PA to Director of Secondary

We're looking for an experienced Personal Assistant to support the Director of Secondary Education and Regional Directors of Secondary Education. This is a varied and dynamic role, you will liaise with the Management Team at Ark, Ark Central staff, school-based Principals and other external stakeholders and contacts. The ideal candidate will have a strong background as Personal Assistant and the ability to excel in a fast-paced environment.,

• Providing PA support to the Director of Secondary Education
• Complex Diary Management and scheduling with the initiative and confidence to look ahead and prioritise meetings, pushing-back on those that do not require immediate scheduling
• Ability to prioritise and manage competing expectations and deadlines on a daily basis
• Overseeing the organisation of meetings and events on behalf of the Director, including the Secondary Principals meetings and other internal and external meetings as necessary
• Preparation of paperwork for meetings, planning and management of the overall working day to ensure an appropriate balance of meetings and managing meeting follow up activity
• Creating presentations and editing and proof-reading documents
• Maintaining a high level of confidentiality, at all times, throughout all tasks listed above
• Booking rooms, facilities, catering, and organising travel and accommodation details when required
  
  Right to work in the UK
• Working as a PA at Director level within an office or professional environment
• Strong administrative and organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work methodically and multi-task
• Ability to manage workload, meet deadlines and prioritise time effectively
• IT literate, proficient with Microsoft office applications, in particular Word and Excel
• Confident communicator who enjoys working with others
• Professional attitude and ability to handle confidential and personal information with discretion
• Committed and generous team worker
• Self-starter with a flexible approach to work and willingness to go above and beyond where necessary
  
  We're an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we're a network of 39 schools, educating around 30,000 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we're recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems., Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
  
  Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years' service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests