date: 2nd November 2025**

**Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE**

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers, and business support teams explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it’s sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society.

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you’re surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

We have an exciting opportunity available to work in the Particle Physics Department (PPD), supporting the Director and leadership team as well as interfacing with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. This is a multifaceted role that requires a pro-active, professional, and motivated individual.

As part of the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC), PPD undertakes and funds world-leading research and development, and data analysis, in particle physics. We are one of the major collaborators at CERN and support UK researchers working on the Large Hadron Collider detectors as well as neutrino and dark matter experiments. Our work includes construction of large detector systems, computing, and data analysis, we are responsible for the Boulby Underground Lab, which is one of just a few facilities in the world suitable for hosting ultra-low background and deep underground science projects. We also run outreach events for schools and the public, including the annual STFC Summer School for Experimental High Energy Physics Students.

The key activities of the role include:

- Managing complex diaries across multiple time zones and resolving meeting conflicts with both internal and external bodies.
- Supervising the Director’s Outlook calendar and mailbox, managing priorities, responding to communications and progressing actions in a timely manner.
- Coordinating conference support across the department. This may involve managing a conference, coordinating conference actions or establishing and delivering input to a collaborative conference.
- Preparation of briefing material for the Director ahead of visits or preparing finished presentations from drafts.
- Organisation of travel itineraries for senior staff, rescheduling visits and tracking all departmental staff on overseas visits.
- Cultivating existing relationships and develop new networks, both internally and externally.
- Provide secretarial and administrative support to key meetings, both inward and outward-facing.
- Gathering business intelligence on behalf senior staff.
- Work effectively across a wide range of administrative processes, including working with spreadsheets.
- Work skilfully across several virtual teams, including HR, Procurement, Administration and Finance to ensure efficiency of service delivery.

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Whatever our role, we have the freedom to explore, learn and connect, as part of a community that loves to share knowledge and support one another.

As part of one of Europe’s largest research organisations, this is a place where there’s always something new to learn - about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and discover what’s possible.

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

**Person Specification**

The criteria below will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I):

- Proven experience of working as a PA or admin-related role or background (S&I).
- Experience of managing complex diaries and travel arrangements (S&I).
- Clear, concise, and professional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate with staff and stakeholders at all levels (S&I).
- Good organisational and time management skills, with an ability to deliver under pressure and in sometimes ambiguous/changing environments, taking initiative where required (S&I).
- Strong team player, with ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people and at different levels (S&I).
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion (S&I).

**Additional Information**

This role is based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Harwell, Oxford; however, hybrid working is supported. Some UK travel may be required.