Heriot-Watt University
Senior Administrative Assistant
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Senior Administrative Assistant – Assurance Services
Grade and Salary:
Grade 5, £26,707 - £31,236 per annum
FTE and working pattern:
Full-time (35hrs per week) Open-ended
Reward and Benefits:
28 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About our Team
The Governance and Legal Services (GALS) Directorate supports sound, effective and accountable decision-making and stewardship of the University's resources and reputation. The team aims to deliver, enhance and adapt an effective and sustainable governance framework upholding the rights and obligations of all stakeholders, including international stakeholders. Our core objective is to protect Heriot-Watt University's reputation, brand, values heritage and assets through maintaining compliance with standards (legislation, codes of practice, etc.) to enhance value.
The Assurance and Legal Services team sits within the GALS Directorate and is responsible for the provision of a number of services to the University as follows:
- Insurance – Management of the University’s programme of insurance, ensuring that appropriate insurance cover is in place and that insurance claims are managed efficiently and effectively. Handling of all insurance queries including travel declarations and issuing consular letters.
- Risk Management – Maintentance and development of the University’s risk registers and risk management framework. Production of high quality reporting to the University’s governance Groups and Committees.
- Business Continuity Planning – Development, maintenance and implementation of comprehensive business continuity plans for the University. Raising awareness and communicating plans to staff and students.
- Internal Audit – Co-ordination of the relationship with the outsourced Internal Auditors including management of our own internal audit database and 4Risk, the University’s internal audit issue management system and liaising with issue owners across the University.
- Controls Assurance – Development and maintenance of a Business Assurance Framework which will provide comfort to senior stakeholders across the organisation in relation to the effectiveness of key controls mitigating risks across the organisation’s operations.
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Purpose of Role
You will be part of a small team, reporting to the Assurance Manager, providing administrative and reporting support to the team across its portfolio of responsibilities as outlined above.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
The main responsibilities of the Assurance Services Administrative Assistant role are:
- To monitor travel declarations submitted by staff and students and follow up where appropriate, also providing advice and issuing consular letters as appropriate.
- To monitor correspondence in the Assurance Services team mailbox, ensuring that appropriate responses are provided in a timely manner to queries submitted also answering queries by Outlook, Teams and face-to-face on occasion.
- To provide administrative support to the insurance claims process for claims submitted against the University and on behalf of the University.
- To provide advice and support to Schools and Services to update their risk registers correctly.
- To support the production of high quality, timely reports required for key University Groups and Committees.
- To provide administrative support to the maintenance and roll out of the University’s business continuity plans.
- To support projects particularly in the use of appropriate project templates and documentation.
Person Specification
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.
Essential
- Educated to SCQF Level 6 (Highers) or similar or equivalent experience.
- Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above.
- Competent in the use of IT packages including MS Excel and MS Word.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrable professional and proactive approach.
- Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
- Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service.
Desirable
- Working knowledge of project management/administration processes and documentation.
- Working knowledge of insurance and/or risk management processes.
- Production of high-quality reporting for senior stakeholders.
- Knowledge of MS Sharepoint.
- Advanced knowledge of MS Excel.
- Experience in organising meetings and events.
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How to Apply
Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system
- Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post
- Full CV
Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Tuesday 21st July 2026.
About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
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