Personal Assistant to Executive Team in Manchester

At UK Biobank, we support one of the world’s most valuable health research resources. Behind every major decision, partnership, and milestone sits a strong Executive Support function ensuring our leadership team can focus on delivering impact at scale.

We’re now looking for a Personal Assistant to join our Executive Support Team. This role provides high-level, confidential, and comprehensive administrative support to members of the Executive Leadership Team. It’s an opportunity to work closely with senior leaders, support nationally and internationally significant meetings, and contribute to work that underpins world‑leading biomedical research.

As a welcoming and inclusive organisation, we value collaboration, professionalism, and people who take pride in enabling others to perform at their best.

Working as part of the Executive Support Team and reporting to our Executive Office Manager, you will provide proactive and confidential support to members of the Executive Leadership Team. This is a varied role that requires strong organisation, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask and manage changing priorities. You’ll coordinate complex meetings across time zones, manage travel arrangements, support national and international events, and ensure correspondence and communication are handled efficiently.

You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders, both internal and external, often at the highest levels of seniority. The role requires professionalism, discretion, flexibility, and the ability to remain calm and organised in a fast‑paced environment.

You will be responsible for:

• Arranging meetings involving internal and external stakeholders, often involving individuals at the highest levels of seniority, and working across different time zones.
• Organising travel arrangements as required, including domestic and international travel for the executives and event attendees.
• Assisting with the coordination and running of national and international events and meetings.
• Attending meetings and taking minutes as required.
• Handling correspondence: dealing with incoming emails to the Exec support team as well as monitoring emails for the Executives, as required.

To be successful, you will have:

• Strong experience in a comparable Personal Assistant or executive support role, providing high-level support to several senior Executives across multiple locations.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
• The ability to work as part of a team in a collaborative way.
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to multitask and prioritise an ever‑changing workload, managing Executives’ expectations along with their own.
• The ability to be proactive and work autonomously.
• The ability to have an analytical approach to tasks/challenges, using independent judgment and initiative.
• Excellent administration and organisational skills, including attention to detail and the ability to manage a very busy workload effectively.

Working hours are 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 5 days onsite. Located at Greenheys, Manchester Science Park.

Our passion for diversity and equality means creating a work environment for all employees that is welcoming, respectful, engaging, and enriched with opportunities for personal and professional development. We actively welcome applications from people with disabilities, long‑term health conditions, neurodivergent candidates, and those with diverse thinking styles. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and in the workplace so that everyone can perform at their best.

Your Wellbeing Matters to Us. Our wellbeing score on Indeed is rated as 77% (high), reflecting how people experience working here day‑to‑day. Colleagues often highlight a strong sense of purpose, supportive team culture, and the opportunity to grow.

We’re proud to offer a benefits package that supports your health, financial security, and development from day one:

• Currently 14.5% employer contribution to the USS Pension Scheme
• Healthcare Cash Plan to help cover everyday healthcare costs
• 26 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days with length of service
• Buy up to 5 additional days' annual leave through our Holiday Buy Scheme
• A paid day off for your birthday
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
• Up to 6 months' full sick pay
• Free on-site gym
• Subsidised lunch when working on site
• Life Assurance
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Training and development opportunities, including a £500 annual personal development allowance
• Paid professional subscriptions, where applicable
• Employee Discounts Portal
• Wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Free annual flu vaccination and Hepatitis B vaccination, where applicable
• An active social committee with regular social events
• Free on-site parking
• Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn)