Executive Assistant to CEO Saint Marylebone, England
Job description
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Line Management: Executive Assistant
Location: Work remotely but commutable to London/Bristol on occasions
Salary: £38,900 - per annum (based on WA pay scale points 41 + ILW of £3,483.94)
Reports to: CEO
Length of contract: Permanent, 37 hours per week
Closing Date: 17th April 2023
Interviews: To be confirmed
MAIN PURPOSE OF POST
Work closely with the Chief Executive (CEO) and support her with the practicalities of achieving Women’s Aid strategic and operational objectives.
Provide high level confidential administrative, secretarial and diary management support to the CEO.
Deliver high quality, proactive, organisational governance and planning support to the Women’s Aid Board of Trustees and subcommittees.
Line management of the Executive Assistant.
DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION
Provide a professional, comprehensive and high-quality executive support to the CEO, including time, diary and email management, travel and accommodation arrangements, expenses, event planning, organising and providing support to meetings, drafting appropriate correspondence and document production.
Play an effective and appropriate role as the primary point of contact for the CEO’s office. Deal with incoming emails and other communications. Coordinate all queries into the CEO’s office by working with the senior leadership team and other staff to ensure appropriate and timely responses.
Support the CEO to manage appointments with her direct reports (x11) and track workstreams and necessary follow-up
To manage and respond to the organisation’s requests for public and speaking engagements, in consultation with the CEO and relevant senior managers, and identify appropriate representatives as required.
To ensure that the CEO is appropriately prepared for all meetings, events and discussions; collating information for briefings, presentations and reports in liaison with the senior leadership team.
Support the CEO in the delivery of her internal communications role by working closely with relevant colleagues.
Fully service regular management meetings and have responsibility for the quality of the administrative arrangements by proof reading, formatting and collating papers and reports, preparing agendas, taking minutes and chasing up action points.
Organise and manage the CEO’s contact with the chair, vice chair and trustees as required, including the arrangement of regular catchups between the CEO and chair and provide any ad hoc support for the non-Executive members in their role as members of the Board and/or committees.
Providing project administration support and management of discreet pieces of work relating to the executive office, in line with organisational policies.
Communicating with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the executive team and maintaining excellent relationships.
To support the CEO at events as required.
GOVERNANCE & SECRETARIAT SUPPORT TO THE BOARD
To support the CEO and the leadership team in the preparation of agendas and papers for board, sub committees and other meetings, and to attend and take minutes as required.
To be responsible for arranging board and subcommittee meetings and associated travel, accommodation and refreshments, as required.
To support the CEO and trustees in all aspects of constitutional administration including, but not limited to, arranging and overseeing the Board of Trustees recruitment, induction, appraisal and training; organisation of AGM; Memorandum of Association; Governance Framework; and registration information with Companies House and The Charity Commission, and other associated bodies.
To be responsible for updating of the organisational risk register and Board Assurance Framework and other quarterly reporting, in liaison with the departmental managers and Executive Management team.
To manage, with the Chair, CEO and People and Culture Team the processes for trustee and committee member recruitment
To oversee the subcommittee structure and activities.
To review and revise governance policies and procedures, identifying improvements and opportunities to streamline procedures, in collaboration with the Director of Corporate Resources.
To maintain the governance registers in collaboration with the Director of Corporate Resources (Company Registers, Risk Registers, Declarations of Interest, Gifts and Hospitality, Attendance Registers etc.).
To manage the Governance budget and associated expenditure.
Provision of high-level support to the CEO in achievement and management of the annual business planning cycle, along with supporting the creation, monitoring and achievement of the organisational strategies.
LINE MANAGEMENT
To carry out management, supervision, appraisal and development of direct report as required.
Responsibility for overseeing the support provided by the Assistant EA to the Executive Leadership Team and prioritising work streams and load accordingly.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
To develop and proactively maintain a comprehensive, strategic and operational understanding of the organisation in order to be able to fully support the work of the CEO.
To maintain clear and adequate records of work done and to produce reports on work programmes and activities as required by the CEO.
To contribute to team meetings and organisational priorities, to prepare and participate in supervision and appraisal meetings.
To take direction on projects and priorities from the CEO, which may vary from time to time.
To abide by all organisational policies, codes of conduct and practice, and to ensure this is carried out throughout the charity, and to work within a framework of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.
To be flexible within the broad remit of the post.
OTHER
The job description for this post will be reviewed regularly to meet organisational priorities.
This job involves occasional travel throughout England. Occasional evenings, weekends and unsociable hours are required.
Note: The nature of our work within Women’s Aid means that all posts may have contact with survivors either directly or indirectly and their accounts of trauma from domestic abuse/violence. This is of particular relevance in this role. Our mission is to provide safe spaces for women to be able to share their stories and feel supported by other women.
EXPERIENCE
Essential:
Experience of providing a confidential service and operating with discretion at all times and in a fast paced and agile environment
Extensive experience of providing executive assistance, secretarial or administrative support to individuals or a team (or similar), with experience of a Senior PA role at Board or Trust level
Experience of independently providing secretariat duties and meeting management to governing boards and committees, ideally within the not-for-profit sector.
Governance experience - managing a governance function in the not-for-profit sector, through holding a lead governance role in a small organisation or by managing aspects of governance in a larger organisation.
Extensive experience of stakeholder management - experience of liaising with a variety of individuals, organisations, and service providers at all levels resulting in good relationship building and communication skills
Experience of researching and preparing reports, presentations, letters and other documents
Desirable:
- Experience of project or event management
- Experience of management/supervision of a direct report
SKILLS & ABILITIES
Essential:
Ability to effectively digest and summarise complex information, in order to communicate key priorities.
Excellent time management and organisation skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and to work to deadlines.
Excellent minute taking skills.
Effective line management skills.
Excellent written communication skills, with a fluent writing style and good knowledge and practical use of the English language and grammar.
Ability to act with tact, diplomacy and confidentiality whilst dealing with personal and/or sensitive issues.
Resilience and the ability to tactfully manage the competing demands on the time of those senior staff being supported.
Excellent organisational skills and stakeholder management
Able to think about practical and business impacts of how the diary is managed and when it is appropriate to reject or accommodate changes
Excellent IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
A keen eye for detail and to ensure high standards whilst working under pressure.
Confident, professional and calm with demands.
Ability to learn on the job and to develop a thorough understanding about Women’s Aid
Proactive self-starter and use of initiative to resolve problems and create prompt solutions
KNOWLEDGE
Essential:
A clear and appropriate understanding of the role in relation to the CEO, and the governance framework
An understanding of good governance and compliance practice for charities
Desirable
A basic understanding of the experiences, needs and effects of domestic abuse and violence on women and children.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
n/a
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential:
Able to demonstrate a commitment and sensitivity of the aims and objectives of Women’s Aid and to mirror our values
Commitment to feminist behaviours
Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities
Willingness to work occasional unsocial hours as required.
SUMMARY OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Terms of appointment: Confirmation of appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary period. This will normally be of six months (less for short term contracts). During this time an employee will be expected to establish their suitability for the post. During the probationary period employment may be terminated in writing, giving one week's notice by either party (this may be waived by mutual agreement). Only any statutory dismissal procedure will apply during the probationary period. There is no probationary period for contracts of under 3 months.
Salary: £38,900 per annum (on an incremental scaled guided by the WA pay scale point 41 + ILW of £3,483.94). Salary is paid in arrears through bank credit by the 25th of each month.
Working hours: The standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week; benefits include a generous bank holiday and annual leave package and contributory pension scheme.
Support and supervision: Women’s Aid has a commitment to providing regular supervision and support to staff with annual appraisals forming a key part of staff development. We have a training policy in place and encourage staff to take an active role in their career development plan.
Pension: Women’s Aid is enrolled with the People’s Pension scheme. Women’s Aid normally contributes 7% of salary and the employee contributes 3% towards the group pension scheme. Eligible staff will be automatically enrolled on the scheme when they have successfully completed the 3 month interim probationary review.
Annual Leave: Women’s Aid offers an annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year rising by one day per year until 30 days annual leave per year is reached. In addition, we offer 8 days public holidays plus 2 additional days in March and August. All leave entitlement is calculated pro-rata for part time employees.
Other leave: Employees have contractual rights to time off for reasons of sickness, maternity and other circumstances.
Period of notice: 1 month after your probationary period has been completed.
Union: You have a right to membership of a trade union. Women’s Aid recognises Unison.
Asylum and Immigration Act 1996: To confirm your right to work in the UK, Women’s Aid will need to see the original of at least one document from a specified list (available on the UK Government website).
Additional information is available on request.
