Personal Assistant - International

Job summary

UKRI International
Salary: £30,895 Per Annum.
Band: UKRI Band C.
Contract Type: Fixed Term (23 Months).
Hours: Full Time (Flexible Working Available).
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire (Hybrid Working Available - Minimum 2 days per week in office).

Closing Date: Monday 31st August 2026.

About the role

Providing comprehensive administrative and PA support to the Deputy/Associate Director team in UKRI International. You will act as an important interface with internal and external colleagues at all levels. The role will be highly visible internally and to UKRI’s external stakeholders and as such you should exemplify the values and behaviours of the wider organisation. All work must be carried out to high professional standards in a timely manner, while maintaining confidentially at all times. You will need to be able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment, responding to different types of challenges and tasks on a daily basis.

Job description

Your Responsibilities

• Proactive PA support to 2-3 UK-Based Deputy/Associate Directors within the International Shared Capability, including diary and inbox management.
• Arrange travel and accommodation for UK visits, and complicated overseas visit programmes, including travel bookings, visa arrangements, coordination of briefings and meeting papers etc. in line with the UKRI travel guidance and policy.
• Management of Deputy/Associate Directors inboxes; ensuring emails are prioritized and dealt with. Including close monitoring when Directors are on leave to ensure correspondence is delegated appropriately.
• Professional approach to communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders using Microsoft packages, Outlook, Word etc.
• Maintaining confidentially of the Deputy/Associate Directors and senior colleagues across UKRI.
• Arranging internal and external meetings (including virtual) and providing support for meetings, including secretariat support for internal management meetings, consisting of coordinating and circulating agendas and papers, note taking and action monitoring.
• General administrative support for Directors, including processing expenses, support for team meetings and team activities for example appraisals and objective setting.
• Ad-hoc administrative support as required for discrete projects and activities.
• Working as part of a PA team, providing reciprocal cover as required, and contributing to team wide projects.
• Occasional travel to meetings as required.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Excellent management skills of complex diaries and email accounts (S&I).
• Excellent time management skills with ability to identify, prioritise and plan (I).
• Proactive and forward looking – ability to identify issues and information required for the Director in advance and to develop systems for managing a heavy workflow (S&I).
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, with close attention to detail a priority (S&I).
• Good interpersonal and collaborative skills, able to foster productive working relationships with a broad range of internal and external contacts (I).
• Discreet and respectful of confidentiality, able to recognise and deal appropriately with potential sensitive issues (S&I).
• The ability to work flexibly as part of a PA team, demonstrate good teamwork and support for other team members (I).
• Proven administrative skills, with a track record of support to senior level managers (S&I).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,895, UK Research and Innovation contributes £8,950 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application Guidance

How to evidence the criteria:

You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the ‘person specification’ criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method , National Careers Service’.

Applications that do not include a cover letter evidencing each criterion will not be considered.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [email removed]

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore recommend submitting your application at the earliest opportunity.

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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