Personal Assistant

This inclusive employer is a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

From day one, our mission has been to create an independent business with a unique culture - one that is controlled by the people who work for it. Finding the most talented and entrepreneurial people has always been key to our success.

People come to Howden for lots of different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. That's what sets us apart, and why we nurture and retain the best talent in the market. Whatever your priorities - work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

ROLE PROFILE:

Personal Assistant

ROLE PURPOSE:

The jobholder will provide a high quality, dedicated administration/secretarial support service to one or more managers. They may be occasionally asked to provide wider assistance to other members of their business unit/ department.

They will have management responsibility for staff who are also focused on providing a support service to the management team. This may include the temporary supervision of agency staff.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Planning/Reporting:

• Determines the majority of their own work priorities and activities, refining this through regular contact with their manager (s)
• Ensures records of meetings are kept through the production of accurate and timely minutes and any related documentation
• Manages assigned projects and contribute to other projects as required
• Provides relevant management information to managers as required

Technical:

a) PA Support (for nominated individual(s)

• Organises diary, files and electronic records
• Screens calls and e-mails, prioritizing items for response and answering routine enquiries. Re-directs items as appropriate.
• Provides administration support for personal matters, as appropriate
• Prepares paperwork for meetings

b) General Administration:

• Organises local and international travel arrangements, including visa requirements, insurance arrangements and the preparation of travel itineraries
• Liaises with other support areas as required e.g. Facilities/post room/reception team etc
• Produces a wide variety of documentation using appropriate software packages, including reports, presentations, letters and spreadsheets. Reviews final documentation for completeness, accuracy, quality, corporate style and format
• Processes invoices and checks and reconciles expenses for their department/team
• Ensure up to date records are maintained at all times on the Company's/Group's systems
• Screens calls for manager
• Liaises with other secretarial and administration resource in the Division as required, in order to ensure support is available during lunch breaks, holidays or periods of absence. On a contingency basis, may provide secretarial support for other teams within the Division

c) Other:

• Keeps informed of all regulatory and legal changes which impacts on the job role
• Ensures up to date records are maintained at all times on the Company systems
• Responds appropriately to urgent issues as they arise

Policy, Process and Procedures:

• Interprets instructions and issues arising, and then implement actions according to policies and procedures

Environment, Customer Focus and Relationships:

a) General

• Develops relationships with other PA's/Secretaries to provide support/exchange information
• Behaves with all clients (both internal and external) fairly and ethically
• Shares information that could be beneficial to the Operating Entity/Group
  

b) Suppliers

• Maintains an appropriate group of suppliers e.g. transport services, hotels, restaurants etc
• Develops strong relationships with suppliers
• Negotiates with suppliers to provide best balance of quality, service and price

People Management/Personal Development:

• Working with their line manager, manages the performance of direct reports and any people management issues
• Acts as a role model for positive behaviours
• Manages the recruitment processes where vacancies arise in their area of responsibility, working with their line manager as appropriate
• Manages direct report(s) to ensure they have relevant objectives, which align personal goals to the requirements of the business. Agrees objectives for their direct report(s) with their line manager. Positively encourages professional and personal development of direct reports to increase their capability and effectiveness
• Ensures direct reports are competent to carry out their responsibilities
• Motivates direct report(s) to deliver high performance and achieve objectives
• Actively undertakes personal development to ensure up to date knowledge and understanding of best practice
• Remains aware of external, industry, legal and regulatory developments etc to ensure practice and outputs are of a sufficiently high standard
• Keeps informed of all legal and regulatory developments relevant to the Operating Entity/Group

Regulatory and Compliance:

The Board of each Operating Entity requires the highest standards of corporate governance, operational excellence and financial reporting throughout the Group from all its employees. Specific responsibilities are listed below.

• Ensures compliance of self and direct reports with all applicable legal, fiscal and regulatory obligations in the form of policies and procedures
• Ensures correct authorisation is obtained and processes followed when required by the Operating Entity and/or Group
• Ensures performance, HR and T&C records are up to date and meet the Operating Entity and/or Group's requirements (which will include those of direct reports if any)
• Maintains accurate records and deals with correspondence appropriately
• Operates in an honest, professional and ethical manner
• Strictly adheres to the Group Employee Code of Conduct
• Completes all relevant regulatory training
• Ensures competence of self and direct reports

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Knowledge/Experience

• Previous experience of working in a secretarial capacity - ideally supporting a team
• Experience of diary management and compiling international travel itineraries and plans
• Understands the role of a secretary/PA
• Able to use Microsoft office packages in particular Word and Excel

Skills/Behaviours

• Attention to detail with ability to produce accurate documentation, professional documents which are visually appealing and correct with regards to grammar, layout and spelling.
• Ability to work effectively within a team.
• Prioritisation and organisational skills - able to demonstrate flexibility with regards to working hours when required and is able to produce a high quality of work within short deadlines.
• Proactive - is able to anticipate issues and rectify these on behalf of their manager/team
• Internal Networking skills - understands the organisation and where to find answers/relevant resources.
• Project Management Skills - able to deal with requests for “one off” pieces of work
• Self-motivated
• Numerate - able to create spreadsheets and manage expenses processes
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders. Portrays a professional and polished image of the Division to all external contacts.
• Able to deal with confidential matters appropriately

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE standard
• May hold technically relevant qualifications e.g Word processing/secretarial qualification

Our Culture: People First

We've travelled far since opening our first office in 1994. Back then we were local experts - based in London, with direct access to the world's biggest insurance market. We're still locals, and we still deliver the right advice and the right insurance to our clients. But now, we're local all over the world. With 15,000 global colleagues and a partner network spanning more than 100 territories, we are the largest independent insurance broker in the world. But our values haven't changed since day one, when we set out to create a company grounded in:

• An employee-ownership model
• Aligned external investors
• The trust and integrity born of friendship
• Expertise
• Independence

Our focus on being a people-first business has always been at the very heart of Howden. Our vision was to create an independent business with a unique culture; one that would survive and thrive as a business controlled by the people working for it. Our employee ownership model sets us apart in the market. It's created a culture of collaboration and innovation, where we're driven to think bigger and empowered to challenge convention.

Our flat structure and entrepreneurial spirit help us attract the best people and empower them to be the best version of themselves. And when we bring in and nurture great talent, more follows. That makes us better - and that's better for everyone.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Howden we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.