Job Description

Description

Purpose

We are looking for an experienced personal assistant to work directly with our practice founder, Sir David Chipperfield, supporting him with his work on innovative projects across our offices in London, Milan, Berlin, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela.


This is a varied and engaging position that goes beyond traditional PA duties where no two days are the same. You'll be integral to our international operations, operating with agility and anticipating needs to ensure a seamless day to day level of support. You'll be coordinating complex schedules and supporting creative work that spans multiple time zones and cultures.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Support

-- Manage comprehensive email correspondence, prioritising and summarising communications
-- Develop efficient task management systems and maintain organised digital filing systems
-- Prepare briefing materials and coordinate information for project meetings and client presentations

International Coordination

-- Schedule meetings across time zones, sourcing relevant context and background information from our various offices
-- Manage the diary around key events
-- Plan ahead strategically, mapping meeting schedules and travel requirements up to six months in advance

Travel Management and Logistics

-- Coordinate complex international travel including flights, accommodation, and ground transportation
-- Research optimal routes and costs, working with travel agents to secure the best arrangements
-- Handle visa applications, travel documentation, and real-time travel support when plans change

Collaborative Support

-- Work closely with team members across our global offices to maintain seamless operations
-- Handle various bookings, event coordination, and social calendar management
-- Track industry invitations and social commitments, managing RSVPs and attendance
-- Support occasional personal and family requirements as needed

Reporting Line:

This role reports directly to Sir David Chipperfield on a day-to-day basis, with active collaboration with the Director of Operations for DC Studio Limited and Head of Group Communications for Group DC.

What You Bring

5+ years of personal or executive assistant experience, ideally in creative, consulting, or other fast-paced professional environments. You're highly organised, agile, comfortable with complexity, and enjoy coordinating across different cultures and time zones. You work well independently while maintaining strong collaborative relationships.

What we offer

We offer a variety of employee benefits including private health insurance, cycle to work scheme, a cash health plan, employer contribution pension, employee assistance plan, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, visa assistance for candidates who need to relocate to London. Our core hours policy allows flexibility in your daily start and end times.

About David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects is an international architecture studio founded in London in 1985. The practice has developed a strong reputation for the quality of its work, with a diverse portfolio that includes celebrated cultural, residential, educational, commercial, and civic projects. Comprising five independent offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela, each one is embedded in its local context while united globally by common architectural ambitions. The practice's approach is grounded in a concern for the social and environmental sustainability of the built environment and its role in our collective quality of life.