Executive Assistant to Chairman, The Rt Hon. John Gummer
About Sancroft
Founded in 1997 by former Secretary of State for the Environment, Lord Deben (The Rt Hon. John Gummer), Sancroft is a London-based sustainability consultancy. We help some of the world’s biggest brands improve their ethical, environmental and social performance. Sancroft’s clients include The Coca-Cola Company, Primark, John Lewis and Nestlé.
About the role:
We are looking for an extremely competent Executive Assistant to co-ordinate and manage Lord Deben’s incredibly hectic schedule and organise the smooth-running of his engagements as Chairman.
This Executive Assistant role is highly demanding due to its fast pace and volume of engagements to manage, but the work is varied and stimulating. You will naturally gain great insight into the sustainability sector and its role within Politics.
Core responsibilities will include:
- Extensive diary management (business and personal), overseeing every engagement ensuring that the diary is efficiently and effectively maintained. This will include the sorting, filtering of and replying to invitations and requests for meetings;
- Co-ordinating the Chairman’s daily diary with other key staff members’ diaries as well as with family commitments. This will include ensuring all necessary paperwork for each specific appointment per day is printed and collated ready for the Chairman.
- Liaising with the Chairman’s other connected offices;
- Arranging meetings, telephone and conference calls;
- Making all travel arrangements for the Chairman, organising visas, flights and accommodation as necessary;
- Carrying out any ad-hoc assistant work for the Chairman, for example, proof-reading articles and taking meeting notes.
Sancroft is a small company split across three floors of a townhouse in Westminster. As such, there will be times when you will be required to meet and greet clients as well as handle other office duties.
Essential requirements:
The Executive Assistant will manage the Chairman’s entire schedule from beginning to end and will need to be savvy at identifying and alerting Lord Deben to any potential diary clashes that will need to be rescheduled. As Executive Assistant, you will need to be able to recognise priorities whilst maintaining exacting standards. This role will require you to work independently as Lord Deben’s schedule allows for little time in between meetings. Applicants for this Executive Assistant position should encompass the following attributes and experience:
- Switched-on, intelligent, and highly organised;
- Experienced, and capable of producing a high standard of work in a high-pressure environment;
- Strong client liaison skills – able to build good relations both internally and externally;
- Possess impeccable standards, maintaining excellent attention to detail despite the volume and pace of work being high;
- Resilient – handling last minute changes to a very demanding schedule with ease;
- Able to prioritise tasks effectively;
- Excellent telephone manner;
- Discreet and professional, capable of dealing with senior-level executives and their offices;
- Forward-thinking, able to use initiative;
- Show good judgement and able to plan ahead.
- Happy to get involved and assist with the day-t0-day running of the office where necessary.
- Interest in maintaining good general knowledge/politics desirable.
- Degree educated desirable.
Start date: early August 2018.
Salary: £28k – £30k plus excellent pension scheme, plus benefits.
Location: St James’s Park, Central London.
To apply: please send your CV and cover letter to:
Georgina North, HR Manager at recruitment@sancroft.com