Job summary
- Main area
- Administrative / PA
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Fixed term: 5 months (until 31 March 2027. Secondment only for current NHS employees)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 990-CNO-EC5544-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Wellington House
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £38,488 - £46,852 per annum (inclusive of London Weighting)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Personal Assistant
NHS AfC: Band 5
Our Organisation
We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.
We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern.
As part of our commitment to improving patient safety and maintaining safe and trusted services, all successful candidates will be subject to Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS), which includes a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. By submitting your application, you are confirming your agreement to these checks being undertaken as part of the recruitment process.
Anyone who has received a voluntary or compulsory redundancy payment from NHS England since the start of the 2026/27 financial year is not eligible to apply.
Job overview
As Personal Assistant (PA) to the Patient Experience Director (PED) the post holder will provide comprehensive administrative and business support, ensuring the Director’s responsibilities are effectively managed. This includes managing a complex diary, correspondence, communication, coordination and delegation ensuring the Director receives a consistent and high-level of support.
The post holder will work closely with key colleagues and the senior leadership team to the Director. They will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the Director's office, enabling the Director to focus on their extensive core responsibilities.
As PA you will need to be confident to self-initiate tasks, be a clear communicator and comfortable operating efficiently and effectively in a high-pressure environment.
Please be aware that should you be successful in this position, you will be hired to the job title of Personal Assistant, and this job title is advertised to attract the right skills needed for the role.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an experienced personal assistant who is a strong team player, highly organised, and who has the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a wide range of people.
Your duties will include but not limited to;
Complex diary and mailbox management
Meeting coordination
Travel arrangements
Monitoring and recording of annual leave/absences
Entering expense claims for Director
Respond to ad-hoc, non-routine requests by the Director and their direct reports effectively, professionally and in good time.
You will need strong IT skills to be successful in this role.
Meetings/events are held across various sites therefore some flexibility is required.
Working for our organisation
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key responsibilities as PA to Director;
• Diary Management: Managing a complex diary, balancing competing priorities, and coordinating travel arrangements.
• Meeting Coordination: Preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items.
• Correspondence: Handling internal and external communications, including emails and written correspondence.
• Information Dissemination: Ensuring accurate and timely dissemination of information to relevant parties.
• Administrative Support: Providing general administrative support, such as filing, data entry, and photocopying.
• Team Support: Supporting other administrative staff and providing assistance when needed.
• Confidentiality: Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating with a wide range of individuals, both internally and externally.
• Organisation and Time Management: Managing workload effectively, prioritising tasks, and meeting deadlines.
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Person specification
Education / Training / Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to RSA 3 / NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in senior administration.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Experienced in providing PA, executive or senior administrative support.
- Demonstrable experience dealing with sensitive and confidential information
Skills / Abilities
Essential criteria
- Experience of Microsoft software applications (outlook, word and PowerPoint etc.)
- Excellent planning and organising capabilities, with exceptional attention to detail.
- Good problem-solving skills
- Able to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own and others workloads to changing and often tight deadlines.
- Proficient note taking skills
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
- Well-developed interpersonal and oral/written communication skills.
- Able to maintain effective working relationships at all levels and with staff in other offices.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- People and Communities
- Job title
- People and Communities
- Email address
- [email protected]
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