Personal Assistant to Head of Department

This is an exciting opportunity to join the department of Psychiatry, part of the School of Clinical Medicine as Personal Assistant to the Head of Department, Professor Tamsin Ford.  

The Personal Assistant supports the Head of Department by managing administrative operations, supporting departmental activities, and facilitating communication across teams. This role typically oversees scheduling, correspondence, and document preparation, ensuring efficiency in daily operations. They may handle budgets, procurement, and compliance tasks. They act as a key liaison between internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring smooth workflow and alignment with departmental goals. 

Main Responsibilities 

• Provide administrative and PA support to Head of Department. Diary management, manage daily incoming information, circulate and respond to information, make potentially complicated travel arrangements, handle expenses claims, arrange meetings (e.g. book venues, arrange catering), prepare agendas and papers, take minutes, circulate and follow up any action points.
• Open, read and act on mail and e-mails received. Prioritise action to be taken, reply without intervention when able, draft responses and organise papers for signature. Draw attention to matters that require urgent action and prepare the groundwork ready for response; liaise with appropriate staff for action in the event of the managers absence. Read agendas for meetings, ensure all relevant documents and files are available, maintain filing system, including confidential files, committee papers and records to enable easy access and retrieval of documents.
• Maintain information flow on behalf of the Head of Department within the department and the wider University community acting as liaison with the department, university and external stakeholders.  Receive, prepare and circulate Head of Department communications as appropriate.
• Proof read scientific books, papers, articles for publication and referee's comments on papers and grants, carry out bibliographical searches as necessary and maintain the Head of Department's publication  and records.
• Undertake financial administration as required. Collate, Check, Submit and Record expenses and credit card claims monitoring against budget; and respond to queries. Administer procurement processes in line with departmental processes.
• Provide facilities management support as required.  Maintain office equipment, arrange for repairs, replacements and supplies, maintain stationery supplies, management and use of space in line with departmental procedures.  
• Organise events such as meetings, seminars, publicity events, Alumni, provide administrative support including, prepare documents, respond to enquiries.
• Provide HR related administration on behalf of the Head of Department.   Arranging interview dates and panels, arranging appraisals and other communications and meetings  with employees within the department as required by the head of department.   In conjunction with the Department's HR Administrators  and head of department organise the induction of staff, induct staff, place adverts  and ordering and allocation of facilities (e.g phone, computer, desk) following departmental procedures. 

Informal enquiries may be directed to Simon Gurry, HR Coordinator, hradminpsychiatry@medschl.cam.ac.uk 

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the apply button above.

Please ensure that you outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role on the online application form.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Closing date: 8th June 2025

Interview date: To be confrirmed

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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