About
The
Job.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
Personal Assistant
to the Head of Department
About
The
Job.
Pursue the extraordinary
Overview
About the Department
Chemical and Biological Engineering is a thriving department within the University’s
Faculty of Engineering, and has 40 academic staff, and around 50 research, technicians and
support staff and over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Department
has a vibrant research culture spanning particle science and technology/nanotechnology,
new energy technologies, the environment and applications of post-genomics bioscience
for biotechnology and bioprocessing applications. The Department is experiencing a period
of strong growth in both research and teaching areas.
Job Role
Working within the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, the post-holder will
provide PA support to the Head and Deputy Head of Department. You will be responsible
for diary management, and for handling correspondence with a high degree of autonomy.
You will support the HR activities within the department, including organising promotion,
appraisal and recruitment.
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities

Support the Head and Deputy Head of Department by organising and maintaining their
diaries with a high degree of autonomy.

Organise meetings and appointments, including timely reminders.

Open, prioritise and assign mail (electronic and hard copy); draft, type and despatch
correspondence (in liaison with Departmental Administration Manager when
necessary).

Organise the through-flow of documents through the office and maintain filing
systems.

Organise UK and overseas travel, including transport, accommodation and any other
arrangements necessary.

Organise meetings with large sets of people from both inside and outside of the
Department and University. Support the organisation of international conferences and
other departmental events involving staff, students and visitors.

Service departmental committees, primarily Executive and Staff meetings but also any
other meetings as required. Request agenda items, prepare and circulate the agenda
and papers, preparation and circulation of minutes.

Act a primary e-Recruiter in the department: acting as the main point of contact for
recruitment issues, liaising with departmental staff and the Department of Human
Resources. Co-ordinate the progression of recruitment activities through the
e-Recruitment system from requisition through to appointment.

Provide administrative support for HR activities such as staff induction, probation,
promotion cases, SRDS, staff recruitment, contract extensions and monitoring of
open-ended research staff and ensure reporting requirements are met.

Provide administrative support for the Bank Workers processes (for example Eligibility
to Work checks), including liaison with HR and finance.
 Provide general administrative support for senior academic staff in the department.

Undertake other activities as required to ensure that all administrative activities within
the department are undertaken in a timely and efficient manner, working closely with
senior colleagues.

Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.
Person Specification
Applicants should provide evidence in their applications that they meet the following
criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure candidates’ abilities in these
areas including reviewing your on-line application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted
candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post.
Criteria
Essential Desirable
Qualifications and experience
1.
Educated to A level standard.
X
2.
Previous experience at a senior secretarial/clerical level, ideally
X
with experience of working in Higher Education.
3.
Knowledge of recruitment and human resource policy and
X
practice, and of the HE sector, University systems and
procedures.
Management skills
4.
The ability to manage and prioritise own work, cope with
X
conflicting demands and extra-ordinary requests.
5.
The ability to delegate work to other members of the
X
department where appropriate, monitoring progress and
outcomes of the task.
IT skills
6.
Possess excellent IT skills, with strong experience in using
X
Microsoft Office packages, in particular Word and Excel.
7.
Experience in using University systems, particularly in relation to
X
HR matters.
Communication skills
8.
Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report
X
writing skills and the ability to communicate to staff at all levels.
9.
Excellent customer service skills, with experience of responding
X
efficiently and effectively to phone and email enquiries.
Team working
10.
A flexible approach to work, with the ability to work as part of a
X
team or autonomously.
Problem solving and decision making
11.
Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving.
X
12.
Ability to analyse and solve problems with an appreciation of
X
longer-term implications.
Project management
13.
Ability to assess and organise resources, plan and progress work
activities to deadlines.
X
14.
Ability to plan and progress work 6-12 months in advance.
X
15.
Able to take the lead on projects, for example conference
X
organisation, manage budgets and timescales.
Personal effectiveness
16.
Experience of developing and maintaining a network of contacts
X
throughout own work area.
17.
Experience of adapting own skills to new circumstances.
X
18.
An awareness of the need for confidentiality in relation to HR
X
and other matters.
Further Information
This post is full-time:
This role has been identified as a full-time post, but we are committed to exploring flexible
working opportunities with our staff which benefit both the individual and the University.
Therefore, we would consider flexible delivery of the role subject to meeting the business
needs of the post. See www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/info/wlb.html for more
information.
Benefits
Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 6 staff.
Salary for this grade: £24,289-£28,132 per annum rising to £30,728 with exceptional
contribution.
More details on salaries, terms and conditions and our wide range of benefits for staff are
available at www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/reward/structures
Closing date: TO BE CONFIRMED BY HR
Informal enquiries:
For all on-line application system queries and support, contact:
e-Recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk .
For informal enquiries about this job and department, contact: Natalie Cardwell at
n.cardwell@sheffield.ac.uk or 0114 222 7525.
Selection-Next Step
Following the closing date, you will be informed by email whether or not you have been
shortlisted to be invited to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note
that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working
weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact
you.
It is anticipated that interviews and other selection action will be held on XXX. Full details
will be provided to invited candidates.
The University of Sheffield is committed to achieving excellence through inclusion.
The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Two Ticks employer
www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/twoticks
The University has achieved the Athena SWAN award for Women in Science, Engineering
and Medicine.
Pursue the extraordinary