Diary Manager / Business Support Assistant, Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner - £34,183 p.a. + benefits

London

Job Summary

We are currently looking for a Diary Manager / Business Support Assistant in the independent Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner, which is hosted by the MHRA

This is a full-time opportunity, on a fixed term contract until 30th September 2028. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU and some office attendance will be required in this office and in other locations set by the Commissioner. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Who are we?

The Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner (OPSC) is an independent Statutory Office, hosted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Patient Safety Commissioner is accountable to Parliament and appointed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, First Do No Harm, published in July 2020 by Baroness Cumberlege, recommended the establishment of a Patient Safety Commissioner to champion the patient voice and support and encourage the efforts of the healthcare system to improve patient safety around the use of medicines and medical devices. In the Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner (OPSC) we are proud of our purpose – to listen to patients, amplify their voices and drive the system towards the safe use of medicines and medical devices.

Job Description

The Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner is looking for a motivated and highly organised Diary Manager/Business Support Assistant to take up this exciting role supporting the independent Patient Safety Commissioner. This role is essential in ensuring the smooth running of the Commissioner's Office particularly through providing effective and efficient management of the Commissioner's busy diary.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Patient Safety Commissioner, with responsibility for managing her diary.
• Demonstrating good attention to detail to coordinate appointments, meetings, events, and travel arrangements to optimise the Commissioner's schedule and commitments. The postholder will need to be able to look ahead and anticipate any potential conflicts or competing priorities and take the initiative to act to resolve or minimise disruption.
• Ensuring the Patient Safety Commissioner has all the relevant papers and briefing they need for their meetings.
• Supporting the Commissioner's liaison work with senior leaders across government and healthcare organisations, and with patients and patient groups - requiring a person with confident communication skills.
• The post holder will also be expected to provide a varied range of business, administrative and finance support and assistance to the team including assisting with finance processes and reporting, information management and correspondence, coordination and collation of meeting notes for internal and external attendees.
  
  

The Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner is looking for a motivated and highly organised Diary Manager/Business Support Assistant to take up this exciting role supporting the independent Patient Safety Commissioner. This role is essential in ensuring the smooth running of the Commissioner's Office particularly through providing effective and efficient management of the Commissioner's busy diary.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Patient Safety Commissioner, with responsibility for managing her diary.
• Demonstrating good attention to detail to coordinate appointments, meetings, events, and travel arrangements to optimise the Commissioner's schedule and commitments. The postholder will need to be able to look ahead and anticipate any potential conflicts or competing priorities and take the initiative to act to resolve or minimise disruption.

Ensuring the Patient Safety Commissioner has all the relevant papers and briefing they need for their meetings.

Supporting the Commissioner's liaison work with senior leaders across government and healthcare organisations, and with patients and patient groups - requiring a person with confident communication skills.

The post holder will also be expected to provide a varied range of business, administrative and finance support and assistance to the team including assisting with finance processes and reporting, information management and correspondence, coordination and collation of meeting notes for internal and external attendees.

Person specification

Our successful candidate will demonstrate the following.

• Managing a Quality Service - Ability to provide a high-quality administrative and diary management service demonstrating strong attention to detail.
• Making Effective Decisions - Ability to support a senior manager using tact and discretion, particularly in respect of sensitive issues and work.
• Delivering at Pace – Ability to work quickly and collaboratively to progress work and resolve any potential issues that may arise.
• Experience - Experience of communicating clearly, professionally and effectively with a range of stakeholders, including those at a senior level.
• Experience - Experience of organising a busy and varied workload, and responding at pace and with agility to new priorities and demands.
• Technical - Proficient in the use of Microsoft Outlook tools (including meeting creation, calendar management, inbox management, Excel).
  
  

Person Specification:

Method of assessment: A=Application, T=Test, I=Interview, P=Presentation

Behaviour Criteria:

• Managing a Quality Service (A, I)
• Making Effective Decisions (A, I)
• Delivering at Pace (A, I)

Seeing the Bigger Picture (I)

Experience Criteria:

• Experience of providing a high quality service and supporting seniors. (I)
• Experience of communicating clearly, professionally and effectively with a range of stakeholders, including those at a senior level. (A,I)
• Experience of organising a busy and varied workload and responding at pace and with agility to new priorities and demands. (A, I)
  
  

Technical Criteria:

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Outlook tools (including meeting creation, calendar management, inbox management, Excel). (A)
  
  

Strengths Criteria

• Problem Solver (I)
• Organiser (I)
• Efficient (I)
  
  

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification!

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

Alongside your salary of £34,183, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £9,902 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay

Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service

Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP's Pension Service Centre directly on 0300 123 6666

Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance

Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan

Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund

Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)

Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs

On-going learning and development

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.
  
  

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of Managing a Quality Service.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description.

Use of AI in Job Applications

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Closing date: 19th March 2026

Shortlisting date: from 20th March 2026

Interview date: from 28th March 2026

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain Roles Within The MHRA Will Require Post Holders To Have Vaccinations, And In Some Circumstances, Routine Health Surveillance. These Roles Include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens

Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings

Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required

Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

• Name : Victoria Carbutt
• Email : Victoria.carbutt@mhra.gov.uk
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@mhra.gov.uk
  
  

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at Careers@mhra.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk - info@csc.gov.uk - Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ