Job Description

The role

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced EA to join us on a maternity cover contract, working in a strategic role providing EA support to the Head of our Real Estate Department, Head of HR Senior Responsible Business Manager and Operations Director, working closely with and supporting the Operations team. Whilst also providing managerial support to the Support Services manager (SSM) for the Team Assistants (TAs), Personal Assistants (PAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs) in the Real Estate Department.


The successful candidate will be an integral part of the business. We are looking for an experienced EA who can prioritise and delegate effectively, with excellent communication and organisation skills.


Main responsibilities

EA

Providing EA support to the Head of Real Estate, Operations Director, Head of HR and Senior Responsible Business Manager.

Diary and Inbox management

- Manage complex diaries across senior stakeholders, including scheduling meetings, coordinating availability, and resolving conflicts. Oversee inboxes, responding to emails, flagging and escalating where appropriate.

Meeting & event management

- Organise internal and external meetings, including room bookings, catering, and technology setup. Including Real Estate Leadership meetings, quarterly departmental meetings and departmental social events. Prepare agendas and meeting materials, take minutes, and follow up on action points.

Project & Initiative Coordination

- Assist with the coordination of departmental projects and initiatives, including tracking progress and liaising with relevant teams.

Departmental communication

- Drafting and sending correspondence on behalf of the Head of Real Estate where appropriate. Build strong working relationships across the firm, liaising with internal departments such as Finance, Marketing, IT, and Facilities to facilitate efficient working practices. Represent the supported allocation professionally in all interactions, maintaining confidentiality and discretion.

Document, administrative & Data Management

- Prepare presentations, reports, and briefing documents where needed. Organise business trips including travel arrangements, process expenses on behalf of the allocation, approval of holiday requests.

Team Coordinator

Real Estate Team Operations & Support

- Act as the main point of contact between the SSM, Director of Operations , Heads of Teams (HoTs), Head of Department (HoD) and TA/PA/EA RE team. Manage daily team operations and resolve or redirect technical queries. Coordinate PA resource, including absence requests and cover.

Stakeholder Liaison & Communication

- Share regular updates on staff movements and team developments. Represent support services in departmental and business services meetings.

Performance & Talent Management

- Conduct ongoing performance reviews and career development discussions using Performance Leader. Manage underperformance cases, including PIPs and hearings. Support promotion, pay, and bonus reviews in collaboration with HR and leadership.

Recruitment & Onboarding

- Lead recruitment, induction, training, and leaver processes for the TA/PA/EA RE Team.

Process & Project Support

- Assist with support services projects (IT, BD, HR) and collaborate with business services teams to improve processes and implement changes. As well as providing administrative support for operational tools (e.g. BigHand)

Team Engagement

- Drive engagement of the TA/PA/EA RE team through team meetings, one-to-ones, mentoring and other methods.

Operations Coordinator

Reporting

- Liaising with the Director of Operations, HoT, HoD and other stakeholders to create departmental reporting, including the monthly board report for each Department.

Operational projects

- Working with the HoDs and Director of Operations to deliver projects, co-ordinating project inputs and monitoring key milestone (e.g. floor and desk moves).

Meeting management

- Scheduling various meetings including monthly HoD meetings and Operational Leadership Group meetings, including all associated logistics.




About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;

Proven experience as an Executive Assistant supporting senior leaders, ideally within a law firm or professional services environment. Exceptional organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple senior stakeholders and competing demands. Experience managing complex diaries and inboxes, coordinating meetings and events, and preparing high-quality documentation. Team leadership and coordination abilities, including experience managing or supporting administrative teams. Including experience of managing departmental operations processes such as recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and project coordination. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with confidence in drafting correspondence and liaising across departments. Discretion and professionalism in handling sensitive information and representing senior leaders. Proactivity and adaptability, with a solutions-focused mindset and the ability to work independently. High attention to detail, particularly in diary management, meeting coordination, and document preparation. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence across all levels of the business. Familiarity with compiling reports and contributing to operational projects and initiatives.

At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We're committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.


We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we're committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.


We understand that every candidate's needs are different If there's anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable-- whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding--please let us know. We'll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you.


Contact our recruitment team at recruitment@howardkennedy.com to discuss any support you might need.


Agency Introductions

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.


About Us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.


Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.


We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.


Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm's values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.


At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.


As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.




Benefits
Competitive salary 25 days annual holiday Permanent Health Insurance Life Assurance Interest free Season Ticket Loan Private Healthcare Pension Scheme Staff Introductory Scheme * Employee Assistance Programme