Senior Personal Assistant
Job summary
This vacancy is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. Please do not apply unless you have another means of establishing a right to work.
The successful candidate may be based at any of our main centres in England, by agreement.
At NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), every role helps keep life moving. As a Senior Personal Assistant within Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS), you will play a vital part in supporting senior leaders whose work enables our life saving services to function every day.
You will provide high quality, trusted administrative support to Assistant Directors, helping them manage complex workloads, priorities and relationships. From diary and meeting management to handling sensitive information with care and professionalism, you will be relied on to keep things running smoothly. This is a role that calls for confidence, discretion and excellent organisation, where your judgement and initiative will make a real difference. If you enjoy working at pace, building strong relationships and contributing to work with real purpose, this is an opportunity to contribute, learn and progress in a supportive, expert environment.
Main duties of the job
Your responsibilities will include:
- Provide comprehensive and confidential administrative support to Assistant Directors within DDTS.
- Act as a central point of contact, communicating effectively across the directorate and with external partners.
- Manage complex diaries, meeting schedules, travel and accommodation to maximise senior leaders time.
- Prepare agendas, papers and accurately minute senior and cross directorate meetings.
- Handle sensitive and contentious information, using sound judgement to determine what is shared and with whom.
- Coordinate committee meetings, events, training sessions and conferences.
- Maintain accurate records relating to leave, expenses, appraisals and professional development.
- Support induction of new starters, including senior managers. Work flexibly with other PAs to ensure continuity of cover during busy periods or absence.
- Work independently, prioritising your workload and escalating urgent matters appropriately.
- Willingness and ability to undertake travel to other NHSBT sites and external venues, staying overnight if necessary (with appropriate prior notice).
About us
It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, you'll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need.
Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever.
You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To learn more, please see the job description and person specification. These can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking Apply if you are viewing this advert on another site.
What we offer:
Hybrid working arrangements because NHSBT works nationally, were able to offer hybrid working options that give you more flexibility to balance work with life.
Flexible working options we promote flexible working where the role allows. Were happy to discuss what flexibility might look like for you.
Generous annual leave - 27 days annual leave (pro rata for part-time) plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years service and to 33 days after 10 years.
Inclusive pension scheme - the NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns). Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/information-about-nhs-pensions
Supportive learning culture - weve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. Its open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.
Health and wellbeing support we offer confidential services including occupational health, employee assistance programme, and wellbeing resources. Our support is available to all colleagues and we endeavour to provide tailored workplace adjustments where possible.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applications from disabled candidates. We will talk with you to explore any adjustments that may help you during the recruitment process.
This is a part time position, working 18.75 hours per week on a fixed term basis for 12 months. You will be required to work over 4 or 5 days per week, however we can offer flexibility over which days you work (if over 4) and also offer flexibility over which hours you work.
This vacancy will close at 23:59 on Sunday 10th May 2026. This vacancy may close sooner than the advertised deadline if we receive a high volume of applications, so we recommend applying early.
The assessment process for this role will include an interview and a short task. Interviews are anticipated to be held on Thursday 28th May 2026 subject to confirmation.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Relevant IT or word processing qualification (e.g. ECDL, ITQ Level 2, RSA Level 3) or equivalent workplace experience.
- English qualification at A level standard or equivalent experience.
- Commitment to continuous learning and personal development.
Experience
- Excellent customer service skills with clear, professional written and verbal communication.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to changing demands at short notice.
- Strong organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
- Extensive experience using Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint.
- Experience working independently in a busy office environment, using judgement and initiative.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS Blood and Transplant
Address
NHSBT - Filton
500 North Bristol Park
Bristol
United Kingdom
BS34 7QH
Employer's website
https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/