Executive Assistant and Company Secretary

If you're a talented, dedicated professional who shares our values and is driven to make a difference in this challenging and rewarding role, we invite you to join our leadership team and Purcell community to help shape our future.

We're seeking a highly skilled and forward-thinking professional to play a critical role in shaping the future of Purcell. As our Company Secretary and Senior Executive Assistant, you'll be at the heart of our strategic development, driving the efficient operation of our Board of Directors and ensuring we stay ahead of the curve in governance and compliance.

This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the evolution of a Long established, dynamic and innovative company, with a clear vision. You'll work closely with our Chairman and CEO, providing high-level support and advice to inform strategic decision-making and drive evolutionary development. Your expertise will be essential in maintaining the highest standards of governance, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and facilitating effective communication between the Board and all internal functions.

Purcell is an award-winning employee-owned architectural and heritage consultancy practice with a commitment to quality, innovation, and diversity.

We have staff of approximately 300 talented architects, designers, heritage consultants and surveyors across 14 offices, in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. Winners of Architect Employer of the Year 2022.

Collaboration is central to our employee-ownership culture, providing opportunities to work on some of the finest buildings; from meticulous heritage and conservation schemes to bold contemporary design. We offer a rewarding and supportive environment for personal and professional development and our employee-owned ethos empowers everyone to use their voice. We believe in creating an equitable and inclusive culture, founded on our values, which celebrates knowledge sharing and our successes, to build an inspiring work environment.

It is our distinctive employee-owned working culture that has contributed to our status as a World Architecture Top 100 Practice, renowned for our excellence in architecture and heritage consultancy.

Benefits

Our benefits package includes

• Agile, flexible and hybrid working, (a minimum of 3 days in office, up to 2 days WFH)
• Annual leave increasing with long service
• Life assurance
• Study sponsorship with paid study leave
• Sabbaticals
• Employee assistance programme
• Season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Virtual GP service
• Subscription fees
• Company day out
• A volunteering scheme
• Enhanced learning & development opportunities.

The role

Executive Assistant to the Chairman & CEO

• Manage highly active calendars of appointments, ensuring the Chairman's / CEO's schedule is organised and prioritised effectively.
• Arrange complex travel plans – booking travel, accommodation, itineraries, and agendas; collate document packs for meetings.
• Draft, review, and manage correspondence (including Outlook inbox), reports, and presentations on behalf of the Chairman & CEO. Making sure response deadlines are met.
• Serve as a liaison between the Chairman, CEO and internal/external stakeholders (including clients), maintaining professionalism and confidentiality.
• Lead and manage special projects as assigned by the Chairman & CEO, ensuring timely completion and alignment with organisational goals.
• Conduct research and provide insights to support strategic decision-making.
• Follow Purcell document management policy for filing and retrieval of documents and records.

Supporting Our Governance

• Meeting preparation and arrangements
• Organise Board meetings and other Board related forums to support ongoing strategic development.
• Collate, prepare and share agendas, minutes and meeting information packs for Board meeting and other Board led Forums, including AGM, Chair / CEO sessions and Roadshows.
• Attend and minute meetings, publishing minutes on Purcell Connect (Intranet).
• Booking accommodation / meeting rooms where required.
• General administration & assistance with activities and actions arising from minutes.
• Support & assist the CEO / Chair / Board to monitor & deliver the Strategic Plan for Purcell:
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Chair, CEO & Board of directors
• Facilitating the production of Collective Ambition (Strategic Plan, shared with all staff)
• KPI Tracking / Reporting
• Collective Ambition Roadshow content, organising and planning – every 6 months.

General

• Advise the board on governance matters, including strategy, decision making, risk and compliance.
• Facilitate communication between the Board, Trustees, Operations, Senior Management, and Employees.
• Responsible for maintaining best practice in Corporate Governance, Risk, Assurance, GDPR and Architectural Regulation and legislative environment.

Company Secretarial Duties

• Maintaining statutory books, including registers of members and / or directors, minute books and share certificates.
• Facilitating signatures on legal documents.
• Preparing resolutions, forms and annual returns etc with Governing Corporate bodies (e.g. Companies House)
• Liaison with external regulators and advisers including lawyers and overseas corporate agents to maintain Corporate Legal & Governance compliance.

Corporate Transactions

• Project lead for corporate transactions, assignments, novation and associated due diligence.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience as an Executive Assistant.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a company secretarial role.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage and prioritise multiple tasks.
• An effective communicator with excellent interpersonal skills and experience of board level interaction and minute taking.
• Ability to influence at all levels.
• Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.
• Attention to detail with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High degree of discretion and professionalism.
• Excellent computer literacy including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint & Teams.

Desirable:

• Ability to navigate Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign
• Knowledge of Employee Ownership
• Experience of the architectural, construction or property professions and business environment.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A professional qualification from The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (ICSA) or equivalent.
• Business Management Degree.

How to apply

Please email a copy of your CV and portfolio referencing job code P0064 to Please include details of your Right to Work in the United Kingdom, as well as an available start date.

This job description is a guide to the duties the post holder will be expected to undertake. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive and will be subject to change as working requirements dictate and to meet the organisational requirements of Purcell.

Don't meet every single requirement? That's okay.

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented backgrounds can be less likely to apply unless they meet every criteria listed. At Purcell, we are committed to building an inclusive, transparent, and welcoming team. If you're enthusiastic about the role and excited to grow and learn with us, we warmly encourage you to apply.

When applying, please feel free to use your preferred name — we don't require full or birth names at this stage.

We are proud to foster a culture of kindness, respect, and authenticity, where everyone can thrive and bring their whole selves to work.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback. If you have not heard from us within 6 weeks of your original application, then you have been unsuccessful. Please continue to look at our vacancies and apply where relevant. We wish you all the best in your job search.

As world leaders of heritage and conservation, Purcell is committed to embracing diversity and equal opportunity within our international teams, reflective of the society in which we work and live.

We welcome people from all backgrounds and celebrate differences through our culture of employee ownership.