Private Secretary jobs in Manchester

Description

At UK Biobank, we support one of the world’s most valuable health research resources. Behind every major decision, partnership, and milestone sits a strong Executive Support function ensuring our leadership team can focus on delivering impact at scale.

We’re now looking for a Personal Assistant to join our Executive Support Team. This role provides high-level, confidential, and comprehensive administrative support to members of the Executive Leadership Team. It’s an opportunity to work closely with senior leaders, support nationally and internationally significant meetings, and contribute to work that underpins world-leading biomedical research.

As a welcoming and inclusive organisation, we value collaboration, professionalism, and people who take pride in enabling others to perform at their best.

Can you do it?

Working as part of the Executive Support Team and reporting to our Executive Officer Manager, you will provide proactive and confidential support to members of the Executive Leadership Team.

This is a varied role that requires strong organisation, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask and manage changing priorities. You’ll coordinate complex meetings across time zones, manage travel arrangements, support national and international events, and ensure correspondence and communication are handled efficiently.

You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders, both internal and external, often at the highest levels of seniority. The role requires professionalism, discretion, flexibility, and the ability to remain calm and organised in a fast-paced environment.

You will be responsible for:

• Arranging meetings involving internal and external stakeholders, often involving individuals at the highest levels of seniority, and working across different time zones.
• Organising travel arrangements as required. This includes domestic and international travel for the executives and event attendees.
• Assisting with the coordination and running of national and international events and meetings.
• Attending meetings and taking minutes as required.
• Handling correspondence: dealing with incoming emails to the Exec support team as well as monitoring emails for the Executives, as required

Is this you?

To be successful, you will have:

• Strong experience in a comparable Personal Assistant or executive support role, providing high-level support to several senior Executives across multiple locations.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
• The ability to work as part of a team in a collaborative way.
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to multitask and prioritise an ever-changing workload, managing Executives’ expectations along with their own.
• The ability to be proactive and work autonomously. The ability to have an analytical approach to tasks/challenges, using independent judgment and initiative.
• Excellent administration and organisational skills, including attention to detail and the ability to manage a very busy workload effectively.

Working hours are 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 5 days onsite. Located in Greater Manchester (initially based in Stockport with a move to Manchester Science Park mid to late 2026).

Our passion for diversity and equality means creating a work environment for all employees that is welcoming, respectful, engaging, and enriched with opportunities for personal and professional development.

Your Wellbeing Matters to Us

Colleagues at UK Biobank often highlight feeling supported, included, and connected to meaningful work, with well-being and work–life balance genuinely valued across teams.

We’re proud to offer a benefits package that supports your health, financial security, and work–life balance from day one:

️26 Days’ Annual Leave – Plus Bank Holidays
Holiday Buy Scheme
Birthday Leave
USS Pension Scheme
Healthcare Cash Plan
Enhanced Family Leave
Cycle to Work Scheme
Season Ticket Loan
Professional Subscriptions
£500 annual training budget
️Free On-Site Gym
️Subsidised Canteen Lunches
Free car parking
Employee Discounts Portal
Employee Assistance Programme
Annual Flu Vaccination
️Life Assurance Cover

#LI-Onsite

About UK Biobank
UK Biobank is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing in-depth genetic and health information from half a million UK participants.

The database, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the world, is anonymised and made widely accessible by UK Biobank to global researchers who use it to find new scientific discoveries about common and life-threatening diseases – such as cancer, heart disease and stroke which strike in mid-later life.

UK Biobank is an innovative organisation with over 350 staff across four sites in the UK that fosters an engaging environment and supports the development of our staff. Our dedicated teams work alongside the world's leading biomedical scientists in our joint mission to improve public health.

Pay: £33,000.00-£36,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Canteen
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced paternity leave
• Free fitness classes
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site gym
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Work Location: In person