Senior Executive Assistant

The Role

Maynooth University is committed to a strategy in which the primary University goals of excellent research and scholarship and outstanding education are interlinked and equally valued.

Maynooth University School of Business’ mission is focused on developing critical thinkers and creating impactful knowledge for our community. The School Office is the first point of contact for our students, faculty, university offices and members of the public in their interactions with the School of Business.

We are seeking an excellent Senior Executive Assistant to join our staff in the School of Business to assist in the administration and support of our suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and research work. This Senior Executive Assistant will join the School as a member of this vital front facing team. It is an exciting opportunity for you to get to know all aspects of the operations of a school and make a positive impact on the lives of students, staff, the university and our external partners.

The successful candidate will work as part of an administration team reporting to the Head of School or designate. This is a challenging position in a busy office and the candidate must be able to demonstrate an ability to work accurately under pressure and independently. The person must be discreet, trustworthy and capable of dealing with confidential material.

The position offered is an excellent opportunity for talented individuals who are keen on making a mark in a growing dynamic School by actively engaging in supporting its ongoing operational needs.

Principal DutiesAdministrative and Other Duties

• Work with the Head of School of Business and Director of Research of the School of Business on financial management of research budgets and projects;

• Work on ad hoc projects supporting research in the School of Business;

• Plan and organise own work and monitor progress towards tasks set by the Head of School and Director of Research;

• Supporting implementation of the research strategy of the School of Business as appropriate;

• Understand the School’s policies, procedures and practices and assist/advise in the administration support for Academic and Research Staff and contract researchers within the School, e.g. support on online payments, guidance on expenses policies, support for research events amongst other activities;

• Supervising and processing of financial/budgetary information as required across School general and research accounts;

• Supporting the administration of research related activities in consultation with the Head of School aligned with the Schools research strategy;

• Supporting interaction between academic and research staff and university systems as appropriate;

• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues across the university;

• Provision of administration support for research students of the School including management of confidential and sensitive documentation relating to personal/medical circumstances etc.;

• Monitoring key dates of the academic calendar and ensuring alignment of all activities with the University Calendar;

• Dealing with research student applications and requests for information, resolving any issues independently, or referring the student to appropriate university support systems as appropriate;

• Data entry and other use of University systems;

• Supporting quality assurance and accreditation activities;

• Participating in on-going training and development, and workshops as opportunities arise;

• Other administrative and organisational tasks as may be required from time to time and allocated by the Head of School or designates.

The Ideal Candidate Will HaveEssential

• Works in a collegial manner to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues across the School and university in line with the university’s principles and values of ‘collegiality, transparency and trust’.

• At least 2 years experience of working in university administration with a knowledge of university expense and payroll systems;

• Experience in expenditure and budgetary processes;

• Excellent IT skills; in particular MS Office suite, electronic file management and the ability to work with highly detailed spreadsheets;

• An ability to learn how to use new information systems effectively;

• An ability to effectively liaise with academic staff, research staff, students and other external stakeholders in a professional manner and maintain the highest professional standards;

• An ability to make decisions and show initiative, knowing when to seek advice and guidance from the Head of School;

• A proactive approach to undertaking tasks and ability to receive and act upon task and performance related feedback;

• A positive, constructive and friendly approach to communication with internal and external stakeholders, especially faculty and university colleagues;

• An ability to exercise discretion with sensitive managerial and ethical data and documentation;

• Excellent time management skills with experience of working in a pressurised environment and experience of working to deadlines in a busy office environment;

• Experience of supervising day to day workflow and have an ability to multi-task with a commitment to working as part of a team;

• An ability to develop administration procedures that effectively manage the evolving needs of our research community;

• A flexible approach in handling a variety of tasks;

• An ability to interact on research engaged projects with other University departments;

• Demonstrated capacity to communicate with empathy, dignity, respect and care for the individual in line with the university’s principles and values of ‘equality, inclusiveness and social justice’.

Faculty and Research Institutes

The Faculty of Social Science comprises the School of Business; Departments of Design Innovation; Economics; Adult and Community Education; Anthropology; Applied Social Studies; Education; Geography; Law; Sociology; the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education.

The role of the Faculty is to co-ordinate the academic activities of individual departments, to oversee the strategic development of departments, and to support interdepartmental activities and programmes.

The University has also developed a number of interdisciplinary Institutes to support excellent research and to build research capacity across disciplines.

The School of Business

The School of Business has grown rapidly in the last seven years in student numbers and research output, supported by an investment in new staff.

Current developments in the School of Business are guided by our 2020–25 Strategic Plan, “Consolidating Growth, Deepening Impact”. At the heart of this strategy is our focus on Quality Assurance, Development, and the Student Experience.

This strategy continues the implementation of our mission, to develop critical thinkers and create impactful knowledge for society. It is informed by our five values: research-informed, practice-engaged, liberal, egalitarian, and sustainable organisations and careers.

Our Faculty and Research

The School of Business community includes approximately 100 faculty and professional service staff coming from over 20 countries, and a small team of occasional lecturers.

Together we support a community of approximately 2,800 full-time equivalent students across 19 undergraduate, 12 taught postgraduate, and three PhD degrees.

Our disciplinary expertise is primarily in the areas of management, marketing, accounting, finance, management information systems (MIS), operations and supply chain.

Students from multiple disciplines work in shared modules, developing shared life experiences and a common language of work.

Tenure

This is a full-time, temporary post, of 2 years duration.

Salary

Senior Executive Assistant (2025): €46,703 – €56,828 p.a. (7 points)

Appointments will be made in accordance with public sector pay provisions.

Hours of Work

A 35-hour working week is in operation in respect of full-time positions (prorated for part-time positions). This can be reviewed or adjusted from time to time through national agreements.