Executive Assistant (Chief Executive's Office)

Location: Craven Street with opportunity for hybrid working (see job profile for details)
Salary: Between £32,965 to £34,700 depending on experience plus competitive benefits

The College is the professional body for optometry. It qualifies the profession and delivers the guidance, development and training to ensure optometrists provide the best possible care.

We are looking for an Executive Assistant (Chief Executive’s Office) who will join our established and busy Chief Executive’s Department. This role will provide high quality support to the Chief Executive’s department by developing and maintaining effective procedures and supporting varied activities and projects. The role holder will also coordinate business systems, procedures and ensure the smooth running for the Chief Executive’s Department, including supporting the governance of the College, through efficient running of its Council, Board and Committees.

Reporting to the Governance Manager, the main responsibilities of the role holder will be:

• Co-ordinating the annual meetings schedule for Board of Trustees, Council and other Committees and making any necessary arrangements to set up virtual, face to face or hybrid meetings. This includes setting up Teams or Zoom facilities, booking rooms and equipment and providing refreshments and meals as required
• Taking minutes of all Board, Council and Lay Advisory Panel (LAP) meetings and ensuring that these are promptly produced and distributed as appropriate.
• Supporting the Governance Manager in arranging events as required for Officers, Board of Trustees, Council, the LAP and the Senior Management Team e.g., away days, dinners and local network events.
• Supporting the Governance Manager with the election of Council members, Officers, Trustees and Committee Chairs.
• Undertaking and managing the process for the nomination of Life and Honorary Fellows of the College.
• Providing support for the Chair of the Board of Trustees and College President, and other Officers as required and directed by the Chief Executive.

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate in particular significant experience in a similar role with experience of supporting committees with exceptional minute taking. A high level of competency in MS Office suite of applications, Teams and Zoom with fast accurate keyboard skills and the ability to process numerical data is also essential.

In addition, you will be able to demonstrate pro-activity, reliability, a calm temperament, the ability to be discreet, think laterally. You will also have good interpersonal, customer service, strong organisational, attention to detail skills and the ability to work autonomously, under pressure and meet deadlines.

In return, we offer a variety of benefits including a 10% pension plan contribution, 4x life assurance and a health care cash plan.

• Interviews will take place on Monday 6 February 2023.

The College is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and to avoiding unlawful discrimination. We value the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. In support of this we follow a fair recruitment process in which shortlisting and other recruitment decisions are made on the basis of skills, competencies and experience demonstrated in the application and interview process. 

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If you require a reasonable adjustment to be made to support your application due to a disability or other condition, please let us know.

• Typical working hours at the College are 9 am to 5 pm (7 hours, excluding lunch) working five days a week. We operate a flexible working window from 8 am to 6 pm where you can vary your start and end time (working a 7 hour day). This role is flexible and can be worked over a variety of working patterns.
• We also offer hybrid working (a mixture of home and office working). Typically College staff will work around 20 - 40% of their time within our London office.

• We act with integrity and transparency
• We listen and we learn
• We demonstrate respect and professionalism
• We achieve high quality
• We champion diversity and inclusion.