Executive Assistant (Primary Care/ NHS)
Meeting Management
JOB TITLE: Executive Assistant
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer
WORK LOCATION: Chalfont Surgery, Chalfont Close, Lower Earley, Berkshire, RG6 5HZ. Hybrid working will be subject to business requirements and alignment with line manager. Occasional travel within the Berkshire West area will be required.
CONTRACT TYPE: 12 months fixed term contract with a view to permanency
HOURS: 37.5 hours per week (part-time considered across five days)
SALARY: Up to £34,000 per annum depending on experience (pro-rata if part-time)
The Primary Care Alliance CIC is a local primary care provider working across Berkshire West. We support general practice and deliver services at scale, working closely with practices, PCNs, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, the ICB and wider system partners.
Our service portfolio is growing and currently includes the Urgent Care Centre at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Lipid Optimisation, the emerging Women’s Health Hub, and wider hub-based services across Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire.
The purpose of this role is to provide support to the CEO and Chief Delivery Officer in the successful delivery of company objectives through providing and maintaining effective administrative assistance.
This is a hands-on hybrid role. The successful candidate will be expected to work across our operational sites, predominantly at our offices in Lower Earley, and occasionally throughout Wokingham and emerging West Berkshire hubs. This is not a remote role but flexibility will be considered.
The postholder will actively demonstrate and promote The Primary Care Alliance CIC's VOICE values: Valour, Originality, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence, ensuring these values are reflected in all aspects of their work and professional conduct.
Main duties will include
Personal Assistant Support
- Provide full Executive Assistant support to include:
- Preparation of routine and advanced correspondence and monitor and/or chase progress of responses, flagging potential delays or potential issues as appropriate.
- Use initiative in determining the appropriate action to be taken when receiving complex queries and demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate priority.
- Devise and maintain office systems, including data management and filing.
- Arrange travel, parking and accommodation as appropriate.
- Screen phone calls, enquiries and requests and handle them when appropriate.
- Meet and greet visitors at all levels of seniority.
- Organise and maintain electronic diaries and make appointments where required.
- Deal with incoming email and post.
- Liaising with partners, stakeholders and colleagues as appropriate.
- Coordinate meetings and provide general administrative support including organising diaries, booking rooms, arranging audio visual equipment and any refreshments as and when required.
- Prepare for meetings by issuing agendas, minutes and other supporting documentation in a timely manner, liaising with attendees to obtain papers and reports as required, ensuring that papers for meetings are prepared to a standardised format.
- Attend meetings to take accurate minutes and/or action logs.
- Undertake all of the above for a range of both organisational and system-wide meetings.
- Utilising the knowledge and experience gained whilst attending a range of high-level meetings, the Executive Assistant will provide broader support to the CEO and CDO including, but not limited to -
- Preparing presentations for the CEO and CDO for senior meetings, conferences and other engagements.
- Assist with drafting business plans, project plans and other documents as required.
- Supporting with new business development by monitoring the wider environment, such as procurement websites, for relevant opportunities, relating these to the organisations wider strategic objectives and understanding which are suitable for further investigation.
- Working with senior managers to project manage the development of tender responses, business cases, or other appropriate documentation and assisting with the completion of the same where appropriate.
- Coordinating projects as required and undertaking specific projects as mutually agreed with the CEO and Senior Management Team.
- Provide ad hoc administrative support to PCA Board Members, including arranging travel and training.
- Assist with the management of PCA’s head office and provide cover for other members of the administrative team during periods of absence.
- Being the point of contact for the head offices landlord on all office management issues.
- Undergo annual appraisals and to self-monitor mandatory training ensuring 100% compliance on an annual basis.
- Propose and develop policies and procedures within own area to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.
Qualifications - Essential
- Educated to GCSE with a minimum of Grade 4 (C) or above in English and Maths
- Educated to Degree level
- Administration qualification
- Experience of working in a Personal Assistant/ Executive Assistant role
- Experience of working in a busy office environment
- Experience of minute taking
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages especially Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Co-Pilot
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of working in an Executive Assistant or PA role in a corporate environment
- Experience of working in a federation with multiple stakeholders
- Able to travel between various locations
- Understands the principles of equality and diversity
- A firm commitment to CPD
- An understanding of the importance of maintaining confidentiality
- UK driving licence
- UK work permit (if required)
- Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, ensuring deadlines are met within a busy office environment
- Ability to develop effective working relationships with all levels of employees across PCA.
- Effective problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication skills using a variety of communication methods
- Ability to deal with high pressure and conflict situations
- Experience of working across multiple sites
This post is subject to a DBS check.
Regular on-site presence is required.
Pay: Up to £34,000.00 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Reading RG6 5HZ
