Executive Assistant (Group Ceo Office)

Executive Assistant to the Group CEO and Executive Team
Good Things Foundation operates a hybrid working model, where you will have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the UK with an excellent broadband connection.  However, you must be comfortable working in our Sheffield office at least one day per week to get a feel for how we work and meet staff face to face, as this role is very much at the heart of the company.  Travel to Sheffield to fulfil your role duties will not be reimbursed.
In this role you may occasionally travel in the UK - primarily between Sheffield and London.
Applications are encouraged from candidates who wish to work flexibly.  We want to get the right candidate for the role and will discuss flexibility of work patterns including full or part-time and a term-time only role.  A minimum of three days per week is expected.
Good Things Foundation is a social change organisation seeking a world where everyone can benefit through digital. We are mission-led and all our work helps us to deliver our ambitious goal to support 1 million people by 2025.

You want to make good things happen with digital technology and raise awareness of digital social inclusion - in the UK and globally, actively promoting solutions to make a difference. 

This is an exciting opportunity to work directly for and with the Group Chief Executive, Helen Milner OBE, to ensure that Good Things Foundation continues to create impact and innovate. Your job is to manage Helen’s diary and day to day workload with her to ensure best use of her time through effective planning and travel and meeting management. You will also be supporting her and the Board’s governance, maximising her availability for external stakeholder activities and ensuring a balance with her role on the senior leadership team and visibility and access for all staff.  You will also be expected to communicate to key stakeholders and staff on Helen’s behalf. 

Working very closely with the People and Culture team, you will support Helen in championing our culture and embedding our values.

You will also support the work of our Board of Trustees, coordinating board meetings and making the necessary arrangements, as well as supporting company-wide activities.
Ideally, you will already have experience as a PA, Executive Assistant or in an administration role working with senior management or leadership teams. You must be used to juggling multiple responsibilities and priorities and be able to manage your own time and the time of the Group CEO. You should have exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills.
You will not be afraid to suggest improvements or challenge constructively where the situation requires and you must enjoy being curious about why we do the things we do or why we work the way we do and how we can do things better.

You will thrive at being responsive and flexible to unexpected and unplanned requests and will relish the opportunity to engage with senior (and sometimes publicly known) stakeholders.

This is a critical role at the centre of our organisation, which has to work flexibly to deliver high quality support to our CEO and occasionally the wider Executive team.

The role is part of the wider Corporate Services function and reports for line management and pastoral support to the People and Culture Manager.

Your key responsibility areas are: 

Organisational Support to the Group Chief Executive/Senior Leadership Team

• Inbox management - responding to requests for meetings/speaking invitations etc and organising the necessary details and logistics with the Group CEO and with the internal or external stakeholder 

• Shadowing the Group CEO at meetings and presentations, taking minutes and proactively following up where appropriate

• Maximising the time available for the Group CEO, through managing and responding to requests for documents, papers, quotes, passing on information, setting up meetings, sourcing alternative work spaces/arrangements etc if travelling 

• Liaising with other internal departments as required for press enquiries, requests for blogs, quotes etc and providing and/or commissioning appropriate briefings or other prior activities to ensure an opportunity is maximised

• Booking travel and hotels and processing expense claims, as required and sourcing the most appropriate and cost effective options, in line with our budgetary restrictions and the CEO’s other commitments that day

• Recommending improvements that will bring increased efficiency or effectiveness to the Group CEO’s work

• Planning the schedule and agendas of regular Senior Leadership team meetings and away days, ensuring agendas reflect the priorities of the team, taking minutes where required

• Ensuring Helen’s contacts with stakeholders and partners are logged appropriately in our CRM systems 

People and Culture - Organisational Support for organisational internal activities

• Organising company activities such as the company summer picnic, Christmas party and regular virtual and face to face meetings. Coordinating all arrangements from agenda preparation and circulation to drafting slides and booking venues and refreshments

• Responsibility for coordinating the weekly company communication news update that goes to all staff

• Completing any administration requests from the People and Culture Manager

Supporting the Governance of the charity

• Scheduling and organisation of virtual and face to face meetings. Board, Committee and Governance Committees convene approximately 7 times per year. This includes liaising with the Australian CEO’s Executive Assistant where required

• Preparation of Board and other Committee papers ensuring Agenda’s, action logs and reports and minutes are issued in a timely manner and chasing actions and commissioning papers in good time

• Taking minutes during the meetings

• Standardising, reviewing board papers for grammatical accuracy and consistency before distribution

• Coordinating all arrangements for meetings such as room booking, refreshments, evening activities etc including supporting other ad hoc board activity as needed such as travel and accommodation booking etc

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Working as a PA or EA (or similar) and supporting senior staff in a fast-paced dynamic organisation. Being able to balance competing demands from staff and/or stakeholders with conflicting deadlines

• Managing sensitive and confidential information

• Meeting management and minute taking

• A self-starter, able to work independently and come up with innovative solutions to resolve blockers

• Using online systems to make bookings/sourcing accommodation and travel

• Proactive and collaborative management of a busy inbox - either overseeing an inbox on behalf of another individual or using a shared inbox etc

Desirable

• Organising larger scale (up to 65 people) meetings and events

• Familiarity with business reports and papers

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Excellent time management and organisational skills with a strong ability to prioritise and plan a complex and varied workload

• Great team player, who builds respect and trust across the organisation

• Adaptable and able to work at pace and learn quickly

• Proactive and confident

• Excellent communication and organisational skills, including a high level of written communication skills

• Strong writing and proof-reading skills and attention to detail

• Strong IT skills (email, documents, presentations) are essential  with accurate and well-presented typing skills and the ability to draft correspondence and presentations independently and to tight deadlines

Desirable 

• Strong commitment to digital and social inclusion

Benefits Include

• 30 days holiday per year plus statutory bank holidays (pro rata for part time)

• 10% Employer contribution to a personal stakeholder pension scheme (when you contribute 5%)

• Option to exchange 5% of your pension contribution for a 4.1% salary increase (offered as opt in twice a year)

• Up to £500 contribution for work related training (or £200 for personal development and £300 for work related training)

• Life assurance (4 x salary) and income protection

• Enhanced sickness and maternity pay (subject to qualifying criteria)

• Confidential Employee Assistance helpline

• Flexible and hybrid working

• All employees with contracts of six months or more are invited to be a Member of the Good Things Foundation Staff Led Mutual. This gives you voting rights for Staff Board Directors and at the AGM (Annual General Meeting).

Please return your CV and covering letter outlining your suitability for the position to recruitment@goodthingsfoundation.org by the closing date of Sunday, 24th March at 11:55pm.
Applications which do not include both a CV and covering letter will not be considered.
We would be grateful if you would also complete our Equality and Diversity form to help us monitor our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. This can be found on our vacancies page - www.goodthingsfoundation.org/jobs/