Executive Administrator

SALARY SCALE: €46,710 - €67,018 p.a

JOB DESCRIPTION

OVERALL JOB PURPOSE:

The Corporate Secretary’s Office is the University’s central governance, compliance and assurance hub. It provides independent, institution‑wide oversight and coordination across several core domains: governance and statutory compliance, Legal Services, Information and Compliance (Data Protection and Freedom of Information), Risk Management, and the University Curator. The Office supports the Governing Authority and its committees, manages key statutory and regulatory obligations, maintains oversight of policies and governance frameworks, and ensures that the University operates with integrity, transparency and accountability in accordance with the Universities Act, 1997 as amended by the Higher Education Act, 2022.

The Office acts as a trusted adviser to senior leadership and serves as a focal point for interactions with oversight bodies, regulators and external stakeholders. It ensures that governance processes, compliance obligations and institutional assurance requirements are delivered to a high standard. Within this context, the Executive Administrator plays a central role in enabling the effective operation of the Office. The appointee will provide high‑quality administrative, secretarial and governance support to the Corporate Secretary; manage communications and correspondence; support committee servicing; maintain governance registers and compliance documentation; uphold rigorous records management practices; support governance software; and coordinate task flow between the Corporate Secretary’s Office functions, ensuring actions are assigned, monitored and completed.

Working in the Corporate Secretary’s Office offers a unique vantage point on the University’s affairs at every level. It is a fast‑paced, high‑standards environment, and the experience gained here is recognised across the University as both valuable and career‑enhancing.

We welcome applications from individuals who are committed to high standards of professional excellence and who wish to contribute to the work of a strategically important University office.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Governance

• Provide high‑level administrative and secretarial support to the Corporate Secretary, including managing all incoming and outgoing communications, preparing correspondence and briefing materials and ensuring prompt follow‑up.
• Act as a key liaison with the President’s Office in scheduling governance‑related meetings concerning the Chancellor, coordinating diaries, managing sensitive engagements and supporting formal University events involving governance stakeholders.
• Provide full secretariat support to assigned Governing Authority sub‑committees, including preparation and circulation of agendas and papers through OneAdvanced, minute‑taking to a professional standard, monitoring completion of actions and supporting committee chairs.
• Under the direction of senior officers, maintain statutory and governance registers including the Register of Interests, the Register of Resolutions and other assigned registers, ensuring accuracy, completeness and timely updates.
• Support the annual collection of compliance documentation from Governing Authority members, including Ethics in Public Office Act returns, declarations and any related follow-ups, e.g. audit.
• Support the maintenance and effective use of governance software tools, including OneAdvanced for meetings management and updating of risk registers.
• Support maintain and monitor the governance compliance calendar, ensuring deadlines, reporting cycles and statutory requirements are tracked, communicated and met.
• Serve as the public-facing point of contact for the Corporate Secretary’s Office, providing a professional, responsive and collegiate service to internal and external stakeholders

Coordination Across Corporate Secretary’s Office

• Facilitate communication and workflow between the Corporate Secretary and the “function” leads including Legal Services, Information & Compliance (Data Protection and FOI), Risk Management and the University Curator.
• Support the Corporate Secretary in the allocation and tracking of tasks across the Office, ensuring clarity of assignment and follow‑through.
• Maintain oversight of outstanding actions from across the Corporate Secretary’s Office functions, coordinating reminders, follow‑ups and scheduling to support timely completion.
• Contribute to integrate work‑planning by monitoring deadlines, aligning cross‑office requirements and supporting clear communication channels.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to compile and present indexed document briefs in a clear, structured and professional manner for use by legal advisers, auditors or oversight bodies.
• Maintain the strictest standards of confidentiality and discretion in dealing with governance, legal, compliance and personnel matters.
• Support the implementation and maintenance of a Quality Management System within the Office under the direction of senior officers and the assigned Quality Lead, including documentation control and filing, SOP maintenance, internal reviews and process mapping.
• Apply strong records management discipline, ensuring all documentation is well organised, version‑controlled and auditable.
• Maintain and support updates to the Corporate Secretary’s SharePoint site, website and shared drives with accuracy and attention to version control.

• Assist with procurement and logistical arrangements including raising purchase orders, processing invoices and arranging appropriate catering and facilities for governance meetings and events.
• Work effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities and consistently deliver work to high standards within tight deadlines.
• Undertake additional duties and governance‑related projects as assigned.

CONTEXT:

Key Working Relationships & Contacts

• Reports to the Corporate Secretary and Manager, Governance.
• Works in close coordination with Legal Services, Information & Compliance, Risk Management and the University Curator.
• Engages directly with the Chancellor, President’s Office, members of the Governing Authority, Executive Committee and senior University units.

Working Environment/Special Circumstances

• Normal office environment.
• Must be available to work additional hours as necessary to meet governance and statutory deadlines.
• Mandatory 3 days per week office attendance in accordance with current University policies, it being understood that (a) this requirement may change and (b) a greater in-office presence may be required from time to time as the needs of the office dictate.

Job Boundaries

• Provide professional administrative, secretarial and organisational support to ensure efficient and effective governance operations.
• Work with a reasonable degree of independence within defined responsibilities, escalating appropriately.
• Prioritise workloads and ensure meticulous attention to detail.
• Maintain strict confidentiality at all times.
• Contribute to operational planning, quality assurance and process improvements.
• Support the development and maintenance of governance tools, documentation and processes.

DIMENSIONS:

Budget - Process Governing Authority‑related expenses under the direction of the Manager, Governance.

Staff - No direct staff supervision required at present.

Customer - Manage relationships and communicate with key stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation.

Operational & Administration - Support the delivery of the Governing Authority’s work programme and ensure coordination and tracking of work across the Corporate Secretary’s Office functions.

KNOWLEDGE, FUNCTIONAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge

• Senior‑level administration in a higher education or similarly regulated environment. Desirable
• Managing operations within a busy governance or executive office. Desirable
• UL policies, procedures and organisational structures. Desirable
• Agresso, Drupal and SharePoint. Essential
• A working knowledge of Canva would also be an advantage. Desirable

Functional/Work-based Skills

• Strong governance orientation with attention to compliance, accuracy and risk awareness. Essential
• Excellent writing skills, particularly for minutes, correspondence and reports. Essential
• High proficiency in MS Office and governance platforms including SharePoint and OneAdvanced. Essential
• Ability to exercise confidentiality, discretion and sound judgement. Essential
• Strong organisational and time‑management skills with the capacity to manage multiple deadlines. Essential
• High‑quality communication, interpersonal and customer service skills. Essential
• Strong document management and records discipline. Desirable

Experience

• A minimum of five years’ substantial administrative experience in a demanding, complex environment. Essential
• Candidates with directly relevant experience in governance, legal, compliance or executive ‑ level administration may be considered with fewer years’ experience, where the depth and relevance of that experience clearly demonstrate the required capability. Essential
• Proven experience in minute‑taking and agenda/meeting management. Essential
• Experience liaising with senior internal and external stakeholders. Essential
• Experience in governance or legal environment. Desirable

Qualifications

• Higher‑education/professional/technical qualification or substantial relevant experience in a third‑level environment. Essential