Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Barnwood is not your typical funder. We drive change so that disabled people and people with mental health conditions have choice of opportunities, access their rights, and are included where they live. We bring people together for a different conversation and explore big ideas. Through learning and collaboration, we influence the change that’s needed. By partnering with local organisations and looking for better ways to fund, Barnwood makes a difference in Gloucestershire.

As part of this work, our People and Operations Team engages a wide range of people in the Trust’s vision for Gloucestershire, and our Executive Assistant is integral to this.

We are looking for an Executive Assistant to deliver high level professional administrative support to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer. The Executive Assistant will take responsibility and ownership of office organisation and project delivery, and to provide Trust-wide support for human resources processes and governance processes for the Board of Trustees.

We want to diversify our team to better reflect the work and communities we support – this means we would particularly welcome applications from people who:

·         are from Black, Asian and minoritised backgrounds.

·         have lived experience of disability and/or mental health challenges. 

Contract terms:

·         This role is permanent, and we welcome applications from people looking for full time hours (37.5hrs per week).  

·         We offer a flexible start between 8am and 9.30am Monday to Friday. 

·         Salary £38,066 p/a FTE 

·         36 days holiday inc. bank holidays 

·         This position is based in our office in central Cheltenham with occasional opportunities for home working.

Summary of key duties:

Executive Assistance:

·         Schedule, organise and minute meetings as required for Leadership Team members, ensuring all necessary arrangements are considered.

·         Manage diaries and incoming communication for the CEO and COO as required.

·         Manage and undertake projects, assignments and other administrative duties as required.

·         Provide line management to the Operations Administrator, enacting the Trust’s management processes to ensure that all employees are motivated, supported and enabled to give of their best.

Governance Assistance:

·         Support with the preparation of meeting papers ensuring they are issued in a timely manner and loaded on the Governance Portal.

·         Accurate minute-taking and record-keeping for all governance meetings. To include maintaining the following registers: (i) Trustees; (ii) attendance at meetings, (iii) decisions taken out of meetings (iv) signed minutes.

·         Support Trustee recruitment processes through the creation of application packs, scheduling recruitment process, managing applications and interviews, scheduling induction activities and creating digital and hard copy induction packs.

Human Resources Administration:

·         Support the development and delivery of effective HR processes for the Trust, in conjunction with the COO.

·         Support recruitment of both employees and Trustees through placement of adverts and issuing of relevant communications during the recruitment process in a timely manner, and liaising with the recruiting manager to ensure the process is planned and delivered in a supportive and accessible manner.

·         Oversee and manage the administration of the IRIS HR system.

·         Ensure reports relating to people management are available and issued to People Managers on a regular basis.

Use of Overton House:

·         Establish, and keep under review, the policy and process for the booking of spaces at Overton House to external users.

·         Oversee bookings by partner organisations, ensuring all appropriate agreements and guidance are in place for external users and that bookings and visitors are well managed.

·         Liaise with the Marketing & Communications Team to ensure that appropriate communications about available space and booking processes are in place.

·         Oversee the receiving of external visitors to Overton House, ensuring a welcoming and accessible environment for all.

Essential Knowledge and Experience:

·         Proven experience of working as a Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant at a senior level

·         Experience of providing administrative support and project coordination for a range of parallel projects

·         Experience of accurate minute-taking for both formal and informal meetings

Desirable Knowledge and Experience:

·         Line management experience to foster a productive and supportive team environment

·         Knowledge of human resources policies and procedures

·         Knowledge of governance processes

·         Knowledge of meeting management, facilities hire or similar

·         Experience of working in a charity or not-for-profit sector organisation

For full details please see our application pack.

Summary of skills

·         Exceptional planning, prioritisation and time management skills, plus ability to respond effectively to changing workloads and priorities

·         Exceptional written and verbal communications skills that engage a wide range of audiences and which champion accessible communication

·         Proactive problem-solver, demonstrating high levels of initiative, organisation and flexibility

·         Strong IT skills (demonstrable proficiency in using MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WhatsApp, Teams and Zoom)

Benefits:

·         36 days annual leave including bank holidays. (FTE)

·         Life Assurance (3 x Salary)

·         Work within an organisation that is committed to improving equality and diversity.

·         Competitive salaries and fantastic pension contribution rates.

·         Excellent personal development plan and extensive training which includes a commitment to training employees to be confident when working with people with a wide variety of impairments, disabilities, and mental health challenges.

·         Friendly and collaborative working culture; everyone’s voice is heard.

·         We have a range of supportive wellbeing policies and almost a third of our employees, are qualified mental health first aiders with Mental Health England.

·         Our offices in central Cheltenham are wheelchair accessible, have free accessible parking on site and great facilities.

·         Assistance dogs are welcome.

Guidance On Applications:

Click on Apply Now to be taken to the Barnwood Trust website where you need to apply for this role via our online application form.

You will also find a detailed application pack which gives a full and detailed job description and person specification as well as guidance on how to make an online application and what you should include within it.

Should you have any questions or require any of the information in a different format please email the recruitment team directly at recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org. 

We want our application process to be right for you as an individual, so if there’s anything you think we can do to make this process more straightforward for you please email recruitment@barnwoodtrust. org directly to discuss what support we might be able to provide. Our career page on our website has some examples of things we may be able to put in place for people who request extra support.

Deadline for applications:  12.00 noon on Monday 2nd December 2024

First interviews: Thursday 12th December 2024

Second stage interviews: Tuesday 17th December 2024

We would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible.