Executive Personal Assistant in London

Location: Approximately 70% remote, with some international travel to accompany the Director General on business trips and to selected residential academic programmes worldwide.

Commitment: Full-time

Salary: Dependent on experience

Start Date: As soon as possible

Role Overview

The John Locke Institute seeks a highly capable and discreet Executive Personal Assistant to support the Director General across professional, strategic, and personal domains. This is not a routine administrative role, but a position requiring judgement, anticipation, discretion, and polish at the highest level. Acting as a close partner to the Director General, the Personal Assistant will translate priorities into action, ensure seamless execution across the Institute and beyond, and manage a wide range of sensitive matters with independence and tact. The role blends executive assistance with family-office–style responsibilities, supporting both the Director General’s institutional leadership and personal affairs. The successful candidate will operate with total discretion, exercise sound judgement, and uphold the Institute’s standards of intellectual seriousness, courtesy, and excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive & Strategic Support
  • Support the Director General in prioritising and executing his workflow across multiple projects, time zones, and jurisdictions.
  • Prepare briefing notes, background documents, and travel itineraries.
  • Accompany the Director General on business trips (within Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States) and attend selected Institute programmes worldwide, ensuring all engagements run smoothly.
  • Manage high-level relationships with external stakeholders, including faculty, donors, partners, parents, and alumni.
  • Handle sensitive and confidential matters with diplomacy and absolute discretion.
• Correspondence & Communications
  • Managing the Director General’s email, reviewing all messages within four business hours and drafting responses for approval or replying independently where appropriate.
  • Draft and send polished correspondence, including formal letters, thank-you notes, and communications with colleagues, students, parents, alumni, and external partners, reflecting the Institute’s high standards.
  • Exercise judgement in determining priorities and acting on the Director General’s behalf when required.
• Coordination & Delivery
  • Translate the Director General’s intentions and priorities into concrete plans by coordinating colleagues and external partners.
  • Track actions, deadlines, and outcomes to ensure timely execution and follow-through.
  • Suggest and implement thoughtful gestures of courtesy (e.g. timely notes or appropriate gifts) to strengthen key relationships.
  • Design, organise, and host events on behalf of the Director General, ranging from small private lunches to larger formal gatherings.
  • Manage the Director General’s complex calendar across professional and personal commitments.
  • Organise international travel itineraries, including flights, accommodation, ground transport, visas, and related logistics and prepare detailed travel packs to ensure all engagements run smoothly.
  • Act as a point of coordination with bankers, lawyers, tax specialists, and investment advisers.
  • Support major transactions, property matters, and international compliance requirements.
  • Maintain organised records and ensure timely follow-up on financial and legal matters.
• Personal & Family Support
  • Manage personal and family schedules, including domestic arrangements and private commitments.
  • Oversee residences, vehicles, and personal assets, coordinating maintenance and service providers as needed.

Qualifications & Experience (desirable but not required)

• Experience supporting senior executives, family offices, or UHNW individuals
• A degree, or degrees, from a leading university.
• Proven success managing complex, multinational operations.
• Some familiarity with international tax systems, banking, and cross-border compliance.
• Experience in education, think tanks, or cultural organisations.

Skills & Attributes for Success

• Absolute discretion, loyalty, and reliability.
• Exceptional organisational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Impeccable written and spoken English.
• Sound judgement and emotional maturity, with the ability to act independently on sensitive matters.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, able to anticipate needs without constant instruction.
• Cultural intelligence and comfort operating across countries, institutions, and social contexts.
• Alignment with the mission and values of an Institute committed to free speech, intellectual humility, courteous disagreement, and the pursuit of truth.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally and adapt to irregular hours during intensive programmes.
• Intellectual curiosity and interest in the Institute’s academic mission is a plus.

What We Offer

• Remote Role: Work from anywhere in the world.
• Inspiring Work: Engage with bright students and leading academics from top universities worldwide.
• Mission-Driven Work: Be part of an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of thinkers.
• Supportive Team: Work alongside a highly talented and motivated team dedicated to your success.
• Creative Freedom: Your ideas and initiatives are valued—we encourage innovation.