Executive assistant and operations support jobs in houghton le spring, county durham
DFN Project SEARCH offer an evidence-based supported internship model which takes place entirely in the workplace. The programmes provide continuous support to young adults with a learning disability, and autistic people who are aged between 16 – 24 with an Education Health and Care Plan, or equivalent, in their final year of education.
We are looking for skilled administrators to provide support for our Programme Delivery and Corporate Governance teams (although there wll be close working and crossover in the two roles). We are happy to discuss job share or part time working if preferred.
The roles are fully remote, with some attendance at team away days and conferences/meetings where required.
Please see the two Job Descriptions attached with this posting for further information about what is involved in the roles. If you wish to apply for a particular role, please state your preference in your intial cover letter.
If you would like further information about either role, please contact Jule Brennan via the recruitment address listed.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Why Access Social Care Exists
Every day, millions of older and disabled people are denied the social care they need. Most local authorities can’t meet the growing demand for care, and none are confident they can meet their legal duties in the future. This affects all of us - we will all need social care at some point in our lives.
We all have a right to hold public bodies to account, but most of us cannot afford lawyers so rely on legal aid. The 92% drop in legal aid cases since 2010 means that we have nowhere to turn. Without access to justice, our rights do not exist. The rule of law is broken.
What we do
Access Social Care provides free legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping achieve a better quality of life. We work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and our rights. We highlight the gap left by cuts to Legal Aid and provide advice for those who can’t afford it.
With a 98% success rate, our network of lawyers provide access to justice when things go wrong. We collaborate with social services whilst ensuring legal obligations are met. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded, and we all get the support we need.
We provide rights awareness training to front line managers, and legal advice and support to families and individuals. As well as providing access to justice, our aim is to drive system level change through evidence-led influencing and strategic casework.
This is an exciting time to join ASC. We have a new strategy and are growing quickly including across our senior leadership team. We have more than doubled in size and income since we started operating in April 2020 and we anticipate that this strong growth will continue for the duration of our next strategic period. We are dedicated to the people who need our help, but we also care deeply about our team, and we think that work should be an exciting and satisfying place to be.
About the role
This role plays a key part in supporting the smooth and efficient running of the team’s day-to-day operations. It offers a varied mix of administrative and coordination responsibilities, providing vital support across the organisation and helping to keep processes running seamlessly. From organising travel and meetings to managing internal systems and supporting communications, this role is ideal for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, staying organised, and being at the heart of a busy, purpose driven team.
Responsibilities
Travel and Logistics Coordination
· Coordinate and book travel, hotels, flights, meeting rooms, and refreshments, for team members and organisation-wide activities
· Maintain clear and accurate records relevant to bookings and logistics
Administrative and Systems Support
· Handle ad-hoc administrative requests as required by team members
· Process and fulfil Adobe-related requests, such as document editing, file conversion, or e-signature tasks
· Offer internal meeting and event support for organisation-wide meetings, ensuring they are diarised and attendance is managed
Inbox and Data Management
· Monitor and respond to the Enquiries inbox, ensuring all communications are handled promptly and professionally.
· Oversee CRM data management, ensuring records are accurate, up-to-date, and compliant with data protection policies
Events and Engagement Support
· Assist with planning and delivery of internal events, including logistics, attendee management, and on-the-day coordination
· Coordinate and execute mailouts to stakeholders or members as needed
Compliance
· Maintain the gift and hospitality register as required
· Manage organisational memberships and subscriptions, ensuring timely renewals and accurate record keeping
· Distribute incoming post to relevant departments or individuals and keep records as necessary
Team Support
· Provide support to the Executive and Governance Officer as required in any duties which you could be reasonably expected to perform in line with this job description
This list of tasks is not exhaustive and will be reviewed from time to time in discussion with the post holder.
Person Specification
All staff at ASC are expected to share and demonstrate our values:
Trustworthy
Recognised for excellence, we will be the best we can be in everything we do. We will be truthful, independent and outcomes focussed.
Fair
We believe in treating people with kindness and compassion in a way that is right, reasonable and just.
Fearless
We will do what is right, not what is easy. We will bravely challenge injustice.
Inclusive
Our beneficiaries’ voices will influence our thinking and decision making at all levels of our organisation. Collaborative in our thinking, we will work with others to achieve our goals.
Positive
We will be constructive and progressive in our challenge. We will optimistically and dynamically drive for change.
In addition to our values, you will also need to be able to demonstrate or tell us about the following areas at your interview:
Requirements
Personal attributes you will have
- Purpose driven with a commitment to our mission and values
- Commitment to working within the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion
- Discretion when handling sensitive information, including managing gift registers
- Solutions-focused approach with a commitment to delivering high-quality support
- Flexible and adaptable, able to respond to changing priorities
Experience you will have
- Proven experience in an administrative or office support role
- Experience with CRM systems and data management best practices
- Desirable
- Experience using Monday (the website)
- Experience in event coordination and/or project support is advantageous
Skills you will have
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively
- Ability to produce accurate, high-quality work
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with Adobe software
- Effective written and verbal communication skills for interacting with internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills with initiative in responding to adhoc or changing requests
Knowledge you will have gained
- Familiarity with CRM systems and data management best practices
- Knowledge of confidentiality requirements and best practices for handling sensitive information
- Desirable
- Basic understanding of event coordination and project support processes
How to apply
We hope that having read this far, you will want to apply!
Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement. We will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process by using the CharityJobs Anonymous tool. To apply, please provide the following documents:
- An up-to-date CV
- A completed diversity monitoring form
- A supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing:
- The essential requirements of the person specification
- In your supporting statement, please also include brief examples that demonstrate the following:
- Your experience handling a diverse and sometimes conflicting range of administrative or coordination tasks. What strategies do you use to remain organised and responsive?
- Your experience using tools or systems to help organise meetings, travel, or internal processes.
- An occasion or occasions when you proactively solved a problem, improved a process or introduced a better way of doing something in a previous role.
Please ensure that your full name and contact number are included in your application documents. This will enable us to contact you if you have been successful to the next stage of the recruitment process.
If you want support applying, contact us using the email address above.
Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before expressing your interest in this role. We are sorry that we cannot consider applications from candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK.
We only reach out to candidates who have been shortlisted. If you do not receive communication from us within two weeks following the application deadline, please consider that we will not be moving forward with your application.
Timeline for recruitment process:
Closing date: 25th August 2025 at 11:59pm
Interviews will take place via Teams on Monday 8th September & Tuesday 9th September
Please ensure you keep these dates free.
At Access Social care, we aren’t interested in tokenism. We know that if we are to make the biggest difference for the people that need us the most, we need to get Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism right. Part of this is recruiting greater diversity in all our teams.
With this in mind, we particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience of the communities we serve, including people with direct experience of the social care system, and from marginalised groups, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people, and trans and non-binary people.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
For every role we advertise, we outline a set of essential skills or experience that are key to doing the job well. If you have a disability (this includes long term health conditions or mental health conditions) and you meet these essential criteria, you can request to be considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
If you would like to apply through this scheme, please clearly show in your supporting statement how you meet the essential requirements for the role and indicate in your application email that you wish to be considered under the scheme.
Being offered an interview through this route does not mean you are guaranteed the job. The selection decision will still be based on who performs best at interview.
If you are invited to interview, we will ask if you need any reasonable adjustments to support you during the process.
Please note: If we receive a high number of applications from candidates who meet the essential criteria and request to be considered under the scheme, we may need to prioritise those whose applications most closely match the role requirements.
To apply, please provide the following documents:
• An up-to-date CV
• A completed diversity monitoring form
• A supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing:
- The essential requirements of the person specification
- Brief examples that demonstrate the following:
+Your experience handling a diverse and sometimes conflicting range of administrative or coordination tasks. What strategies do you use to remain organised and responsive?
+ Your experience using tools or systems to help organise meetings, travel, or internal processes.
+ An occasion or occasions when you proactively solved a problem, improved a process or introduced a better way of doing something in a previous role
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Impatience Earth is a non-profit climate philanthropy consultancy founded in 2020 with a mission to educate, challenge and inspire wealth holders to take bolder funding decisions to address the climate emergency.
We have a role available for someone to join our small but mighty team to deliver high-level support to our CEO and Deputy CEO, helping them achieve their strategic priorities by managing their calendar and emails, supporting them with prioritisation of tasks and managing key projects. A smaller part of the role will be to provide support as a Team Manager, which will entail coordinating team meetings and away days, and supporting with the administration of projects.
We are looking for a detailed-oriented, highly organised and proactive individual who loves the idea of helping fast-paced, ambitious organisations work more smoothly and effectively. You should be able to manage multiple priorities, work well both independently and within a team, and bring a solutions-focused approach to challenges. We are looking for someone who already has experience of working as an EA with senior leaders.
Specifically, you will be supporting with tasks such as:
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Managing the CEO and Deputy CEO’s emails and calendars
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Supporting the CEOs to manage projects and prioritise tasks
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Creating meeting agendas and capturing minutes and action items
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Creating and sending invoices
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Arranging travel and any reimbursements
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Booking meeting rooms at London co-working space
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Arranging team away days
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Coordinating regular meetings with team members and Associates
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Coordinating speaker briefings and follow-ups
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Assisting the CEOs with social media posts
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Supporting key projects to ensure timelines and deliverables are met
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Managing and scheduling internal and external meetings, working closely with other administrative and support staff in many cases
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Maintaining confidentiality in all matters
Core skills/attributes we are looking for:
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Organisation: Highly organised, with prior experience of supporting senior leaders
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Discretion: Able to handle confidential information professionally
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Multi-Tasking: Someone who is able to and excited about supporting the management of multiple projects
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Communication: Clear and concise writing and verbal communication, with the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders
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Synthesis: The ability to gather inputs for meeting agendas and to synthesise key points and action items
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Entrepreneurial: Someone who wants to bring ideas about how to organise and improve the workplace they are in
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Values match: Committed to social justice, climate action and anti-oppression
As part of this role, you will have up to 25 days paid annual leave, a professional development budget and be part of a great team. We believe that we can be a really good employer for people of all backgrounds and hope we will get applications from people from a range of backgrounds.
Salary: circa £40k, depending on experience
Location: UK-based, with ability to travel into London on occasion. This is a remote position, with optional access to a co-working space.
Contract: Initially 12 months with a view to extend to permanent depending on contracts
Hours: 4–5 days a week, spread across Monday to Friday.
Application deadline: 31 August 2025
Interviews and assignments: On a rolling basis throughout September 2025
Stage 1: Submit application via CharityJob
Stage 2: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a short initial video call interview with either the CEO or Deputy CEO to discuss your experience and what excites you about the role.
Stage 3: You will be asked to complete a short assignment at a time that suits you. At this stage in the process, we will offer candidates a £50 stipend to cover the time invested in this exercise.
Stage 4: As part of the final interview stage, you’ll be invited to a full interview. At this stage in the process, we will offer candidates an additional £50 stipend to cover the time invested in this exercise.
Who You Will Meet:
As part of the interview process, you will meet our CEO Yasmin Ahammad and Deputy CEO Aditi Shah. For more information, see impatience.earth.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.