Executive Officer

BASE LOCATION: Stirling (office-based)

REPORTS TO: Head of HR & Operations

HOURS: Part-time – around 28 hours per week – 4 days per week (although requests for other working patterns/hours will be considered)

The role of Executive Officer sits within the Corporate Services team. The core purpose of this role is as follows:

• To provide high calibre administrative and organisational support to the CEO and other senior managers
• To plan and manage APUC’s key company meetings, events and conferences
• To provide a flexible service to cover a variable range of corporate support and administrative activities, and;
• To lead on corporate communications.

The postholder must be a strong self-starter, with a flexible can-do attitude to work, as this is a key standalone role. They will be required to manage their own workload, use their own initiative and work pro-actively whilst seeking support and guidance when needed in delivering their objectives. The postholder will be required to build strong working relationships with a variety of key stakeholders and build knowledge of the organisation and the landscape in which we operate. 

This role is part of our Corporate Services team and you will regularly interact with the CEO, colleagues from Finance and Business Support but also procurement colleagues from across the Higher and Further Education sector.

This role is offered as a part-time position (preferably 4 days per week Monday-Thursday) but we are happy to discuss other working patterns with applicants.  The postholder will be required to demonstrate flexibility and work additional hours on occasion to provide on-site events management and support. 

What does the role involve?

The role covers Executive Support, Communications and organising company events. 

Executive Support:

• Assist the CEO in the scheduling of key diary appointments including responding to requests for meetings by others as well as the scheduling a number of sector meetings as required
• Assist with travel arrangements for CEO (and where required, other staff although they will normally be covered by another role) as required
• Take, collate and distribute notes, outcomes and actions during meetings
• Manage small projects and other administrative and support activities as required by the company / CEO
• Provide cover for other members of the HR and Operations team from time to time

Communications:

• Build strong relationships internally and externally to build knowledge and awareness of APUC’s core business activity in order to proactively identify opportunities to enhance corporate communications
• Responsible for coordinating and publishing a number of sector communications – such as the APUC weekly sector newsletter (ezine) and quarterly staff newsletter (st-ezine)
• Draft clear, concise and professional written content for use in online publications and presentations
• Develop and maintain partnerships and collaborations with other organisations, such as the UKUPC and the Scottish Government, representing APUC on any relevant Communications forums
• Assist with launching and publicising Framework Agreements and developing materials for both Buyers and Suppliers
• Support brand development – including refreshing internal company communications materials, and raising APUC’s profile for both staff recruitment and supplier engagement purposes
• Act as first point of contact to approve Supplier Press Releases, company logo use requests, and monitor social media tagging by external parties, making suggestions as per our Marketing Guidance for Suppliers
• Contribute to APUC’s social media presence and develop relevant content in line with members preferred communication channels
• Reviewing and updating website content periodically

Events & Conference Management:

• Organise and manage APUC events such as our annual Procurement Networking Conference and Procurement Development / Leadership Workshops including budget management with support of Head of HR & Operations
• Organise attendance by APUC to attend/exhibit at relevant conferences and events and ensure colleagues and speakers have access to appropriate collateral and briefings
• Assist with event planning for internal company events such as company Away Day and Open Forums (currently 3 times per year)
• Project Plan and operationally manage the international UKUPC Conference On University Procurement (COUP) which is yet to be scheduled for 2026 or 2027, including managing exhibition space

What are we looking for?

As a standalone role, we are looking for someone who will thrive in an autonomous environment and can take the lead with projects and tasks, seeing them through to conclusion but seeking advice and support when needed.

We are seeking someone who has experience of providing corporate support in any of the key areas of executive support, organising meetings and/or events, or drafting corporate communications of any type. You should also have excellent written communication and proofreading skills and should be able to demonstrate that you can write effectively for a professional audience. Key requirements of the role are as follows:

• Excellent written communication skills
• Have the ability to verbally communicate eloquently and confidently with stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to effectively proofread to a high level of accuracy
• Experienced at organising events and lead on the associated communications
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Persuasion/influencing skills with a range of stakeholders
• Of curious mind with an interest in developing knowledge of the procurement landscape and of the value to society that public procurement can bring

What can we offer you?

We can offer you a friendly, professional and supportive working environment.  Our circa 95 colleagues are spread across Scotland but the leadership team is mainly based in Stirling which will be your base. You also have key internal stakeholders based in Edinburgh and Glasgow – so you will need to travel to these locations and other locations across Scotland and the rest of the UK from time-to-time (expenses will be paid). There are opportunities throughout the year to meet all colleagues both online and in-person.

We can offer flexibility within your working pattern with flexible start and end times. This role will be office-based from Stirling, although some working from home may be possible from time-to-time. Our Stirling office is our company Headquarters and the normal place of work for the CEO, People & Operations team, Finance team, Head of Strategic Sourcing and a number of other colleagues.

We have a suite of other benefits available – details are available on our Careers page. Parking is available on a rotational basis, with priority given to those based in the office more often.  

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above.