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This is a unique opportunity to join Practical Action at an exciting and pivotal point in our journey. We are seeking an exceptional Executive Assistant to provide dedicated support to our Interim CEO during a period of transformation, growth and strategic development, while we recruit and appoint our permanent CEO.
Working at the heart of the organisation, you will play a key role in ensuring continuity, maintaining momentum and supporting the successful transition to new leadership. This highly visible position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to the next chapter of Practical Action's impact and ambition.
We are looking for an experienced, highly organised and proactive Executive Assistant who can provide outstanding strategic and operational support to the CEO of a respected international development organisation. Acting as a trusted partner, you will enable the CEO to focus on organisational leadership, external engagement, fundraising and the delivery of strategic priorities.
The role encompasses complex diary and inbox management, preparation of high-quality briefings and correspondence, Board and governance support, and coordination with senior stakeholders across the organisation and internationally. You will work closely with colleagues, partners and supporters across multiple countries, cultures and time zones, ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the Executive Office.
This is a demanding and rewarding role that requires exceptional judgement, discretion and attention to detail. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced, complex environment, able to manage competing priorities with confidence, and skilled at building effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, trustees, partners and external representatives.
If you thrive on enabling others to succeed, enjoy working at the centre of decision-making, and are motivated by the opportunity to support an organisation delivering meaningful global impact, we would love to hear from you.
Accountabilities:
Executive and CEO Office Support
• Proactively manage the CEO's diary, inbox and correspondence, exercising independent judgement in prioritising requests and protecting time for strategic priorities.
• Prepare and commission high-quality briefings, background notes, talking points and presentation materials to ensure the CEO is fully prepared for all meetings and engagements.
• Draft, review and quality-assure outgoing correspondence, reports and communications on behalf of the CEO.
• Coordinate and manage complex domestic and international travel arrangements, itineraries, visas and logistics for the CEO and COO, ensuring efficiency and value for money.
• Manage the CEO and COO’s expense reporting and the Executive Office budget, maintaining accurate records and flagging issues proactively.
• Serve as the first point of contact for the CEO's office, managing enquiries from staff, partners, donors and stakeholders with professionalism and discretion.
• Work closely with the Internal Communications and Social Media team lead to ensure CEO internal and external communications are delivered well.
Board and Governance Administration
• Lead the end-to-end administration of Board of Trustee meetings and sub-committees, including scheduling, preparation of Board papers, agenda coordination and minute-taking, utilising AI. The majority are virtual due to the international nature of the board. In-person meetings take place approx. every 18 months.
• Maintain the governance calendar and ensure all regulatory and statutory reporting deadlines are met in coordination with the Company Secretary, CEO and COO.
• Support the onboarding of new Trustees and maintain up-to-date records of Board membership, terms of office and declarations of interest.
• Build strong working relationships with Trustees, acting as a responsive and reliable point of contact between Board meetings.
• Assist with the organisation of the Annual General Meeting and other governance events.
Leadership Team Coordination
• Coordinate the Global Leadership Team (GLT) meeting cycle, including agenda-setting, papers, actions and follow-up, working closely with the CEO and members of GLT.
• Support the CEO in tracking GLT action items, strategic priorities and key commitments, flagging issues and ensuring accountability.
• Co-ordinate with Regional and Country Directors on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meetings, including agenda-setting, papers, actions and follow-up,
• Assist with the preparation of materials for all-staff communications, leadership away-days and organisational events.
• Build effective working relationships across Practical Action's global offices, navigating time-zone differences and cultural contexts with sensitivity.
Stakeholder and Partnership Support
• Support the CEO's engagement with major institutional donors, trusts and foundations, bilateral agencies and high-value partners, including managing contact records and briefing materials, liaising closely with the business development and philanthropy teams.
• Coordinate logistics for high-level external visits, delegations, conferences and events involving the CEO.
• Assist with donor stewardship activities and the preparation of materials for fundraising and partnership development.
• Represent the CEO's office professionally in interactions with government officials, international organisations and peer NGOs.
Project and Research Support
• Take on research and project management tasks as directed by the CEO
• Continue to test and utilise AI tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness and share learnings with other members of Practical Action
• Support the delivery of special initiatives and cross-organisational projects led from the Executive Office.
• Maintain confidential files and records management systems for the CEO's office, ensuring compliance with GDPR and information governance policies.
To be successful in this role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Essential
• Significant experience (typically five or more years) as an Executive Assistant or Personal Assistant supporting a Chief Executive or equivalent senior leaders in a complex and or charitable organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of Board and governance administration, including minuting meetings and managing trustee or director-level relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft high-quality correspondence, briefing papers and presentations to Board or senior stakeholder standard.
• Outstanding organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and maintain quality under pressure.
• High degree of discretion, confidentiality and professional judgement in handling sensitive information about people, partners and organisational matters.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build trust and credibility with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of coordinating complex international travel and managing logistics across multiple time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams), AI tools and the ability to learn new digital tools quickly.
Desirable
• Experience working in an international NGO, development organisation or comparable mission-driven environment.
• Familiarity with funder relationships
• Experience supporting or working in an organisation with offices or programmes in the Global South.
• Knowledge of charity law and UK charity governance, including Charity Commission requirements.
• A second language relevant to Practical Action's programme geographies (e.g. French, Spanish, Arabic).
• Experience with CRM or stakeholder management systems.
Skills, Abilities and Competencies
· Problem-Solving
· Strong Communication & Diplomacy
· Adaptability
· Proactive organisation skills
To apply please submit a copy of your CV (no more than 3 pages) and a supporting statement/letter that includes the answers to the following questions:
Closing date for applications: 17th June 2026. Should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.
Interviews: It is anticipated that interviews will take place W/C 22nd June 2026
If you do not hear from us within five weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful
Our vision is for a world that works better for everyone. We believe where there’s action, there’s hope.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Operations Coordinator (maternity leave cover)
We are recruiting a fixed term Operations Coordinator (maternity leave cover) to join our team. This role will be responsible for coordinating our Finance and HR administration as well as providing Executive Assistant support to the Director.
Suitable candidates will:
The Job description, person specification and application form are available below.
If you have any questions, please contact us using the HR email address in the application form and please share with anybody you think might be interested in joining our brilliant team!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
PA to the Director of Professional Standards
£35,791 - £39,651 pa, plus excellent benefits
Aldgate, London (including flexible working)
We are looking for an exceptional Personal Assistant to provide high-level support to the Director of Professional Standards within a large, diverse and fast-paced department at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive, highly organised and dynamic individual who thrives on variety and enjoys working at the centre of a busy professional environment. The successful candidate will be a confident self-starter with excellent customer service and communication skills, able to build strong working relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
You will manage competing priorities, coordinate complex schedules and provide seamless administrative support, while helping the department operate efficiently and effectively. You will also play a key role in supporting colleagues across a broad portfolio of professional standards work.
This role would suit someone who enjoys being at the heart of a busy team and takes pride in delivering high-quality support in a professional and purpose-driven organisation.
The College values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, reflecting the population it serves.
We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.
We will provide appropriate reasonable adjustments for candidates who may have a disability.
We only recruit the best and in return for your commitment, the College offers an attractive salary and benefits.
We operate a hybrid working model of on-site and working from home/remote, which helps to ensure a flexible work-life balance.
We welcome applications from all sections of the Community.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional membership body for psychiatrists and promotes excellent care for people with mental illness. It has 20,000 members and engages with government and the media as the leading voice of the UK’s mental health services. The College is a values-based organisation and was named Charity of the Year in the European Diversity Awards.
Closing date: 18 June 2026.
Interviews: 2 July 2026.