Executive Assistant – Research England
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
Salary: £37,841 per year
Contract: Fixed-term, 12-month parental cover
Hours: Full-time
Employer: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – Research England
Workplace: Westward House, Lime Kiln Close, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SR
Job Reference: 2907
Closing Date: 4 October 2026 at 11:55 PM
Visa Sponsorship: Not available
Research England is recruiting an experienced Executive Assistant to provide proactive and comprehensive support to members of its Senior Leadership Team in Bristol.
This hybrid role would suit an experienced Personal Assistant or Executive Assistant who is confident working in a fast-paced environment, managing competing priorities and supporting senior leaders with discretion, accuracy and initiative.
The successful candidate will work closely with senior colleagues and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders while developing an understanding of Research England’s policy areas.
Job Details
- Job title: Executive Assistant
- Organisation: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- Division: Research England
- Salary: £37,841
- Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
- Working arrangement: Hybrid
- Contract: Fixed-term, 12-month parental cover
- Hours: Full-time
- Job reference: 2907
- Closing date: 4 October 2026, 11:55 PM
About the Role
The Executive Assistant will provide high-quality, proactive support to members of Research England’s Senior Leadership Team.
The role involves managing complex and fast-moving agendas, helping senior leaders stay informed and ensuring they can focus effectively on key priorities. The successful candidate will be expected to anticipate upcoming issues, gather intelligence and carry out horizon scanning where required.
This is a varied role requiring excellent organisation, communication, confidentiality and attention to detail, as well as the ability to build trusted relationships across the organisation and with external stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
- Provide comprehensive and proactive support to members of the Senior Leadership Team.
- Act as a key link between senior leaders and teams across Research England.
- Work with the Executive Services team to ensure senior leaders are prepared and focused on priorities.
- Monitor upcoming issues and decisions and identify matters requiring urgent attention.
- Manage administrative activities to a high professional standard and within required timescales.
- Maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
- Manage senior leaders’ diaries, meetings and travel arrangements.
- Prioritise competing demands on senior leaders’ time.
- Monitor correspondence and emails and redirect queries to the appropriate colleagues.
- Respond on behalf of senior leaders where appropriate.
- Escalate issues when necessary and maintain accurate records and audit trails.
- Build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at different levels.
Requirements / Person Specification
Applicants should have significant experience working as a Personal Assistant or Executive Assistant, ideally providing high-quality support to senior staff.
The role requires:
- Strong planning and prioritisation skills.
- The ability to manage competing demands and changing priorities.
- Confidence working with senior colleagues and stakeholders.
- Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to produce accurate correspondence tailored to different audiences.
- Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
- A professional and calm approach when working under pressure.
- Resilience when dealing with conflicting or changing priorities.
- The ability to use initiative and work independently.
- A flexible and creative approach to solving problems.
- The ability to adapt quickly and manage ambiguity.
- Strong relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.
- The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- Discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information.
Salary & Benefits
UKRI offers a range of benefits designed to support employees’ wellbeing and work-life balance, including:
- £37,841 annual salary.
- 30 days’ annual leave.
- 10.5 public and privilege holidays.
- Flexible working hours.
- An exceptional average salary pension scheme.
- Social and sporting activities and societies.
- A subsidised restaurant.
- Employee shopping and travel discounts.
- Salary-sacrifice cycle-to-work scheme.
Working Pattern
This is a full-time hybrid position based at Westward House, Lime Kiln Close, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SR.
Visa / Right-to-Work
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
UKRI states that the job does not meet the UK Government’s minimum criteria for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status. Applicants who are not already eligible to work in the UK will therefore not be eligible for sponsorship for this role.
Shortlisted candidates must provide identification and original documents confirming that they hold, or can obtain, the right to work in the UK.
Applicants can check their UK immigration eligibility through the official UK Government visa service.
Application / Selection Process
Applications must be submitted online.
Candidates should provide:
- A current CV.
- A covering letter explaining how they meet the essential criteria.
- A clear explanation of their motivation for applying to UKRI and the role.
The job reference number 2907 should be included in the filename of each uploaded document.
UKRI states that applications may not be considered if they fail to address the specified criteria or do not include a covering letter.
Candidates should ensure that all examples and statements are truthful, accurate and based on their own experience. UKRI notes that applications may be rejected where plagiarism is identified.
Shortlisting and interviews will assess the stated essential criteria, including experience supporting senior staff, communication, planning, prioritisation, attention to detail, resilience, problem-solving, initiative and adaptability.
Successful candidates will also be required to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS) as part of the pre-employment process.
Closing Date
4 October 2026 at 11:55 PM
Applications should be submitted before the closing deadline.
About Research England and UKRI
Research England is one of the councils within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is responsible for UKRI’s England-only functions relating to university research and knowledge exchange.
Its work includes funding English universities, supporting the research base, developing the Research Excellence Framework in partnership with UK higher education funding bodies, and supporting research and knowledge-exchange initiatives.
UKRI brings together the UK’s research councils, Research England and Innovate UK to support research, innovation and scientific development across the country.
How to Apply
Eligible candidates should apply through the official UKRI Careers vacancy for Executive Assistant – Job Reference 2907.
When applying, make sure your CV and covering letter directly address the essential criteria and include the job reference number in the relevant document filenames.