At a Glance
- Tasks: Support Directors with diary management, travel arrangements, and customer engagement.
- Company: GB Railfreight, a leading rail freight company with a supportive culture.
- Benefits: Generous healthcare, discounts, electric vehicle scheme, and training opportunities.
- Other info: Flexible hours, social events, and excellent career growth potential.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and develop your skills while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Strong organisational skills, confidentiality, and experience in administrative roles.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 30000 £ per year.
About the Role
The role of Personal Assistant at GB Railfreight is to support the relevant Director(s), providing a professional service at all times across a wide variety of areas. Responsible, reliable and confidential, the PA will provide first class organisation and diary management. This role is based in our Peterborough office and is a 12 month fixed term contract. The salary on offer is up to £30,000.
Main Responsibilities
- Administrative & Diary Management
- Managing and prioritising the Director’s calendar, scheduling meetings, ensuring no conflicts.
- Coordinating travel arrangements and accommodation for meetings and visits across the country.
- Preparing agendas, briefing notes, and documents for meetings with customers and internal teams.
- Organising Director’s customer visits, ensuring all logistics are in place.
- Organising safety tours across sites, ensuring all logistics are in place.
- Organising customer dinners and evening events, including scheduling, invites, and logistics.
- Organising Director’s attendance at GBRf social events, including securing personal diary time and sharing logistical details.
- Stakeholder & Customer Engagement
- Coordinating meetings with key customers working with Head Of’s and Account Managers.
- Maintaining an up-to-date list of customer contacts and key stakeholders.
- Organising follow-ups and actions post-customer meetings to ensure continuity.
- Owning the regular updating of contract renewal timelines (using Head Of information).
- Mandating and recording customer engagement and contact (flagging up when customers have not been met or spoken to for a while).
- Internal Coordination & Team Support
- Supporting leadership training program coordination with the L&D Manager (arranging the venues and assisting with administration of attendees).
- Assisting with the production of reports, data, and presentations required for board meetings or strategy discussions.
- Collating monthly commercial & finance packs, ensuring a uniform template of presentation, and issuing out prior to the meeting.
- Taking notes and recording actions at key meetings.
- Organising and administering Team Conferences including venue booking, logistics, and agenda planning.
- Ensuring updates and internal communications are added to the internal website (the loop).
- Coordinating and administering the customer survey process.
- Overseeing the creation of portfolios and contract videos for internal communications.
- Administration and gatekeeping of the CRM system.
- Organising and administering internal audits.
- Additional duties
- Ensuring that supported Directors have all necessary materials and preparation before meetings.
- Reminding Directors of key tasks, deadlines, and commitments.
- Managing expenses reports, invoices, and approvals as needed.
- Acting as a gatekeeper to protect the Director’s time and focus on high-priority matters.
- Recording and managing team events and arranging appropriate acknowledgement including cards and gifts.
Skills and Experience
- Self motivated and pro-active individual with good interpersonal skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders across all levels of the business.
- Excellent organisational skills are a necessity in the role.
- Proven experience of maintaining high levels of confidentiality.
- Ability to multi-task and prioritise a busy workload.
- Proficient in all Microsoft packages.
- Attention to detail, able to produce a high standard of work.
- GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent) in grade C or above.
- Flexible with working hours including some weekend working.
- Willing to travel across UK, may include some overnight stays.
- Great team player.
- Experience of working within a busy administrative / customer service role.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a PA role.
- Experience of using Monday.com would be advantageous.
Key Benefits of Working With Us
- A generous healthcare package.
- An online benefits portal offering hundreds of discounts at nationwide retailers.
- An electric vehicle scheme (available after your first 12 months).
- Regular social events, including days out for you and your family.
- Training and development opportunities, including internal courses and external certifications through our industry-renowned development programs. We prioritise your growth in line with our people-centric culture.
Personal Assistant - 12 month fixed term contract employer: GB Railfreight Limited
At GB Railfreight, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a supportive and dynamic work environment in our Peterborough office. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide extensive training and development opportunities, alongside a generous healthcare package and a range of discounts through our online benefits portal. Our vibrant work culture is enriched by regular social events, ensuring that our team feels valued and connected while contributing to meaningful projects.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Personal Assistant - 12 month fixed term contract
✨Get Social with Customer Support Communities
Join customer support groups on platforms like Facebook or Reddit. They often share job openings or temp opportunities. Engaging with these communities can help you learn more about the specific skills and experiences employers are looking for, plus you'll meet folks who might know about openings at companies like GB Railfreight Limited.
✨Leverage Seasonal Hiring Trends
Since customer support roles can spike during busy seasons (think holidays and sales periods), keep an eye out for timelines when companies ramp up hiring. Make sure to apply early and stay active; sending a quick follow-up a week after applying can show your enthusiasm for the role.
✨Flex Your Communication Skills
In customer support, communication is key! Prepare for hypothetical scenarios that test your problem-solving and customer interaction skills. Practising answers to common role-play questions can really help you shine in interviews—trust us, it makes a difference!
✨Make the Most of Job Boards
Use industry-specific job boards like Glassdoor or Indeed to find temporary roles. Don’t forget to set up alerts for customer support positions at companies like GB Railfreight Limited. The earlier you apply, the better your chances, so keep your finger on the pulse!
We think you need these skills to ace Personal Assistant - 12 month fixed term contract
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Communication Skills:In customer support, top-notch communication is key. Make sure your CV showcases any previous experience where you’ve had to clearly convey information or resolve issues. If you’ve handled customer queries via email or chat, mention it! Let’s see those strong verbal and written skills shine through.
Showcase Problem-Solving Experience:Employers love to see how you've handled tricky situations. Include examples in your application where you’ve tackled customer concerns or had to think on your feet. It's all about proving you can keep cool under pressure and find solutions—something super important in a temporary customer support role!
Tailor Your Approach for Temporary Roles:Since this is a temporary gig, make sure your cover letter emphasises your flexibility and eagerness to dive right in. Mention that you're ready to hit the ground running and are adaptable to new tools or systems—this shows that you understand the urgency often needed in temporary positions.
Proof of Customer Satisfaction:If you’ve got any quantifiable achievements from past customer support roles, like improved customer satisfaction scores or successful project completions, make sure to include them. Numbers speak volumes! This not only shows your capability but also gives us a reason to believe you'll bring that same success to GB Railfreight Limited.
How to prepare for a job interview at GB Railfreight Limited
✨Master the Customer Interaction Game
In customer support, we need to showcase our people skills. Prepare for role-playing scenarios where you'll demonstrate how to handle difficult customers or resolve complaints. Think about the types of issues common in GB Railfreight Limited's industry and how you can respond empathetically and effectively!
✨Know Your Products Inside Out
For a temporary role, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the products or services GB Railfreight Limited offers. Brush up on key features, common issues, and FAQs. This knowledge will enable you to respond quickly and confidently to customer queries, showing you’re ready to jump in at a moment’s notice!
✨Flexibility is Key - Emphasise Your Adaptability!
Since this is a temporary role, we're looking to convey how quickly we can adapt to new systems or processes. Be ready to share examples of how you've quickly learned new tools or adjusted to changing environments in past roles. Show them you're the go-to person when the pressure's on!
✨Prepare for Quick Conversational Q&A
You might face a rapid-fire round of questions about customer service principles or how you'd handle specific situations. To ace this, think through different customer scenarios ahead of time, and practice your responses to ensure they're concise and impactful. The aim is to demonstrate your quick thinking and problem-solving skills!