Brighton College is seeking to appoint a Personal Assistant to the Head Master on a fixed-term maternity cover contract, commencing in November 2026 for an initial period of one year. The role is term-time (33 weeks) plus an additional six weeks each year (39 weeks in total). There is potential for the contract to be extended or become permanent, subject to business needs and satisfactory performance.
Main Purpose of the Role: To provide comprehensive, proactive and highly confidential executive and administrative support to the Head Master, ensuring the effective management of his time, priorities and commitments and the smooth running of the Head Master’s Office. The postholder will act as a key link between the Head Master, senior leadership, Governors, staff, pupils, parents and external stakeholders.
General Duties and Responsibilities
• Providing proactive executive and PA support to the Head Master, including complex diary and time management.
• Acting as an effective gatekeeper, managing requests, priorities and competing demands with discretion and judgement.
• Preparing correspondence, reports, presentations, briefing papers, speeches and other documentation to a high standard.
• Ensuring the Head Master is fully prepared and briefed for meetings, appointments, events and external engagements.
• Coordinating meetings, interviews, visits and engagements, and following up on resulting actions and deadlines.
• Supporting SMT/SLT and governance processes, including meeting papers, agendas, minutes and action tracking. Acting as a key point of contact for parents, pupils, prospective families, Governors, VIPs and external organisations, including handling sensitive enquiries appropriately.
• Organising and supporting College events, lunches, dinners, and other formal occasions.
• Supporting the Head Master’s external relationships, including schools, organisations and charities, professional contacts, alumni, development and other key stakeholders.
• Undertaking research and preparing background information and briefing material to support the Head Master’s meetings and decision-making.
• Managing confidential and sensitive information relating to pupils, parents, staff, Governors and the College with absolute discretion.
• Organising travel, accommodation, itineraries and logistics for the Head Master.
• Managing the Head Master’s Office administration, including budgets, expenses, invoices, records, databases and filing systems.
• Supporting recruitment and confidential meetings involving the Head Master and senior staff.
• Working closely with other Senior Leadership PAs and colleagues across the College to ensure effective communication and continuity of support.
• Anticipating the Head Master’s needs, identifying potential issues or clashes and proactively resolving matters wherever possible.
• Building and maintaining strong working relationships across the College and representing the Head Master and Brighton College with professionalism, warmth and diplomacy.
• Undertaking other duties appropriate to the seniority and nature of the role as required by the Head Master.
Hours of Work
Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm with a 60-minute unpaid lunch break (40 hours per week), during term-time (33 weeks), plus an additional six weeks (39 weeks total). The total number of weeks to be worked can be discussed further at interview.
This is a fixed-term maternity cover appointment in the first instance, anticipated to start early November 2026 for one year. There is potential for this contract to be extended or to become a permanent position, subject to business needs and performance.
Remuneration
A salary in the range of £32,780 - £35,302 per annum will be offered depending on the successful candidate's skills and experience. The FTE salary range for this role is £39,000 - £42,000 per annum. Please note, the salary banding may change depending on the agreed working weeks.
Holidays
Holiday entitlement is included in the salary for this role. All holiday is to be taken outside of the working weeks.