DESCRIPTION

Provide PA support to the Director of R&I and administrative and Business Support to the wider directorate. This requires understanding the objectives of the Directorate and supporting flows of information between the Director, the Senior Leadership Team and the corporate centre of SFC.
As this is a training opportunity there is an expectation to be in the office at least 2 to 3 days per week and complete the necessary modules to gain a Modern Apprenticeship qualification within 18 months.
Interviews will face to face and will be held on 29 September 2025.

IT IS IMPORTANT THROUGH YOUR CV / COVER LETTER THAT YOU GIVE EVIDENCE OF PROVEN EXPERIENCE OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

Essential

• Experience supporting senior staff in a similar environment.
• Experience of diary management (including virtual meetings), travel arrangements, and managing a busy mailbox.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to work as part of a team and interact well with staff at all levels in the organisation.
• Excellent organisation and planning skills, including the ability to work creatively to solve problems and manage competing priorities.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work under own initiative and with minimum supervision.
• A highly developed eye for detail and accuracy.

• Good IT skills, with a good working knowledge of a variety of IT systems, particularly Microsoft Office products.A proactive, resilient and flexible approach.

Desirable

• Previous experience of the Scottish Government, public sector bodies, or the further or higher education sectors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage the Director’s diary, ensuring proactive support, which may include the co-ordination of meeting briefings, supporting materials and agendas. Provision of the pack for the meeting in a timely way.
• Manage key information flows, making judgements to share relevant emails to colleagues, tracking related actions as required.
• Support the wider directorate in arranging key meetings, internal and external room bookings, and in the booking of travel and accommodation.
• Support the Director and Senior Leadership of R&I by attending meetings with them and taking a note of the meeting when required.
• Display a high level of integrity, handling confidential and sensitive matters in a professional manner. Good awareness of responsibilities re information handling.
• Support directorate planning processes, including ensuring timely input into cross-SFC processes and risk register development.
• Use Directorate trackers and associated business support tools to manage and track the Director’s correspondence and briefings, which enable effective management of workflows.
• Undertake ad hoc projects and administrative tasks on behalf of the Director.
• Work collaboratively with other PAs and the corporate centre of SFC and provide mutual cover as required. This may include regular cover on SFC reception, as necessary.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS FOR SFC ROLES

You must already be eligible to work in the UK to apply for these roles. SFC do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skills Worker License and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
We are pleased to support applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, as well as those who have skills in Scottish Gaelic or British Sign Language, who have the right skills for the job.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and actively encourage interviews through the scheme.
Further information about SFC is available on our website Scottish Funding Council home page (sfc.ac.uk). Additional information about our recruitment process can be found at Recruitment FAQs | Scottish Funding Council Careers (sfc.ac.uk)