Personal Assistant in Manchester

Please note that this role will close at 00:01 on Monday 14 September, and therefore we advise getting your application in by no later than midnight on Sunday 13 September. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. This is an FTC for up to 12 months, and we expect interviews to take place in early October.

About Ofcom

As the UK’s communications regulator, we’re delivering vital work that helps keep the UK connected. Our work covers everything from phones and broadband, through to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. We’re also taking on the challenge of making the online world a safer place. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone.

About the Team

This role sits within Ofcom’s People, Culture and Workplace (PC&W) team. Our PC&W team support the organisation at a strategic level, ensuring we have the right people in the right place at the right time to deliver on our objectives for our consumers, leading transformation and cultural change to support an increasing regulatory remit. The PC&W team is here to ensure Ofcom can deliver its organisational objectives by supporting managers and colleagues through their journey at Ofcom, including the provision of all employee policies, reward, inclusion and talent management. In addition, we are responsible for the provision of all our properties to ensure our people, culture and workplace practices all combine to deliver the best possible colleague experience of work.

Purpose of the Role

Provide high-quality administrative and organisational support to the People, Culture and Workplace Director, ensuring effective management of their diary, meetings, communications, travel and team activities. The role acts as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders and helps facilitate the smooth running of the People, Culture and Workplace leadership team and wider function.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the People, Culture and Workplace Director's complex and ever-changing diary, prioritising appointments and resolving scheduling conflicts.
• Coordinate all meeting arrangements, including liaising with internal and external stakeholders, preparing invitations and managing logistics.
• Ensure appropriate time is allocated for leadership reviews, governance activities, strategic planning and writing commitments.
• Provide reminders and proactive support to help the Director meet key deadlines and commitments.
• Provide light-touch inbox management and monitor emails, highlighting urgent or high-priority communications.
• Arrange domestic and international travel, including transport, accommodation and itineraries.
• Process expenses and support the timely completion of related administration.
• Manage room bookings, desk bookings and meeting logistics.
• Complete timesheet administration for the Director.
• Work closely with the Director's leadership team and other executive support colleagues.
• Coordinate regular one-to-one meetings and leadership team schedules.
• Prepare agendas and supporting materials for regular leadership meetings.
• Take meeting notes and distribute actions when required.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships across the leadership team to support effective collaboration.
• Coordinate and schedule team meetings and organise team events, away days and engagement activities.
• Support leadership teams in developing agendas and coordinating event content.
• Assist with the planning and delivery of seasonal and team celebration events.
• Support team communications and engagement initiatives.
• Issue reminders relating to administrative processes and coordinate team recognition activities.
• Foster positive relationships across the wider team and act as an approachable point of contact.
• Share relevant team updates and insights with the Director where appropriate.

Essential Experience

• Providing high-quality administrative, personal or executive support in a busy and fast-paced environment.
• Confidence using Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, competing deadlines and changing priorities.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Collaborative and approachable, with a strong customer-service focus and ability to build positive working relationships at all levels.
• High levels of professionalism, discretion and sound judgement when handling sensitive and confidential information.
• A proactive, adaptable and solution-focused approach, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks.

Desirable Experience

• Working in a People, HR or corporate support environment.

At Ofcom, our mission is clear: to make communications work for everyone. To achieve that, our people must reflect the diversity of the UK, in background, identity and experience. We believe innovation thrives when difference is valued and everyone feels empowered to contribute their ideas and perspectives. That’s why we welcome colleagues of all ethnicities and races, sexes, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, faiths and beliefs, and those with apparent and non‑apparent disabilities. We value socio‑economic diversity, life experience and neurodiversity too. Whether you’re a carer, a parent, a veteran, or re‑entering work after time away, your voice and perspective matter here. Flexibility is at the heart of how we work because we want you to thrive in a way that suits you best. Most roles can therefore be adapted for part‑time hours, job shares, or other flexible arrangements.

Our recruitment process is intentionally designed to be open and accessible. If you need adjustments, information in a different format or an alternative way to apply, contact us at resourcing@ofcom.org.uk or 0330 912 1378. As a proud Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for a role.

Whoever you are, whatever your story, you belong at Ofcom. We make communications work for everyone. As the UK’s communications regulator, we’re delivering vital work that helps keep the UK connected and shapes the future of how we’ll stay connected with each other. Our work covers everything from phones and broadband, through to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone.

Ofcom’s remit is huge – we keep UK citizens and consumers safe from harm and ensure they receive the best possible service from their communications providers. Find out more about Ofcom, where we operate, and the different types of work we do to keep the country connected. At Ofcom we are determined to do all we can to promote diversity and equality inside our organisation and the wider sectors we regulate. Diversity and equality are fundamental to achieving our purpose to make communications work for everyone. We need to make the best decisions for all UK consumers and citizens. To do this, it is essential that all levels of our organisation are diverse and foster an inclusive culture.