Executive Assistant & Operations Coordinator

We are seeking an experienced, highly organised and trustworthy Executive Assistant & Operations Coordinator to provide direct support to the Chief Operating & People Officer. This is a varied and hands-on role combining Executive Assistant support with People, operational and general business administration. It is not a traditional EA position focused predominantly on diary and travel management; instead, the role will take ownership of a broad range of administrative and coordination activities that support the smooth running of the business and our employee experience. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between sensitive and confidential activities, such as payroll and People administration, and the practical day-to-day tasks that simply need someone reliable to own them. This role requires someone who enjoys variety, takes genuine ownership and is comfortable with both the important and the mundane. You will be expected to work proactively, keep track of recurring requirements and outstanding actions, and increasingly anticipate what needs to happen without waiting to be prompted. Due to the nature of the role, you will have access to confidential employee, payroll, financial and commercially sensitive information. A high level of trust, discretion and sound judgement is therefore essential. To succeed in this role, you will bring established professional experience as an Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant, together with a practical and proactive approach to administration and coordination. Essential experience and capability: Previous professional experience working as an Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant. A minimum of three years' experience working successfully in a remote working environment. Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365, with particular confidence using Microsoft Teams and Outlook as everyday working tools. Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, recurring activities and deadlines. Demonstrable experience handling confidential and sensitive information appropriately and with discretion. Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy when working with records, data, figures and documentation. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to work independently, use initiative and take ownership of activities through to completion. Confidence in following up and politely chasing colleagues and third parties where actions or information are outstanding. Good judgement, including the ability to recognise what can be handled independently and what should be escalated. Comfortable working closely with a senior executive while building effective and professional relationships across the wider business. Willingness to undertake a broad range of activities, including routine and sometimes mundane administrative tasks, recognising their importance to the effective running of the business. Must live within approximately 30 minutes' travelling distance of Portsmouth and be able to attend in-person meetings when reasonably required. Desirable: Previous experience using HiBob (Bob). People or HR administration experience. Payroll administration experience. Recruitment and interview coordination experience. Experience supporting employee onboarding and offboarding. Experience with expenses, purchasing or general finance administration. Previous experience combining EA/PA responsibilities with operational or business administration. The successful candidate does not need to have undertaken every individual activity within this job description previously. However, professional EA or PA experience, proven remote-working experience and the ability to operate with discretion, initiative and ownership are essential requirements of the role. Provide trusted day-to-day Executive Assistant and administrative support to the Chief Operating & People Officer. Support People and employee administration, including internal communications, employee records and routine People activities. Coordinate recruitment administration, including arranging interviews, managing diaries and communicating professionally with candidates, agency partners and hiring managers. Support offer, onboarding, new starter and leaver administration, including the coordination of associated documentation, equipment and activities. Provide administrative support for the monthly payroll process, including collating and maintaining relevant information and records, while ensuring payroll and salary information is handled confidentially and appropriately. Coordinate recurring employee requirements, including mandatory training and DSE assessments, maintaining appropriate records and following up outstanding actions. Support expense administration, purchasing and other routine financial administration as required. Coordinate the ordering, distribution, replacement and return of laptops and other employee equipment, maintaining appropriate records. Provide administrative support in relation to insurance matters, including gathering information and documentation, maintaining records and following up with relevant internal and external parties. Liaise professionally with employees, candidates, suppliers and other third parties to gather information, coordinate activities and progress outstanding actions. Maintain accurate records, trackers, documents and systems, ensuring information is appropriately stored and kept up to date. Coordinate practical employee and business activities, including occasional gifts, celebrations and other team requirements. Maintain oversight of recurring administrative activities, key dates and deadlines, helping to ensure important requirements are completed at the appropriate time. Proactively follow up outstanding actions and information without requiring continual direction. Identify sensible opportunities to simplify, organise or improve recurring administrative processes. Provide wider operational, Executive Assistant and administrative support as reasonably required, recognising that the nature of the role means responsibilities will be varied and may change according to business needs. Consistently uphold and reflect the company values in all aspects of your work. Please note: these responsibilities may evolve in line with business needs. Full-time. 40 hours per week. 2080 hours per year. Core working hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break. The role is predominantly remote. However, due to the nature of the position and the close working relationship with the Chief Operating & People Officer, occasional in-person attendance will be required. Initially temporary through our recruitment partner Workshop Recruitment, with the intention that the role may become permanent subject to ongoing business requirements and a successful mutual fit. The successful candidate must live within approximately 30 minutes' travelling distance of Portsmouth and be willing and able to meet the Chief Operating & People Officer or attend other business meetings in person when reasonably required. This is therefore a Portsmouth-area remote position rather than a location-independent remote role. To be discussed with Workshop Recruitment. ​