Executive Assistant to College Secretary & General Counsel

You will act as Executive Assistant to the College Secretary and General Counsel, the Chair of Council (part-time) and give executive assistant support to the directors in the College Secretary team.

This role provides high level administrative and secretarial support to ensure the efficient and effective running of the office. This is a busy and pivotal role where flexibility is key and where a high degree of personal judgement and initiative is required in order to determine and respond to priorities.

The role requires excellent interpersonal skills and the exercise of a high degree of professionalism, discretion and confidentiality as the postholder will have contact with a wide range of people both within the College and externally, at all organisational levels.

The postholder will be a proactive self-starter who is adaptable and flexible and able to work efficiently, both independently and with others. As this role includes supporting meetings and visitors it is assumed that it will need to be primarily carried out in the South Kensington campus of Imperial.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide a full secretarial and administrative service to the College Secretary and General Counsel and the Chair of Council (who is non-executive)


• Prioritise urgent actions and make judgements about the urgency of issues/meetings/requests, rescheduling and reorganising as necessary and coordinating internal and external responsibilities.


• Communicate regularly with the College Secretary and General Counsel and Chair of Council to ensure that they are kept abreast of developments/progress on key issues.


• Liaise with a wide range of external individuals and organisations e.g. government departments, research councils, higher education bodies and industry, on the managers’ behalf in order to progress work.


• Complete research tasks independently, using desk-top media as required, and presenting the results coherently and concisely.


• Provide administrative support to senior direct reports of the College Secretary e.g. organising meetings, booking rooms, ensuring that leave/absences are recorded, ordering stationary/office equipment as well as to the broader team where possible.

Essential requirements

• Experience as a PA or Diary Secretary at Board Level or equivalent including dealing with complex diary and travel arrangements.


• Experience in dealing professionally with senior people in organisations


• Experience of dealing with sensitive and confidential information


• Ability to produce work and plan activities consistently to a high standard


• Evidence of highly developed personal organisation skills with the ability to prioritise work without close supervision


• Ability to work under pressure, remaining calm and polite


• Excellent interpersonal and team working skills with an ability to work flexibly as required


• Evidence of taking responsibility and being proactive


• A high standard of written and spoken English to enable drafting of key documentation (minutes, reports and presentations)


• A high standard of computer literacy and the ability to proactively use IT: including Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint) and other organisational systems

Further information

This is a full time and open ended role, and you will be based in the South Kensington Campus.

Should you require any further details on the role please contact Joanna Soja-Popieluszko at j.soja-popieluszko@imperial.ac.uk.

Interviews will be held in the week commencing 24 April 2023, in South Kensington Campus.

The College is currently trialling a Work Location Frameworkuntil early 2023. Hybrid working may be considered for this role and the role holder may be expected to work 60% or more of their time onsite, with 40% the minimum time spent onsite. The opportunity for hybrid working will be discussed at interview.

• JD - EA to College Secretary and General Counsel.pdf