Operations Manager & Executive Assistant, CEO & Chair’s Office

Pay band: 7/F (£26,934 - £33,774 gross salary + £3,300 London Weighting)

Location: London – Stratford

Contract type: Indefinite (permanent) contract.

Closing date: 15^th February 2023 at 23:59 UK Time.

Interview dates: w/c 20^th February 2023

This role provides critical operational and Executive Assistant support to the CEO, Deputy CEO (DCEO), Chair, and the Board of Trustees.

The role involves working closely with the rest of the CEO and Chair’s Office (CCO) as well as colleagues in teams right across the organisation to ensure CCO operations run with maximum efficiency and to a high quality.

The post holder will be an integral part of the CCO team as well as the wider Corporate Affairs team. The Chief Executive and Chair’s Office is at the heart of the British Council and is critical in supporting leadership to lead our organisation and achieve its purpose. The role is predominantly office-based at the British Council’s Headquarters in Stratford, London to support the senior leaders who are also based at that office. It is a pressured, interesting, and varied environment to work in, driving and responding to external and internal situations, and requires the postholder to be able to work flexibly, manage a high volume of work, be comfortable with ambiguity, and hold the highest degree of confidentiality and integrity. It is an extremely busy office which engages with our work and our people at every level. Working in it offers the opportunity to get close to key strategic development and decision-making processes, and to be part of a team which is helping, through supporting our CEO, Deputy CEO, Chair, and the Board, to build the wider profile and reputation of the organisation. Previous incumbents have played a critical role in ensuring the effectiveness and success of the team and their experience in the role has served as a significant stepping-stone to furthering their careers.

The British Council supports peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this by uniquely combining the UK’s deep expertise in arts and culture, education and the English language, our global presence, and relationships in over 100 countries, our unparalleled access to young people and influencers and our creative sparkle.

Role specific knowledge and experience

• Track record of office administration in busy, ambiguous, and complicated environments, prioritising multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Experience of high-level diary management and scheduling, with fast-moving deadlines and working under high pressure
• Proven capacity as a strong team player, willing to jump in and support other members of the team where needed, and a solutions-focused approach.
• Experience of working effectively with individuals at all levels (particularly senior leaders), both internally and externally.
• Experience of holding people to account – especially in eliciting responses
• Experience of team working across multiple teams with different needs, and working with cross-cultural teams
• Experience of minute-taking and editing
• An extremely high level of discretion due to the nature of working with sensitive and confidential material, including legal issues, grievances and investigations, relationships and correspondence with Secretaries of State, Ministers, Ambassadors, and other key stakeholders in the UK and internationally.

For detailed role profile or if you have any questions, please contact Oleksandra.gorbachova@britishcouncil.org

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