Senior Executive Assistant in London

Location: Hybrid / Stratford, London, UK

Job type: Permanent / Full-time

Sector and subsector: Business Support | Executive Support

Salary: Competitive salary

Affinia is the UK’s largest purpose‑led, purpose‑built Accountancy firm, focused on building stronger, more valuable relationships. With over 1600 colleagues across the East, Southeast, London and the Midlands, we are dedicated to supporting our clients, colleagues and communities. We advise businesses, public sector organisations, charities and individuals throughout the UK and internationally across six Service Lines - Accountancy & Advisory, Tax and Planning, Audit & Assurance, Corporate Finance, Payroll and Corporate Recovery.

The Senior Executive Assistant is a senior member of the Executive Office responsible for delivering high‑quality executive support to a portfolio of C‑Suite leaders. Reporting to the Executive Business Manager, the role provides leadership to assigned Team Assistants, coordinates Executive Office activities, supports the delivery of business priorities and contributes to the effectiveness and resilience of the Executive Office. The role also provides continuity of support to the Group CEO during periods of Executive Business Manager absence.

The Senior Executive Assistant is expected to:

• Operate with minimal supervision, taking ownership of priorities and delivery within the remit of the role.
• Exercise sound judgement, make decisions within agreed authority and recognise when escalation is required.
• Anticipate issues and respond with practical, well‑considered solutions.
• Build credibility through professional, discreet and consistent delivery.
• Lead, coach and develop assigned Team Assistants, supporting their development and ensuring a consistent standard of service delivery.
• Work collaboratively with peer Senior Executive Assistants and adapt effectively as priorities and business needs change.

Key responsibilities:

1. Strategic executive support
   • Own complex, fast‑moving diaries for an assigned portfolio of C‑Suite executives, balancing strategic priorities, business needs, travel and preparation time.
   • Manage requests and stakeholder access on behalf of supported executives, applying agreed priorities and escalation routes.
   • Plan ahead to identify diary conflicts, dependencies and preparation requirements, resolving issues wherever possible.
   • Manage the flow of information, decisions and communications, ensuring executives receive the right information at the right time.
2. Executive Business Manager Cover & Group CEO Support
   • Provide continuity of support to the Group CEO during periods of Executive Business Manager absence.
   • Maintain oversight of the Group CEO’s priorities, diary, meetings, briefings, communications and action management during agreed periods of cover.
   • Coordinate urgent matters across relevant stakeholders and accelerate where required.
   • Maintain clear handover and handback records to minimise disruption during periods of cover.
3. Meetings, governance and action management
   • Plan executive, leadership, Committee or Board‑related and external meetings, ensuring purpose, attendees, papers and logistics are clear.
   • Own the preparation and quality assurance of agendas, briefings, papers, presentations and meeting packs.
   • Attend meetings where required to record decisions and actions and drive timely follow‑up.
4. Travel, events and administration
   • Arrange complex domestic and international travel, with clear itineraries and contingency plans in line with Group policy.
   • Coordinate executive events, dinners, off‑sites and visits.
   • Manage expenses, invoices and relevant administrative approvals accurately and promptly.
5. People leadership
   • Line manage one to two assigned Team Assistants, setting objectives and agreeing priorities and service expectations.
   • Provide regular feedback, coaching and development support, addressing capability or performance matters through the appropriate process.
   • Allocate and rebalance the workloads of assigned Team Assistants, coordinating with peer Senior Executive Assistants where cross‑cover is required.
   • Create a collaborative team environment in which responsibilities and standards are clear.
6. Project and improvement work
   • Deliver projects delegated by the Executive Business Manager, translating each brief into clear outputs, owners and milestones.
   • Coordinate stakeholders, maintain proportionate project documentation and monitor delivery against agreed milestones.
   • Identify project risks, dependencies and decisions early, escalating with clear options and recommendations.
   • Implement agreed improvements to Executive Office processes, templates, records and ways of working.
   • Collaborate with peer Senior Executive Assistants to deliver a consistent and high‑quality Executive Office service across the Executive Team.
   • Maintain effective cross‑cover arrangements and handovers to support continuity during periods of leave, absence and peak demand, escalating wider resourcing issues to the Executive Business Manager.
   • Support the implementation of Executive Office standards, processes and agreed ways of working.
   • Share knowledge and best practice with peer Senior Executive Assistants and recommend practical improvements to efficiency, service delivery and operational resilience through the Executive Business Manager.

Measures of success:

• Supported executives are well prepared, and their time and commitments are effectively managed.
• Group CEO support remains consistent and well‑coordinated during periods of Executive Business Manager absence.
• Assigned Team Assistants receive effective support and development and deliver a consistent service.
• Delegated projects achieve agreed outcomes, with risks and progress communicated clearly.
• Executive Office cover and handover arrangements support continuity of service.

Knowledge, skills and experience:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in an Executive Assistant or comparable senior executive support role, including at least two years providing direct support to C‑Suite or equivalent senior leaders in a complex, fast‑paced organisation. Experience must include complex diary, meeting, travel and action management.
• Relevant professional qualification or equivalent professional development in executive support, business administration, management, leadership or project delivery. Evidence of continued professional development relevant to the role.
• Ability and willingness to line manage, support and develop a Team Assistant, including setting clear expectations, agreeing priorities, providing constructive feedback and coordinating workload. Previous experience of formally line managing, coaching or developing administrative or business support colleagues is desirable but not essential.
• Experience of delivering projects or business improvement activity involving multiple stakeholders, with the ability to coordinate deliverables, owners, milestones, risks and dependencies.
• Demonstrable discretion, sound judgement and confidence in making day‑to‑day decisions within agreed authority, including recognising when escalation is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the credibility, confidence and diplomacy to work effectively with C‑Suite leaders, Board stakeholders and external partners.
• Exceptional planning, prioritisation and attention to detail, with the ability to anticipate requirements, manage competing priorities and create structure in a changing environment.
• Advanced capability in Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Teams, with the ability to use technology to improve efficiency and ways of working.
• Experience supporting a Group CEO or working within a Board or governance environment, together with familiarity with governance cycles, HR and expense systems. Relevant professional development in leadership, coaching, project management or governance would be advantageous.
• Composed and resilient in a demanding executive environment.
• Highly organised, resourceful and able to adapt to changing priorities.
• Diplomatic and confident when constructively challenging or managing expectations.
• Commercially aware, proactive and self‑motivated, with the confidence to take initiative and drive continuous improvement.

This role profile outlines the principal responsibilities and accountabilities of the position and is not intended to be exhaustive. Executive portfolio allocation and priorities may change in response to business needs, and additional duties may be required from time to time, provided they are consistent with the seniority and purpose of the role.

Core Benefits:

At Affinia, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• Opportunity to purchase 3 extra days holiday per year
• Auto enrolment Pension Scheme with True Potential
• Death in Service
• Paycare – claim money back for Dental / Optical / Professional Therapies
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Diary Policy

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Affinia is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion, or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

Recruitment Privacy Notice: Affinia will use the personal data you provide for recruitment purposes, including assessing suitability, communicating with you, arranging interviews, and completing pre‑employment checks. Our lawful bases include contractual necessity, legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in managing recruitment.