PA to Secondary Director in Croydon

We are seeking an organised, proactive and professional Personal Assistant to provide high‑level support to the Director of Secondary Education at the Harris Federation. This 1‑year fixed‑term maternity cover role is central to ensuring the smooth running of the Director's day‑to‑day operations, including diary management, stakeholder communication, meeting coordination and the preparation of key documents. As part of our Head Office team, you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across our secondary academies, playing an important role in supporting the Federation's mission to deliver an outstanding education for thousands of young people. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, and enjoys building strong, professional relationships.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• To present the professional and welcoming face of the Harris Federation and all secondary academies, to all visitors, staff and students, in person and on the telephone.
• To ensure that the Director's diary is managed efficiently and effectively. This will involve liaising with a variety of external and internal stakeholders.
• To provide a daily/weekly diary and documentation and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines.
• To maintain the Director's contacts.
• To maintain an exemplary professional environment for the Director at all times.
• To ensure that all visitors are welcomed and catered for in a professional manner, organising refreshments as appropriate.
• To exercise complete discretion when dealing with issues of confidentiality and sensitivity.
• To take all telephone calls, in the first instance, dealing with queries, passing on calls if necessary.
• To keep the Director's meeting file and retrieve necessary paperwork as and when meetings arise.
• To be responsible for organising meetings and passing on messages between all stakeholders, parents/carers, external agencies and students and the Director.
• To liaise with clerks to Governors to ensure that all relevant paperwork and correspondence is efficiently managed for all the secondary academies.
• To support the Director with the preparation of paperwork and presentations for a range of meetings including interviews, disciplinary hearings, grievances, performance management, presentations, training sessions etc.
• To liaise with Federation admin teams, Data, HR, IT and Finance Business Managers, as well as PAs and Principals across the Federation as appropriate.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Appropriate degree or equivalent experience in previous roles.
• Trained in the use of a variety of ICT packages.
• Knowledge of personal assistant roles and responsibilities.
• Training in typing and formatting of a variety of documents including spreadsheets.
• Experience of managing staff in relation to the PA role.
• Some experience of human resources e.g. recruitment and/or monitoring attendance.
• Experience of working to targets and deadlines.
• Experience of managing meetings including preparation and circulation of papers, minutes and ensuring information is circulated as required.
• Ability to communicate well both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work to deadlines.
• Ability to be flexible.
• Ability to communicate exceptionally well with parents and carers as well as other stakeholders in the academy.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression.
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus.
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution.
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts.
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare.
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice.
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts.
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees.
• Interest‑free ICT and season ticket loans.
• For most non‑teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION SAFEGUARDING NOTICE

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed. The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.