PA to the CEO

We are seeking an experienced and highly-organised Personal Assistant (PA) to support our CEO, with the added responsibility of overseeing the School Office reception area. This dynamic role also offers the opportunity to work directly with the senior leadership team (SLT). The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the smooth day-to-day operations of the CEO’s office; managing diaries, communications, and supporting key projects, while acting as a liaison between the CEO and all stakeholders.

As PA to the CEO, you will manage an ever-changing diary, coordinate internal and external meetings, and act as a gatekeeper to the CEO’s office. In addition, you will oversee the School Office reception, creating a warm and welcoming area for visitors, students, and staff while ensuring school office operations run efficiently and smoothly. Your previous office experience will provide oversight and guidance to the wider team on administrative and operational systems and processes.

The role will require you to balance strategic support with hands-on management of the school office. You will be comfortable with multitasking, have a pro-active approach, strong communication skills, an eye for detail, and the capacity to foster great relationships!

If you have a proven background as a PA or senior executive assistant and are passionate about the food industry and education, we would love to hear from you. Leiths is committed to offering professional development opportunities within a collaborative and supportive team culture. Join us and be part of a prestigious institution dedicated to excellence in culinary education.

Purpose of the role:

• The PA to the CEO is responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day operations of the CEO’s office; managing diaries, communications, and supporting key projects, while acting as a liaison between the CEO and all stakeholders.
• You will oversee the School Office reception area, creating a warm and welcoming space for visitors, students, and staff while ensuring school office operations run smoothly and efficiently.

PA Responsibilities:

• Secretarial and Administrative Support: Manage the CEO’s diary, scheduling appointments and meetings, preparing reports and presentations, and maintaining databases and filing systems.
• Communication: Act as the first point of contact for phone calls and enquiries, screening and distributing calls, emails and correspondence, and ensuring smooth communication between the CEO and internal/external contacts.
• Travel Arrangements: Book and arrange domestic and international travel, transport, and accommodation for the CEO (and occasionally other senior employees when requested).
• Meeting Support: Minute meetings (Board, SLT, Staff meetings etc), preparing agendas, collating reports or documents as required and ensuring efficient meeting logistics. Plan and organise meetings and events for the Board and SLT. Assist as needed with the organisation of internal and external events and conferences, including planning, logistics, and follow-up, including liaising with relevant staff.
• Research and Information: Conduct research on behalf of the CEO, compiling information, and preparing briefing papers.
• Project Support: Assist with project coordination and reporting as required.
• Personal Errands: Assist with personal errands and tasks when required. Co-ordinate and manage the gifts budget.
• General Office Support: Order office supplies as needed within budget, manage expenses, and provide general administrative assistance as needed. Management of staff events and socials alongside the Admissions and Events Executive, including management of the budget.

Office Management Responsibilities:

• School Office/Reception: Oversee daily operations of the school office reception area to ensure a professional, efficient and welcoming service, to include: supervision of the school office staff rota, development of front-desk procedures and standards, co-ordinating with facilities and administrative teams to maintain a safe and organised reception environment, managing reception related supplies and budgets, including ordering office materials.
• Administrative Systems and Processes: Proactively identify broader administrative needs throughout the organisation, assessing administration workflows and processes e.g. rota, diary, discussing with relevant staff and providing guidance and support as needed.
• Internal Communication: Act as a central point for administrative information, liaising with the Senior Leadership Team and being the “go to person” for internal information.

This position requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which will reveal any unspent convictions. A criminal record may not necessarily be a bar to employment, as any decision will be treated on its merits and individual circumstances subject to Leiths’ overriding obligation to protect the students in its charge and the safety of Leiths’ staff. All staff have a responsibility and duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. Staff must be aware of the systems within Leiths which support safeguarding and must act in accordance with the School’s Safeguarding & Child Protection policy and Code of Conduct. Staff will receive appropriate child protection training which is regularly updated.

At Leiths Education, we are committed to ensuring that applicants and employees from all sections of the community are treated equally and not discriminated against on the grounds of gender, race, nationality, marital or civil partnership status, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or age. We endeavour to uphold these values for all who are associated with the organisation, starting at the recruitment process.

Due to the volume of applications, only successful applicants will be contacted.