Personal Secretary jobs

Personal Assistant to the Bursar

Winchester College is offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly organised individual to join the Bursary as Personal Assistant to the Bursar. The Bursar holds a critical, wide-reaching remit, overseeing the finances and operations of both the College and The Pilgrims’ School, while serving as Clerk to the Governors.

The successful will provide the essential administrative foundation for the Bursar’s office, ensuring the smooth operation of a department that spans Finance, Estates, ICT, and Governance. This is a varied and demanding role that requires a high level of professionalism, as you will interact with everyone from senior leadership and external consultants to parents and support staff.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Bursar, you will play a pivotal role in administrative excellence and operational delivery. You will work in close collaboration with the Executive Assistant to the Warden & Fellows and the Headmaster’s Secretary to ensure a seamless flow of communication and scheduling across the College’s senior leadership.

Your key responsibilities include:

Executive & Diary Management

• Correspondence Triage: Managing and prioritising all emails, phone calls, and mail, acting as a gatekeeper for unsolicited enquiries and ensuring urgent matters are highlighted.
• Strategic Scheduling: Expertly managing the Bursar’s diary to balance daily operational needs with long-term strategic time, ensuring all necessary documentation is prepared in advance.
• Travel & Logistics: Coordinating conferences and making comprehensive travel arrangements as required.

Committee & Governance Support

• Meeting Administration: Providing full support for the Bursar’s Management Group and other formal meetings, including preparing agendas, calling for papers, and professional minute-taking.
• Action Tracking: Monitoring matters arising from committees to ensure that assigned actions are completed by the relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Reporting: Typing, formatting, and collating complex reports and presentations from manuscripts to a high standard of accuracy.

Operational & Personnel Administration

• Team Liaison: Tracking leave allowances for the Bursar’s direct reports and assisting with administrative line management tasks.
• Financial Processes: Administering the parent-facing aspects of the bursary assessment process.
• Event Coordination: Assisting the Project Officer with high-profile internal functions, such as the annual Support Staff Christmas Lunches and Summer Drinks.

About You

This role demands a unique blend of "soft skills" and technical proficiency. You must be someone who can maintain absolute confidentiality while navigating a busy, often fast-paced office environment with resilience and a sense of initiative.

Essential Skills & Qualities

• Discretion: An unwavering ability to handle sensitive information and maintain the strictest confidentiality.
• Administrative Excellence: Advanced Microsoft Office skills (particularly Word) and experience in a close-knit administrative or secretarial team.
• Communication: A strong command of the English language, with the ability to draft professional correspondence and communicate tactfully with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Organisation: The ability to work independently, "manage upwards" where appropriate, and prioritise tasks effectively under pressure.
• Relationship Building: Diplomatic and approachable, with the ability to build trust across the entire College community.

Desirable

• Previous experience supporting a senior leader or executive-level post-holder.
• Specific experience in committee administration or minute-taking.
• Background in the education sector or a similarly complex, multi-site organisation.

What We Offer

• Start Date: Flexible, with a preference for the successful candidate to commence as soon as possible.
• Salary: A competitive salary between £38,000 and £43,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. (Reviewed annually).
• Hours of Work: This is a full-time, year-round position (52 weeks), working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday (8.30 am to 5.00 pm).
• Environment: The opportunity to work at the heart of a world-renowned institution during a period of significant development and growth.

HOW TO APPLY

Only applications completed on the school website will be accepted. Please attach a full CV with your application.

Please note that applications will be dealt with as they arrive. Winchester College reserves the right to appoint before the deadline passes.

Closing date for applications: Midnight Wednesday 24th June2026

For the full job description and to apply please see here.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email recruitment@wincoll.ac.uk.

Pay: £38,000.00-£43,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person