Executive Assistant -FTC

EA to Chief People Officer – FTC 12mths

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Executive Assistant to join our Group People team, providing dedicated support to our Chief People Officer (CPO) and HR Leadership Team.

This is a high-profile role at the heart of the People function, where you'll act as a trusted partner, ensuring the smooth running of a busy executive office while helping to drive key People priorities across the business.

You'll be an exceptional organiser, confident managing competing priorities, building relationships with senior stakeholders, and handling sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.

About the role

As Executive Assistant to the Chief People Officer, you'll provide proactive, high-quality support across diary management, stakeholder coordination, meeting administration and business planning activities.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing a complex and fast-paced executive diary, ensuring time is prioritised effectively and aligned to strategic business objectives.
• Proactively managing correspondence and inbox activity, identifying priorities and progressing actions.
• Coordinating leadership meetings, offsites, events and conferences, ensuring agendas, papers, attendees and logistics are seamlessly managed.
• Supporting the HR Leadership Team through meeting administration, action tracking and follow-up activity.
• Building strong relationships with senior leaders, Executive Committee members, Board stakeholders, Executive Assistants and external contacts.
• Managing travel arrangements, accommodation, itineraries, site visits and event logistics.
• Supporting People projects and initiatives by coordinating information, reports and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Processing expenses, invoices and purchase orders accurately and on time.
• Handling highly confidential and sensitive information with integrity and discretion.
• Producing high-quality documentation, presentations, meeting packs, minutes and correspondence.
• Anticipating business needs, spotting emerging priorities and ensuring the Chief People Officer is well prepared and informed.

What we're looking for

You'll be an experienced Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant who is comfortable operating at Director or Executive level within a fast-paced corporate environment.

You'll also have:

• Significant experience supporting senior leaders or Executive-level stakeholders.
• Outstanding organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Experience managing confidential and sensitive information.
• Confidence working autonomously and exercising sound judgement.
• The ability to manage multiple demands while remaining calm under pressure.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of governance processes.
• Advanced Microsoft 365 skills, particularly Outlook, Teams and Word.
• Intermediate Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Our ideal candidate

You'll be:

• Proactive, organised and solutions focused.
• Professional, trustworthy and discreet.
• Positive, approachable and collaborative.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with changing priorities.
• Confident influencing and communicating with stakeholders at all levels.
• Committed to continuous improvement and delivering an exceptional service experience.

Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant's criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks. 

To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting 

Our commitments: 

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.  We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work.  As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme.  Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at recruitment@wates.co.uk