This rewarding and demanding EA role meets the needs of a highly successful and active entrepreneur. Our client has a demanding domestic and overseas travel schedule but spends the majority of his time focused on the UK and European operations. This critical role ensures that the CEO’s business and administrative needs are attended to in full, with exacting attention to detail, forethought and pre-emption.

The EA role is responsible for the CEO’s business calendar; he/she will ensure that the meeting schedule is manageable, deconflicted and that appointments are added thoughtfully and with a challenge-mindset – this role is the gatekeeper of the CEO’s time, and the incumbent must have considerable experience with, and the skills required to safeguard their principal’s time. The EA role will work closely with the Family Office based overseas and must work seamlessly with the PA in the Family Office on all matters including travel, calendar appointments and time management. The EA owns the calendar for all appointments globally.

This role is based in Malton, North Yorkshire, with the requirement to travel (possibly at short notice) to the secondary headquarters in Grimsby from time-to-time and on occasion but seldom requirement to travel to plants around the UK and EU in support of the principal.

There is a requirement for ad-hoc out of hours and weekend working when the chairman is in the UK and the incumbent must be prepared to work flexibly to suit the business and chairman as well as accommodate time differences between various locations.

Key responsibilities:

• Working closely with the family office overseas, this role’s primary focus is the chairman’s business travel and meeting schedule, ensuring the schedules of other key executives are deconflicted. The EA will maintain a 12-month rolling calendar with increasing detail by quarter
• The EA will track actions and ensure follow-ups are tracked with complete accuracy and in a timely manner, taking tasks direct from the CEO
• Meet all business (and occasionally personal) travel needs of the chairman, both domestic and international.  Liaise with all supporting staff, including air crew and hotel/house managers to ensure all detailed requirements are addressed in full and in advance
• Monitor on-going travel planning and in-progress trips. Be prepared at short notice to support additional requirements/changes to travel plans
• Execute all aspects of the chairman’s travel planning/bookings. Monitor each leg of the journey and confirm that all arrangements are executed flawlessly or adjusted as necessary in cooperation with the Canadian team
• Review and verify invoices for accuracy, demanding an exceptional eye for detail, awareness of cost and basic accounting principles
• Ensure the chairman is fully prepared for the week’s business and walks into every meeting with a complete understanding of with whom he will meet, and as much detail on the subject matter and meeting objectives as is required
• Continuous and seamless liaison with the Family Office and the PA – both based overseas. Note: The PA is responsible for the personal and family aspects, including travel hence the need to work closely with the EA at all times
• Handle all business correspondence, calls, filing and document handling

Skills, qualifications and experience:

• Considerable experience delivering exceptional results in a similar role as an EA to a C-suite/UHNW individual who is a founder and entrepreneur
• Degree-level education is preferable but not essential, although the successful candidate must have the sophistication and worldly experience necessary to understand and appreciate the needs of a HNW individual and the circles in which he moves
• Considerable demonstrable experience with complex travel arrangements including private aviation, car service, and domestic and international travel providers
• Experience of complex diary management covering multiple time zones and especially the skills to act as gatekeeper for the principal, protecting his time and ensuring that only those meetings that are required are added to the calendar
• Able to communicate well and be able to take swift, effective action whilst proactively solving complex problems with little or no guidance
• A critical thinker with a passion for continuous improvement; able to identify challenges and present solutions
• Calm demeanour combined with the ability to cope with ambiguity and manage short notice change with minimal direction
• Consummate professional in their conduct and interactions with all stakeholders
• Exceptionally efficient time-management skills and truly exceptional attention to detail
• Absolute discretion is required, as is the ability to delegate tasks and monitor progress ensuring adherence to timelines in support of the chairman’s objectives
• Robust and astute operator able to conduct themselves with gravitas to achieve the desired objectives in regard to personal travel, bookings and short notice changes to the programme
• Loyal, exceptionally robust, resilient, and committed
• Excellent IT skills – MS Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint

Benefits include:

• Salary - £65,000 DOE
• 25 days holiday per year (plus public holidays)
• Competitive contributory pension