EA to the CEO

Thank you for your interest in the post of EA to the CEO & Senior Directors at Haberdashers Academy Trust South. 

This exciting opportunity has arisen due to an internal re-organisation within the Central Trust Team. The EA to the CEO & Senior Directors plays a critical role at the centre of the organisation and is vital to the success of the Trust. You will work closely with senior leaders in the schools and administrators across the organisation to provide outstanding high-level administrative support to the CEO & Senior Directors. The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge of the organisation, be the first point of contact for internal and external stakeholders who wish to liaise with the CEO & Senior Directors and will lead on the organisation of the Trust’s calendar and schedule of events.

This role combines some day-to-day support for the CEO & Senior Directors with significant responsibilities for organising and coordinating the CEO’s engagement with the organisation, for example ensuring that meetings and events are being properly prepared and monitoring whether strands of work the CEO has requested are proceeding to schedule. A key annual responsibility within the role is the annual planning of the Trust calendar, scheduling strategic meeting cycles, Trustee and local board governor meeting dates as well as Executive events for the academic year ahead.

Core accountabilities: 

Executive support for the CEO

To provide high-level, confidential administrative support to the CEO.

To provide high level confidential support function. This will typically include diary management of the CEO as well as organising in advance, keeping appointment and attendees advised. Responsible for organising and managing the CEO’s diary, ensuring they are prepared in advance for all meetings and visits and that appropriate time is allocated in accordance with priorities. Liaising with all visitors to the CEO.

Act as key liaison person for all CEO external contacts when required by providing professional assistance when they are working or meeting with the CEO on business matters. 

Develop and maintain good working relationships with Trust Committee members, providing assistance and signposting where necessary. 

Producing letters/reports/minutes and other notes and correspondence, on behalf of the CEO, as required.

Dealing with enquiries from Trustees, parents, members of the public or other external bodies as necessary. 

Planning the CEO’s calendar of key Trust events and meetings each year. 

To manage incoming and outgoing mail received for the CEO.

Ordering and processing payments (via PSF financials) and ensuring that Purchase Orders are raised in a timely fashion. 

Coordinate CEO and Trust Leadership events, ensuring seamless delivery and execution. 

To work collaboratively with the Governance team and coordinate Board Meetings with the CEO’s diary. 

Ensure that all meetings chaired or hosted by the CEO are appropriately catered. 

Act as first point of contact for the office of the CEO. 

To plan and manage key organisational events such as Leadership Away Days, Strategic Days. 

To undertake any other appropriate duties as required to support the CEO to enable them to fulfil their role. 

Carry out research when required such as gathering statistical and other information that could be used for reports or by the CEO.

Take responsibility for own learning and development to ensure an effective value added contribution to the service objectives are maintained , particularly in relation to IT, smart working and project work.

Manage the co-ordination of cross function information when required or liaising with the communications need when needed.

Responsible for producing all documents required by the CEO e.g. minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports, presentation material. Ensure that appropriate follow up action is taken.

To deal tactfully and professionally with both internal and external contacts at all levels including senior managers and officers at other external organisations.

Executive support for Senior Directors

To provide high-level, confidential administrative support to the Senior Directors. This will typically include diary management of the Senior Directors as well as organising in advance, keeping appointment and attendees advised.

Supporting Senior Directors complete minutes, reports and correspondence within required deadlines.

 Networks and Inclusion

To lead and co-Chair the Haberdashers’ EA Forum. 

General

Undertake any other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post.

Actively manage own professional development

The duties of this post may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or level of responsibility entailed. 

Support

Our staff are important to us. We know that without great staff, our children will not be as successful. Therefore, professional learning is key to our success. We are fortunate to have a wide range of internal and external course facilitators, with a wide range of courses and CPD opportunities for all staff. We are particularly focusing on the development of our support staff; you will be encouraged and supported to:

Engage in relevant externally accredited programmes and apprenticeships

Attend appropriate training and development opportunities and keep up to date with current educational developments and legislation affecting Initial Teacher Training and development of educational practitioners and leaders

Reciprocally share expertise and skills with others in the Trust and outside the Trust, to ensure best practice, consistency in business support and ongoing improvement