Job Description

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APPLICATIONS DETAILS ON IN THE JOB PACK ON OUR WEBSITE: https://healthinnovationsouthwest.com/about-us/careers/

Are you a proactive, highly organised professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment? We're looking for a dynamic Executive Assistant to join our Executive Support team and play a key role in supporting our Executive Directors and senior leaders.

In this varied and fast-moving role, you'll manage complex diaries, coordinate meetings and travel, and support governance processes such as agenda planning, minute-taking, and stakeholder engagement. You'll also provide flexible support across the Executive Team, stepping in during peak periods or absences to ensure continuity.

You'll be the kind of person who anticipates needs before they arise, builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and thrives on juggling multiple priorities. Your ability to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly, and maintain confidentiality will be essential.

We're looking for someone with:

Proven experience supporting senior leaders with complex schedules. Strong governance and stakeholder management skills. Excellent organisational, communication, and IT skills. A proactive, collaborative, and resilient approach.
In return, you'll join a supportive, forward-thinking team where your ideas and initiative are valued. You'll help shape how we work, improve systems and processes, and contribute to a positive team culture.

- Executive Assistant

What you'll do:

As an Executive Assistant, you will play a vital role in ensuring high-quality, adaptable and resilient support to our Executive Team, Senior Managers and Head of Executive Support. Working as part of a proactive and ambitious Executive Support team, this role will include both designated and flexible support across the Executive Team. You will provide direct assistance with complex diary and stakeholder management, governance support and operational delivery.

With a balance of in-office presence and remote working, you will help ensure the Executive Support team remains responsive, well organised and consistent in its support.

You will help us build strong relationships with high profile stakeholders in our region - including CEOs and senior leaders across NHS organisations, universities, industry and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.

Key success factors:

Exceptional organisational skills - ability to manage complex diaries, coordinate multiple priorities, and maintain structure in a fast-paced environment. Proactive and anticipatory mindset - demonstrates initiative by anticipating needs, solving problems before they arise, and staying one step ahead without waiting for instruction. Strong governance and administrative expertise - experience supporting corporate governance processes, including agenda planning, minute-taking, and managing board or committee documentation. Stakeholder relationship management - skilled in building and maintaining professional relationships with senior leaders, external partners, and other executive assistants. Adaptability and resilience - comfortable working across multiple executives, adjusting to different work styles, and staying calm under pressure or during periods of change. Confidentiality and professionalism - maintains discretion and handles sensitive information with integrity, aligned with data protection principles. Collaborative team player - contributes to a positive team culture, shares best practices, and supports colleagues to improve systems and ways of working.

Responsibilities:

Provide our Executive Directors with effective and efficient diary management support, including arranging meetings, travel and accommodation.

Provide support across our core executive and operational governance activities, including: planning meeting dates, coordinating agenda planning, coordinating submission of papers, finalising and distributing papers, capturing meeting actions and minute taking.

Support our Executive Directors to manage key stakeholder relationships, building relationships with key stakeholders' Executive Assistants and diary managers.

Support our senior managers to arrange complex meetings and book travel and accommodation.

Provide advice and guidance to wider staff to enable self-management of personal administrative tasks.

Provide back up support to Head of Executive Support during periods of high workload or absence.

Maintain the highest of confidentiality and discretion, understand and demonstrate data protection principles.

Support the Executive Team with corporate governance tasks including Board and Committee minutes, planning Board papers and any other appropriate task.

Provide floating support across the Executive Team, stepping in during peak times and absences to maintain continuity.

Work primarily in-office to enable face-to-face support when Executives are onsite and to enable agility and efficiency in working with colleagues across the organisation.

Help improve team systems, processes and ways of working through ongoing collaboration and sharing best practice.

What you'll need to succeed:

Experience we are looking for:

Proven track record supporting Executive Directors and senior managers with complex calendars with competing priorities.

Experience supporting corporate governance processes, including preparing agenda plans, capturing meeting actions and minute taking.

Experience managing key stakeholder relationships, including working closely with EAs and PAs of senior executives.

Excellent organisational skills, natural ability to juggle multiple demands and prioritise, with a high level of IT proficiency.

Experience helping others become more self-sufficient through training, knowledge sharing, or coaching in diary and admin management.

Experience working across multiple Executives or functions to provide flexible, responsive administrative support.

Abilities and attributes

Able to use initiative and anticipate and pre-empt support needs without waiting for instruction.

Exceptional organisational and diary management skills.

Excellent people skills and a professional collaborative attitude.

The ability to build relationships at all levels across the business and with external contacts.

Proactive, self-motivated and adaptable to shifting priorities.

High levels of flexibility and resilience in a fast-paced environment.

Strong multitasking ability and capacity to prioritise ever-changing workloads.

Confident under pressure and able to meet deadlines.

Effective problem-solver and decision-maker.

Strong business awareness and commercial acumen.

Confident in stepping into different support roles across the team, adapting to varied Executive work styles and needs.

Able to contribute to a positive, supportive team culture through open communication, knowledge sharing and a commitment to high standards.

Responsible to:

Head of Executive Support with matrix working relationship across the Executive Team

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Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 30,000.00-40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Additional leave Bereavement leave Casual dress Company pension Cycle to work scheme Discounted or free food Enhanced maternity leave Enhanced paternity leave Free flu jabs Free parking Health & wellbeing programme Life insurance On-site parking Paid volunteer time Referral programme Sabbatical Sick pay Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Devon EX2 5FD