Executive Assistant – Data Protection & Information Governance

About the Role

We are looking for an organised, proactive and highly capable Executive Assistant to join our Executive Services team at West London College.

Working closely with the Data Protection Officer and Chief Operating Officer, you will provide executive and administrative support while coordinating key data protection and information governance activities.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with confidential information, managing competing priorities and ensuring work is completed accurately and on time.

Responsibilities

Data Protection & Information Governance:

• Coordinate and administer Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and data protection rights requests, including Subject Access Requests (SARs), ensuring statutory and internal deadlines are met.
• Manage shared information-rights inboxes, liaising with colleagues across the College to gather information and support accurate, timely responses.
• Handle personal, confidential and sensitive information with discretion and in line with College policies and legal requirements.
• Support the Data Protection Officer with the administration of the College's data protection responsibilities.
• Support the secure processing, storage, retrieval, retention and disposal of information in line with information governance and data protection requirements.
• Support the effective management and retrieval of College records, including electronic and paper-based documentation.
• Use e-discovery and information management systems, including Google Vault and Microsoft Purview, to support records management, information retrieval and audit readiness. Full training will be provided.
• Maintain high standards of confidentiality, data integrity and information security across Executive and College records and communications.

Executive Office Support:

• Provide effective administrative support to the Data Protection Officer, Chief Operating Officer and wider Executive Team.
• Monitor and coordinate requests and important matters from internal and external stakeholders, ensuring information is communicated accurately and actions are followed up.
• Prepare, organise and maintain correspondence, documents and records, ensuring information is appropriately filed and readily accessible.
• Liaise confidently and professionally with colleagues and external contacts, handling sensitive matters with tact and discretion.
• Support the coordination, production and distribution of the termly College magazine, including liaising with contributors, collating content and managing deadlines.

About you

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• An experienced administrator who can work independently and take ownership of tasks from start to finish.
• Confident handling confidential, sensitive and personal information.
• A clear and professional communicator, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working with data, digital systems and large volumes of information.
• Able to build effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
• Discreet, dependable and able to exercise sound judgement when dealing with sensitive information.
• Proactive and solution-focused, with the ability to identify what needs to be done and follow matters through to completion.

Desirable experience

Experience of any of the following would be advantageous:

• Data protection, GDPR or information rights.
• Freedom of Information (FOI) or Subject Access Requests (SARs).
• Information governance, records management or compliance.
• Google Vault, Microsoft Purview or similar information management systems.
• Working in a public sector, education, regulated or similarly complex environment.

Education sector experience is not essential. We are interested in candidates who can demonstrate strong transferable administrative, organisational, teamwork and information-handling skills.