About this role
Job summary
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
We have a fantastic opportunity for an organised, proactive person with excellent attention to detail to join our friendly Ophthalmology Care Group as a Personal Assistant.
The post is 30 hours per week, with the option to work flexibly across five shorter days if preferred, making it an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to work around school hours or other caring commitments. Alternatively, the hours can be worked across a minimum of four days.
Reporting directly to the Ophthalmology Care Group Manager, you'll provide dedicated administrative and secretarial support to the Care Group Management Team, helping to keep one of the Trust's busiest clinical services running smoothly.
This is a varied role where no two days are quite the same. You'll be responsible for diary management, organising meetings, taking minutes, managing correspondence, collating reports and supporting a range of operational and governance activities. Working closely with clinical, operational and administrative colleagues, you'll play an important part in supporting the delivery and ongoing improvement of ophthalmology services.
If you're highly organised, enjoy working independently, and like being part of a supportive team, we'd love to hear from you.
About us
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
At UHS, we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
Job description Job responsibilities
We're looking for someone who:
- Is highly organised, proactive and able to manage multiple priorities in a busy environment.
- Has excellent communication skills and can build positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels.
- Is confident using Microsoft 365 and keen to embrace digital tools to support efficient ways of working.
- Can work independently and handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Previous PA or senior administrative experience would be an advantage.
Additional Information
This is a 30-hour-per-week post, which can be worked flexibly across five shorter days or across a minimum of four days and is based at Southampton General Hospital. The successful candidate will be expected to work on site for their contracted hours to support onboarding and relationship building.
Once established in the role, there may be the opportunity to work from home one day per week, subject to discussion and service requirements.
For an overview of the position, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification document. This includes a detailed breakdown of the key responsibilities, role expectations, and the qualifications we are looking for.
Person Specification
Qualifications, knowledge and experience Essential
Good standard of secondary education with English skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard NVQ level 4 in business admin or equivalent level of experience gained in a fast paced PA/business support role Experience working as a Personal Assistant or in business administration Ability to use technology to improve efficiency and workflows, applies digital tools such as MS CoPilot to streamline administrative processes, create templates and automate tasks.
Desirable
Experience within an Acute Trust or other healthcare sector Previous experience of working in a complex and busy environment Experience in a role requiring budget or financial sign-off.
Trust Values and Behaviours Essential
Patients First Always Improving Working Together
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
Address OPH Ophthalmology A&C
Tremona Road
Southampton
SO16 6YD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)