Job Purpose

To manage and oversee administrative operations in support of the Vice-Principal & Head of College (VP&HoC), the Director of Professional Services & College Operations (DoPS&CO) and across their respective portfolios; providing wide-ranging professional and administrative support to ensure the smooth running of day-to-day schedules; demonstrating and maintaining high standards of professionalism and delivery; and contributing to the continuous improvement of services and processes in the Vice-Principal’s Office to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and reputation.

This is an excellent opportunity for candidates with established, high-level PA experience and administration skills, who are keen to further their career in a new, dynamic role, working at the heart of the College of Arts & Humanities at the University of Glasgow.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Act as a main point of contact for the VP&HoC, the DoPS&CO and the Vice-Principal’s Office, utilising knowledge of the University and the higher education sector to engage conscientiously and sensitively with a variety of stakeholders – including staff at all levels, central university functions and teams, strategic partners, government bodies and funders and other HE institutions.

2. Use initiative and experience to deal with issues independently, initiate action or pass to an appropriate colleague or team for follow-up.

3. Extensive and proactive diary and schedule management for the VP&HoC and the DoPS&CO, underpinning their engagement with a wide variety of staff, external stakeholders and committees/boards. This will often involve significant prioritisation, negotiation and influencing skills, to resolve scheduling conflicts and to delegate commitments to other members of staff, as appropriate.

4. Manage and coordinate complex and dynamic schedules and domestic and international travel itineraries, ensuring that relevant paperwork and briefings are provided.

5. Take forward the delivery of actions across a range of college and university business, with discretion to act independently and on behalf of the VP&HoC and the DoPS&CO, where appropriate. This will include using own initiative and judgement to respond to correspondence and resolve queries on their behalf.

6. Ensure the progress of committee business by providing administrative and secretarial support to the College Management Group, other senior committees and occasional working groups. Work with the Executive Officer to the VP (EOtoVP) to coordinate and produce agenda; collate and review papers and presentations; take high quality minutes; and drive and track emerging actions and follow-up business.

7. Assist the VP&HoC, the DoPS&CO and the EOtoVP in collating information from various sources in relation to ongoing projects and initiatives, and to support the preparation of communications, papers, reports and presentations for internal and external audiences.

8. Working with other colleagues and teams, plan and deliver bespoke events and engagements, as relevant to college business and the portfolios of the VP&HoC and the DoPS&CO.

9. Lead and organise short-life projects and tasks on behalf of the VP&HoC, the DoPS&CO and the EOtoVP.

10. With a focus on continuous improvement, develop, implement, refine and maintain administrative systems and processes that support the operation of the Vice-Principal’s Office, in line with and University policy, processes and regulations.

11. Contribute to the smooth running of the Vice-Principal’s Office, carrying out other general duties as required, including financial processing (as requisitioner and purchasing officer) and providing occasional cover for colleagues in other administrative roles.

12. Supervise and, as appropriate, mentor or line manage staff in administrative roles; responsible for developing the skills and expertise of any direct reports, ensuring that appropriate training is undertaken.

13. Engage in reasonable professional development activities and contribute to the development and support of less experienced colleagues, as appropriate.

14. Support the delivery of the College’s and University’s strategic plans and promote the University’s values within the context of the role and its duties.

15. Undertake other duties as reasonably required by the VP&HoC, the DoPS&CO and the EOtoVP.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential

A1 Either - Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post, having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills through personal development and progression in a similar related role(s)

Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 8 (Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4, Higher National Diploma) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role.

A2 Practice-based knowledge of establishing and delivering a comprehensive range of administrative services in a busy office or project environment.

A3 Experience of working in a large, complex organisation and/or experience of working in a higher or further education setting with knowledge of related systems and processes.

Desirable

B1 Degree in a relevant discipline.

B2 A general appreciation of the structure, mission and values of the University of Glasgow.

B3 Experience of budget and financial management and related policies and controls.

B4 Practical knowledge of data protection, freedom of information and related management processes.

Skills

Essential

C1 Ability to work proactively, independently, under supervision and as part of a team.

C2 Proven ability to engage effectively with, influence, and delegate to, a wide range of stakeholders at all levels of an organisation.

C3 Excellent organisation and time-management skills and a proven ability to prioritise work effectively and manage competing deadlines, both personally and with respect to the responsibilities and objectives of senior colleagues.

C4 Ability to manage a large volume of strategically important information and act with discretion and confidentiality with information that has college/institutional-level implications.

C5 Strong personal resilience and a proven ability to work and make decisions in a high-pressure environment.

C6 Adept at identifying effective and creative solutions to issues and problems.

C7 Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, with a clear appreciation of the need for diplomacy, discretion and confidentiality.

C8 Excellent oral and written communication skills, with an ability to produce high quality written content (e.g. correspondence, communications and reports) for a variety of audiences. A keen eye for detail and demonstrable ability to analyse and present information in an accessible way.

C9 Numerate with excellent IT skills and an ability to interpret, manipulate and present data, and work quickly and productively in Outlook, Word and other Microsoft 365 applications. Technical experience of using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint/OneDrive cloud filing environments.

C10 Excellent committee organisation and management skills, including the efficient and effective preparation, compilation and distribution of relevant paperwork, and clear and accurate minute-taking.

Desirable

D1 Working knowledge of Agresso or another corporate financial management platform.

D2 Experience of developing creative and effective presentations, with PowerPoint or equivalent applications.

D3 Experience of complex PDF document creation and management, in Adobe Acrobat Pro or other software.

D4 Experience of web publishing and website design.

Experience

Essential

E1 Experience in complex diary and schedule management, ideally at senior executive level, or equivalent.

E2 Demonstrable experience of the successful development and implementation of new business processes.

E3 Experience of servicing senior committees and other meetings, managing agenda and cycles of business, in line with a wider governance environment.

Desirable

F1 Previous experience of supporting senior roles in the higher education sector.

F2 Experience of providing supportive and empathetic line management, ideally including resolving conflict, team leadership and motivation and the development of colleagues.

F3 Demonstrable experience of process review and continuous improvement to address business and stakeholder needs.

For any informal enquiries please contact Simon Ambrose, Executive Officer to the Vice-Principal (Arts & Humanities) at simon.ambrose@glasgow.ac.uk

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 6, £33,482 - £37,174 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and open ended (permanent).  Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate. 

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As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension , benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community here.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/benefits-salary-and-flexible-working for more information.

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Closing Date:  26 August 2025