Executive Assistant

Grade and Salary: Grade 5, £26,707 - £31,236 per annum FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

We are seeking to recruit an Executive Assistant to provide high quality executive support to members of the Senior Executive. The ideal candidate will be confident in supporting and working with the Senior Executive Assistants and Admin Assistants within the group to drive collaboration and effective team working. This role includes providing information and administrative support to members of University Executive as well as their admin teams, determining work priorities and managing information, decisions and communications.

The role holder will be responsible for the day-to-day operational aspects of work such as complex diary management, email prioritisation, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, purchase orders and invoice payments. Other tasks will include communication with internal colleagues and external bodies and a variety of discrete tasks and projects. In this, the job holder will be expected to manage their own workload and will be the designated expert user of related IT systems.

The appointed Executive Assistant will have a proven track record in the delivery of administrative services to high-level management. The job holder will be expected to develop and maintain a broad knowledge of activities and will be expected to manage general administrative support tasks, such as general filing and archiving (in line with Data Protection and Retention of Records requirements), they will be relied upon to provide excellent administrative services and promote a high quality, professional business environment. Highly digitally literate, the post holder will drive communication and team working across their team through the development and roll-out of relevant supporting tools where relevant.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Preparation of papers for meetings, and organising diary appointments
• Securely managing travel, expenses and other general budget management utilising a departmental purchase card to make authorised purchases
• Receive, understand and convey information in a clear and accurate manner, for example drafting meeting notes and circulating to the right people to tight deadlines, or engaging personally, by email or by telephone
• Be supportive and encouraging of others in a team and help build co-operation by setting an example and showing a flexible approach to deliver team results
• Deal with internal and external contacts who ask for service or require information
• Create a positive image of the University by being responsive and prompt in responding to requests and referring the user to the right person as necessary
• Designated Service Expert/ Lead User of ERP, Office 365 and Admin Control providing advice and guidance on various processes
• Contribute to decision making by providing relevant information and opinions to meet individual/team goals
• Plan, prioritise and organise own work to agreed objectives; as well those of their team
• Solve standard day-to-day problems, identify their cause, choose the best option available, and take proactive actions to resolve the problem

Education, Qualifications & Experience

This role requires organisational ability, proactivity and accuracy. Knowledge of the University's policies, procedures and processes is advantageous, as is experience of working with committees and other complex meeting groups.

• Educated to first degree level or equivalent practical experience in the workplace
• Experience of working within a similar fast paced environment with proven relevant experience of supporting senior/executive level management
• Competent and proficient in the use of Office 365 and other IT packages
• A high degree of attention to detail and accuracy of working; and experience of team working and effectiveness as a good team player
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment, maintaining confidentiality when dealing with highly sensitive information
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
• Experience of working in the Higher Education sector is highly desirable

About our Team

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry. Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort. The Office of the Principal provides executive, strategic, and administrative support to the Principal and the Senior Executive Team by working with Senior Executive Assistants.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to 12pm (lunchtime) on Friday 20th March 2026. Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. Please note that interviews for this role are anticipated to take place w/c 23rd March 2026. This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers.