Virtual Assistant | Project Manager | Strategic Operations

Bright orange font in handwriting style says take control of your admin

Calm, competent admin and operations support for consultants, ex-academics and small businesses working in and around higher education.

Running a knowledge-based business is rewarding but it’s also demanding. Between clients, projects, deadlines and decision-making, the admin and behind-the-scenes tasks can pile up fast.

That’s where I come in.

I’m Jen Gibbard, a Virtual Assistant (VA) and operational support partner with a background in university professional services. I help sole traders and small teams connected to the higher education sector stay organised, responsive and focused.

Whether you need regular support, help with a specific project, or a one-off strategy session to untangle something messy, I’m here to bring clarity, structure and breathing space to your work.

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What other people say about me

  • Jennifer is a jewel in a project team with her ability to understand the big picture swiftly and create systems and solutions to enable the smooth running of complex projects with mutliple layers of stakeholders.

    Katy, Project Manager, University of York

  • I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jen. She was a supportive colleague, with impressive planning, organisational and problem-solving skills.

    Claire, Communications Manager, University of Oxford

  • I can't recommend Jen enough. The project we worked on together was often challenging, ever-changing and fast-growing. There were new issues emerging on an almost daily basis and the need for a level-headed, super-organised and innovative, positive co-ordinator was essential to the successful running of our operation. Jen was all of those things.

    Victoria, Academic Skills Lead, University of York

  • Jen has been a joy to work with and brought much needed support and organisation at a very busy time for our company. She took on multiple projects with varying needs and was always calm and considerate in her approach to our clients and with her colleagues, always with an excellent dose of good humour.

    Rachael, Consultant

  • Jen played a crucial role in our small team while we navigated our way through a transition. Her problem solving and admin skills are second to none! She supported our team with diary management, travel arrangements, recruitment, figuring out solutions for our hybrid team and writing up excellent notes from meetings for which I am forever grateful for. It's been an absolute pleasure working with her!

    Monika, Assistant Director

  • I worked with her for 3 years or so on a project which she totally ran and managed. This was a challenging new PhD program which required new processes and thinking and working with diverse external partners. Jen did a fantastic job in this role, making everything run seamlessly for us.

    Gavin, Professor, Umiversity of York

  • I am so grateful to have met Jen. She is thoughtful, warm, and effective - an unrivalled combination. I can’t speak highly enough of how good it is to work with her; she does exactly what she says she is going to and is so clear in her communications. If I could give ten stars I would.

    Alice, Founder and CEO

  • It was really hard to find a person who understood quickly what the project I was working on was about. She let me talk, lay out ideas and through her responses helped me clarify what I could do. I knew I could trust Jennifer. It’s a rare person who has both technical competence and the ability to see another person’s world through their eyes.

    Michael, Club Secretary

  • Incredibly efficient, organised and diligent. With a keen eye to improve, Jen tends to enhance any project she's given. Top banana!

    James, Board Director