PA to Director of Secondary

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Job description

PA to Director of Secondary

Reports to: Head of Admin & PA to Director of Education

Location: Currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am - 5.30pm)

Closing date: 18/10/2024 at 10am

1 st round interviews (virtual): 24/10/2024

2 nd round interviews (in person): 28/10/2024

Salary: £38,000

About the role:

We're looking for an experienced Personal Assistant to support the Director of Secondary Education and Regional Directors of Secondary Education.

This is a varied and dynamic role, you will liaise with the Management Team at Ark, Ark Central staff, school-based Principals and other external stakeholders and contacts.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background as Personal Assistant and the ability to excel in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing PA support to the Director of Secondary Education
• Complex Diary Management and scheduling with the initiative and confidence to look ahead and prioritise meetings, pushing-back on those that do not require immediate scheduling
• Ability to prioritise and manage competing expectations and deadlines on a daily basis
• Overseeing the organisation of meetings and events on behalf of the Director, including the Secondary Principals meetings and other internal and external meetings as necessary
• Preparation of paperwork for meetings, planning and management of the overall working day to ensure an appropriate balance of meetings and managing meeting follow up activity
• Creating presentations and editing and proof-reading documents
• Maintaining a high level of confidentiality, at all times, throughout all tasks listed above
• Booking rooms, facilities, catering, and organising travel and accommodation details when required

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Working as a PA at Director level within an office or professional environment
• Strong administrative and organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work methodically and multi-task
• Ability to manage workload, meet deadlines and prioritise time effectively
• IT literate, proficient with Microsoft office applications, in particular Word and Excel
• Confident communicator who enjoys working with others
• Professional attitude and ability to handle confidential and personal information with discretion
• Committed and generous team worker
• Self-starter with a flexible approach to work and willingness to go above and beyond where necessary

About Ark

We're an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we're a network of 39 schools, educating around 30,000 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we're recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You'll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20 th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

Benefits

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years' service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

How to Apply:

Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. Applications to be submitted by Friday 18 th October 2024 at 10am but please note: we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.

This ATS application form should take no longer 20 minutes to complete. At any time, you can pause, save, and log back in. If you have any difficulty with meeting the deadline for application, please contact

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark's safer recruitment process, please click this link .

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone - staff and students - can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark's diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.

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