Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer (Private Client) in Essex

We are looking for an exceptional Senior Executive Assistant to support our CEO and CBO in a fast-paced, ambitious and rapidly growing biotech environment. This is a highly visible and business-critical role, suited to an experienced EA who thrives on pace, complexity and variety, and who enjoys operating as a true partner to senior leadership.

Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will provide proactive, strategic and seamless support to the CEO and CBO while overseeing administrative coordination across the wider business. You will also manage and mentor an Administrative Assistant, ensuring a consistently high standard of support across the organisation. This role sits at the centre of the business and requires someone who is calm under pressure, highly organised, commercially aware and naturally proactive with a hands-on approach.

You will be trusted to anticipate needs, manage competing priorities, coordinate high-level activity and build strong relationships across internal and external stakeholders. Alongside executive support, you will play an important role in helping shape a collaborative, positive and high-performing culture that reflects our values.

• Provide high-level Executive Assistant support to the CEO and CBO, ensuring seamless day-to-day management of priorities, communications and operational activities.
• Manage complex and ever-changing executive calendars, proactively resolving conflicts, anticipating needs and ensuring time is optimised effectively.
• Coordinate Leadership Team, Board, Committee and Founder meetings, including agendas, logistics and stakeholder management.
• Organise domestic and international travel, conferences, networking engagements and key external events across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Act as a central coordination point across the Leadership Team and wider business, enabling smooth communication and efficient workflows.
• Build strong working relationships with internal teams, external partners, consultants, scientific advisors and key stakeholders.
• Partner closely with Finance, People and cross-functional teams to support the smooth running of the organisation.
• Lead, mentor and develop an Administrative Assistant, creating a collaborative and high-performing support function.

• Extensive senior-level Executive Assistant experience supporting CEO, Founder, Chair or Board-level executives within complex, fast-paced international environments.
• Experience within biotech, pharma, life sciences or other high-growth, entrepreneurial businesses is advantageous, though not essential.
• Exceptional organisational, operational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing demands with accuracy, pace and sound judgement.
• Proven experience managing complex executive calendars, international travel, high-profile stakeholder interactions and globally dispersed teams across multiple time zones.
• Highly proactive and forward-thinking, with the confidence to anticipate needs, solve problems independently and drive initiatives through to completion.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly and collaboratively at all levels internally and externally.
• A natural ambassador for the business, demonstrating professionalism, discretion and emotional intelligence in all interactions.
• Calm, resilient and solutions-focused, with the ability to navigate sensitive situations and shifting priorities with professionalism and composure.
• Highly self-sufficient, adaptable and hands-on, with a genuine team-first mindset and willingness to support wherever needed in a scaling environment.
• Committed to delivering excellence, with exceptional attention to detail, strong planning capability and the ability to anticipate executive and business needs ahead of time.
• Previous line management experience leading, mentoring and developing direct reports, with the ability to drive the same way of working, taking accountability, collaboration, communication, supportive and high performance.
• Bring a hands-on, solutions-focused mindset, supporting wherever needed within a scaling start-up environment.

In return we can offer you a flexible and collaborative working environment with a strong team culture, alongside a highly competitive total rewards package including a highly contributed pension, private medical insurance, income protection and additional benefits. Employees also have access to a range of on-site facilities including a gym, restaurant and free parking.

As a business, we believe success is built through collaboration, shared learning and recognising achievements along the way. We foster a supportive, close-knit culture where people are encouraged to connect, contribute and grow together. We hold regular team events, social activities and community initiatives all play an important role in creating an engaging and inclusive environment where people genuinely enjoy working together.

Backed by leading global life science investors and strategic industry collaborations, we are building an ambitious, collaborative and high-performing organisation at an exciting stage of discovery.

Feel free to have an informal discussion with me for any questions you may have, I am happy to talk to you. I ask that you send your CV in the first instance so we may discuss.