Directorate Senior Support Officer in Huddersfield

Main area Admin and Human Resources Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract 12 months (Fixed Term Contract 12 months) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 372-CORP2068

Employer Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 06/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 23/09/2026

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics.

We are committed to recruiting to our values. Leading One Culture of Care underpins our values by creating an environment, tone and behaviours across all parts of the Trust that are fundamentally rooted in compassionate care.

We are open to considering a wide range of flexible working arrangements. There are opportunities to flex the days of the week, hours and times of work and place of work including: part-time, job-share, flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home when appropriate. Please talk to us during the interview process to discuss any flexibility that you may require.

We received our Silver Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we provided its statement of intent to support all Defence personnel and we welcome application to work for us.

Our Future Plans

The Department of Health and Social Care has awarded capital funding to invest in local health services at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This is a significant investment and an opportunity to enhance services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come. To find out more, please visithttps://future.cht.nhs.uk/

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced applicant to provide high level and comprehensive senior administrative support to the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development, who is a member of the Executive Team and Board of Directors, and to the Corporate Workforce and OD Senior Team.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will carry out a range of high level administrative and coordination duties across the Workforce and Organisational Development directorate.

The postholder will work with Directorate Support Officers across the Trust who provide expert administrative and coordination activities across the Executive Director team.

Working for our organisation

CHFT is an integrated acute and community Trust serving diverse communities across Calderdale and Kirklees, with strong partnerships across West Yorkshire. We are proud of our One Culture of Care — caring for each other with the same compassion, kindness and respect that we show our patients — and of the values that underpin how we work: we put people first, we go see, we work together to get results, and we do the must dos.

CHFT is recognised as a forward looking, digitally enabled Trust, with a strong track record of using data, innovation and system collaboration to improve quality, safety and outcomes. We are ambitious about the role that acute trusts play in prevention, population health and reducing inequalities, and this post sits at the heart of that agenda.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will:-

• Organise the workload of the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development, through an efficient and effective electronic diary system, bring forward system and electronic paper management system.
• Communicate and build close relationships with senior colleagues both internal and external to the organisation.
• Prepare agendas, circulate with supporting papers and take minutes of meetings chaired by the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.
• Format and produce complex reports and papers.
• Demonstrate a high level of discretion to deal with complex and sensitive information
• Demonstrate a high level of numeracy and literacy skills.
• Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and speed.
• Demonstrate the ability to work unsupervised, using own initiative.
• Demonstrate the ability to prioritise own daily workload in line with the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development's workload and commitments.
• On occasion, it may be necessary to work outside normal office hours to fulfil the role.
• To provide an extremely high level and comprehensive administrative service to the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.
• To deal professionally and effectively with internal and external colleagues.
• To develop, implement and maintain effective and appropriate office management systems in line with the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development's requirements.
• To administer, manager and co-ordinate a demanding workload using own initiative, prioritising and maintaining deadlines and commitments.
• To organise meetings, prepare, finalise and collate all supporting documentation required for meetings chaired by the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development and arrange follow-up actions/meetings, where appropriate.
• To work without direct supervision, using own initiative and, where necessary, initiate letters and emails, both internally and externally, as required without reference to the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.
• To maintain an effective diary system for the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development and use own initiative in relation to their incoming correspondence.
• To develop and maintain a comprehensive electronic filing system.
• To develop and maintain a comprehensive bring forward system.
• To receive and action incoming and outgoing correspondence, including emails.
• To organise travel and hotel arrangements in line with external commitments and co-ordinate monthly expenses.
• To act in a confidential manner at all times, receiving complex and sensitive information.
• To provide administration support to other members of the Corporate Workforce and OD Senior Team.
• To provide administration support to other members of the Executive Team, when required.
• To undertake such other duties that are commensurate with the responsibilities of the post, including out of hours work, either at initial place of work or at any other organisation establishments.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Educated to degree standard or equivalent
• ECDL or equivalent

Knowledge, Experience, and Expertise

• Evidence of practical experience in a PA role
• Ability to cope with a demanding workload
• Substantial experience of Microsoft Office
• Substantial knowledge and experience of the NHS
• Advanced keyboard skills to demonstrate a high level of accuracy and speed
• Demonstrate a high level of motivation and confidence in the role
• Ability to minute meetings and produce and accurate record
• Work effectively as part of the Executive PA team

Communication and Relationships

• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues at all levels

Our vision is to provide One Culture of Care for one another in order that we can provide compassionate care for the people who use our services. We are passionate about creating a workplace where we work together to get results, encouraging colleagues to have their say, in order to co create the change we want to see. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce that’s why we encourage applications from all. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants.

We understand that more applicants are using AI technology to help with their applications. While these tools can be useful, they cannot fully capture your skills, knowledge, and experience. It’s important that you personalise your application. Relying solely on AI is not recommended, as it may reduce your chances of success. Our screening process is thorough, so if you have used AI, please make sure to disclose this on your application form.

Candidates who require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the United Kingdom can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this position by assessing their circumstances against the criteria specified on theCheck if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK website. We encourage all applicants to review these criteria carefully to understand their eligibility for sponsorship.

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £54.40, Standard £26.40 or Basic £26.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £16 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

CHFT is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

If you have any questions please contact ask.recruitment@cht.nhs.uk for assistance.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

At Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, we are excited to offer a range of volunteering roles, providing rewarding personal and professional opportunities for people from all backgrounds across a wide age range from our local communities, ensuring our volunteers are representative of our service users.