Executive Assistant to the CEO

THE BETTER BUILDINGS PARTNERSHIP (BBP)

The BBP is a not-for-profit collaboration of 40 of the UK’s leading property owners, with over £250bn Assets Under Management, who are working together to improve the sustainability performance of commercial buildings. The BBP is a widely respected and influential organisation within the commercial property sector and has led a number of groundbreaking projects providing both leadership and practical solutions to sustainability challenges for the commercial real estate sector. The BBP has a highly collaborative approach to delivering its programme of work, engaging with its members and a wide range of industry experts, industry bodies and NGOs. You can find out about the BBP here and read the BBP’s Impact Report here.

THE ROLE

We are looking for an Executive Assistant to the CEO of the BBP. The EA will form a close strategic relationship with the CEO by developing a good understanding of the business and what is required to support the CEO, enabling them to focus on the strategic leadership of the organization. Working highly independently, the role requires exceptional organization skills, the ability to liaise closely and work collegiately with other members of the team and excellent communication and engagement skills with the confidence to liaise with a wide range of external stakeholders. The BBP is a small business and the EA role also involves contributing to business administration tasks that the CEO oversees. 

SUMMARY

  • Contract: Permanent
  • Start date: As soon as possible 
  • Place of work: The BBP is a London based organization, employees are currently working from home with travel into London as necessary. The CEO is home based in Gloucestershire. This role could be predominantly virtual, but the candidate will be expected to travel to London and/or Gloucestershire on an occasional basis. 
  • Hours of work: Minimum of 30 hours per week (with the option for full time), with flexibility strongly supported and encouraged.
  • Holidays: (pro rata) 28 days per annum plus bank holidays (plus 1 extra day for each year of service up to a maximum of 5 additional days). 
  • Salary: c£30k+ negotiable depending on experience.
  • Benefits: The BBP offers a range of other benefits including:
    • Pension scheme (5% matched contribution) 
    • Discretionary bonus scheme
    • Health insurance with Vitality
    • Generous annual leave policy
    • Flexible working arrangements & hours 
    • Range of initiaties to support employee health and well being
    • Team volunteering & other initiatives that support our commitment to sustainability

Together with providing an attractive range of benefits and a supportive and friendly working environment, the BBP has a strong commitment to the health and wellbeing of its employees. 

1. CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

The core responsibilities of the role are listed below, it is expected that the PA to the CEO will, over time, develop a significant degree of autonomy in these tasks. 
Diary management:

  • Day to day diary management and forward planning to ensure the most effective use of the CEO’s time. 
    • Keeping the CEO’s diary under constant review making appropriate adjustments for conflicting priorities and short-notice changes where business needs require this.
    • Co-ordinating the CEO’s diary with other members of the team to ensure team management and liaison.
    • Liaising with the team to ensure that the CEO has all the appropriate documentation in advance of meetings. 
  • Meeting coordination:
    • Making all arrangements associated with meetings (attendee availability, venues, meeting rooms, facilities and where relevant, travel arrangements), ensuring all details are taken care of to ensure smooth running, including any meetings with the BBP Board.
    • Acting as the main point of contact for meetings with the CEO and an ambassador for the BBP liaising with all relevant parties – external and internal – throughout.
    • Attendance at meetings to take notes and minutes where required, provide follow-up material and note actions. 
    • Supporting the team in relation to events management. 
  • Task Management 
    • Emal inbox management for the CEO
    • Maintaining an ongoing list of priorities and tasks for the CEO and diarizing time to dedicate to specific tasks and providing regular updates to ensure these are completed to the appropriate deadlines. 
  • Document preparation and management
    • Co-ordination and preparation of documents for the BBP Board meetings including agendas, presentations and supporting materials. 
    • Preparation of presentations for internal and external presentations.
    • Document proof reading for accuracy and conformity with business templates.
    • Document and directory management to ensure version control, adherence to filing conventions and quick and easy retrieval of documents at all times. 
  • Business Administration
    • Booking and managing the CEO’s travel arrangements.
    • Receiving and processing employee expenses forms and requests for leave.
    • Purchasing equipment and materials for the team. 
    • Liaising with accountants concerning payroll, pensions and insurance. 
    • Liaising with the HR Advisor concerning HR issues including the drafting and issuing of employee contracts. 
    • Liaising with the financial manager concerning finance queries and the preparation of financial reports for the CEO.
    • Maintaining the BBP contacts database.
    • Maintaining the Sharepoint site and responding to queries from the team.
    • Supporting the recruitment process and on-boarding of new employees.
    • Be the first point of contact for calls and enquiries to the CEO, including during periods of absence/leave. 

2. QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & CAPABILITIES

The BBP is a highly collaborative organisation and the role will involve working closely with the CEO, BBP Executive Team, BBP Board, members and external stakeholders. We are looking for someone who is incredibly organised, comfortable and capable of working independently, is clear and proactive when communicating, able to make sound judgement calls, good at fostering trusted relationships and has a keen eye for detail in the execution of their responsibilities. 

The BBP is a mission led not for profit business, with a strong focus on the values and impact of the organization. We are looking for someone who shares these principles and understands how these need to be demonstrated in the management of the business and relationships with stakeholders. An interest in sustainability or ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues may be helpful, but not a pre-requisite. 

General attributes that are required for this role are the ability to:

  • Deal appropriately with highly sensitive and confidential information – using discretion at all times.
  • Manage a wide range of tasks and responsibilities simultaneously, planning, prioritizing and working to deadlines. 
  • Use initiative and be confident when working independently and, in time, make decisions and delegate on behalf of the CEO. 
  • Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills working cooperatively and in collaboration with members of the team to help maintain a productive and supportive team environment. 
  • Communicate effectively with the BBP Board, BBP members and other stakeholders maintaining an outgoing and friendly approach at all times and acting as an ambassador for the BBP and the organisation’s values.
  • Be firm and assertive as the situation demands and to remain calm and unflappable in pressured situations.
  • Demonstrate excellent attention to detail and accuracy at all times.
  • A positive and professional attitude and approach to their work, with a proven ability to do what it takes to get the job done.

Specific skills and experience we are looking for in this role are as follows:

  • Previous experience of working in an EA/PA or secretarial role. 
  • Experience of working with senior management/board/CEO, remotely and face to face.
  • A high level of technical skills associated with MS including outlook, word, powerpoint, excel and sharepoint. 
  • Presentation, formatting and appropriate branding of board papers, internal and external presentations and other communications materials.  
  • Document proofing experience, including working with templates.
  • Document management and control.

The role provides an exciting opportunity for an individual with the desire to provide high quality support to the senior leader of an impactful and growing organization. We support all employees to develop their skills through training and professional development, together with an active programme of inter-team learning and knowledge sharing.

To apply for this position, please send a CV and Covering Letter demonstrating your suitability for this role to Sophia Tysoe, s.tysoe@betterbuildingspartnership.co.uk

Executive Assistant to the CEO