About this role
Job summary
Are you a confident, proactive personal assistant ready to support senior leaders at the heart of a busy NHS Trust? This full-time permanent post offers a unique opportunity to work within Trust Headquarters, supporting both an Executive Board level Director and a Corporate Director in a fast-paced environment. You'll need excellent judgement, strong diary and inbox management skills, and the ability to handle sensitive information with professionalism and discretion. In return, you'll be part of a dynamic team shaping strategic decisions across UCLH, with exposure to senior stakeholders and the chance to contribute meaningfully to projects that impact patient care and organisational performance. If you thrive on variety, responsibility, and making things run smoothly behind the scenes, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As Personal Assistant to the Director of Strategy and the Director of Innovation, you will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and effective running of their work. You will manage complex diaries and inboxes, coordinate meetings and projects, and act as a professional first point of contact for a wide range of stakeholders. The role requires strong judgement, discretion, and communication skills, along with the ability to juggle competing priorities and keep work moving across a diverse portfolio. You will need to work confidently on your own initiative, anticipate requirements, and handle sensitive information with care. If you enjoy a fast paced environment and take pride in keeping things running efficiently behind the scenes, this role offers variety, challenge, and a central position within the organisation.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological,gastrointestinaland oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclearmedicineandpathology.
Weare committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Job description Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
This is an opportunity to join Trust Headquarters as Personal Assistant to the Director of Strategy and the Director of Innovation. The postholder will provide high-quality administrative and personal assistant support, enabling senior leaders to operate effectively and maintain strategic oversight across the organisation.
Key responsibilities include managing complex diaries and inboxes, coordinating meetings and delegated projects, and acting as a trusted first point of contact for senior internal and external stakeholders. The role requires excellent judgement, discretion, and communication skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and maintain momentum across a varied portfolio.
The postholder will handle confidential matters with professionalism, liaise with national and local bodies including the Department of Health and NHS England, and support the smooth running of Trust HQ. They will contribute to project delivery, governance support, and cross-cover planning, ensuring continuity of service during periods of absence.
Additional duties include preparing agendas and minutes for meetings, managing travel arrangements, supporting recruitment and induction processes, and maintaining accurate records and databases. The role also involves supporting staff experience initiatives, coordinating events, and acting as a local lead for fire safety and environmental matters.
This is a varied and visible role at the heart of the organisation, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-trust environment and enjoys making things run smoothly behind the scenes.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge, Qualifications & Experience Essential
Minimum 3 years' experience as a Personal Assistant to an Executive Director Ability to manage complex diaries. Knowledge of a wide range of NHS procedures and practices including NHS governance. Experience of working in a large organisation. Minute taking and meeting secretariat experience.
Desirable
Secretarial / PA qualification (i.e. RSA level 3 / NVQ level 4 BSMSA/AMSPAR) or equivalent experience Experience of working in a healthcare environment. Project coordination experience.
Skills and Abilities Essential
The ability to receive and deal effectively with confidential and sensitive information, which requires empathy and reassurance skills. Skills in motivating and influencing others. The ability to deal with and respond to various external agencies particularly, Department of Health, Integrated care system, solicitors and other NHS Trusts. To act in such a manner as to maintain and protect patient and staff confidentiality at all times. To work with a positive attitude and keen interest in making positive contributions to the smooth function of Trust headquarters. Ability to accept responsibility. Ability to make sensible judgements involving facts / situations which may require analysis and interpretations. Experience in prioritising your own workload and supporting the directors and their deputies to ensure their priorities are achieved. The ability to plan and organise a broad range of activities.
Values Essential
Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving
Personal and People Development Essential
Ability to prioritise workload based on urgency and importance. To set a high-quality standard and work in a positive and mature manner. Ability to adopt an objective view and be a good team player. Ability to use own judgement to resolve issues.
Quality and service improvement Essential
Information processing (IT skills) Advanced Microsoft office and keyboard skills, ability to type a minimum of 55 words per minute
Desirable
Ability to obtain information from external sources (e.g.: web- based or library sources)
Personal Qualities Essential
Ability to be flexible and adaptable and cope with frequent and unpredictable interruptions. Ability to work within a team environment and display initiative when necessary. Ability to work unsupervised.
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 College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address UCLH
250 Euston Road
London
NW1 2PG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uclh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)