Executive Assistant, Ventures

Location: London

Job Type: Permanent

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About us: LifeArc is a not-for-profit life science organisation, leading the way for change in rare diseases in the UK and supporting promising initiatives in global health. We seek out research in areas of unmet need that has great potential, providing support to help it become breakthroughs that change lives.

About the role: LifeArc Ventures is the venture capital arm of LifeArc and invests globally in innovative, early-stage life sciences companies. The Executive Assistant (EA) will report directly to the Head of Ventures and provide comprehensive professional support for a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, acting as a business partner with the primary focus of optimising the Head of Ventures time, enabling them to focus on key business priorities. The role will deliver effective and efficient administrative and logistical duties requiring extensive multi-tasking and prioritisation of workload to optimise productivity. The role is required to anticipate issues and take initiative to proactively deal with these when appropriate. They will be the key contact for internal and external stakeholders and VIPs wishing to liaise with the Head of Ventures and will provide administrative support to the Ventures senior leadership team. The EA will also work as a team with the existing venture team’s PA support. The highest level of integrity and discretion with a strong commitment to LifeArc and its values is expected.

About you: You will:

• Provide proactive and detail-orientated calendar and diary management, coordinating complex schedules and meetings to ensure optimal time management and efficiency.
• As primary point of contact, prioritise and manage enquiries and requests with accuracy and professionalism whilst proactively troubleshooting conflicts; apply sound judgement and provide actionable recommendations to support seamless daily operations and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinate and oversee timely end-to-end logistics for internal and external meetings and events, including scheduling, agenda and document preparation, distribution of presentation materials, room set-up and refreshments and the greeting of visitors.
• Coordinate and manage travel arrangements to include booking transportation and accommodation, preparing detailed itineraries, and managing post-travel expense reconciliation.
• Support project coordination by managing deadlines, accurately taking meeting minutes, tracking and following up on actions, and assisting colleagues to ensure timely delivery of tasks and projects.
• Function as key liaison between the Head of Ventures and their internal and external stakeholders and team, building and maintaining strong relationships, representing their interests, and facilitating effective communication and collaboration.
• Manage sensitive information and confidential matters with the highest level of discretion, ensuring trust, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Provide the Head of Ventures with timely updates on upcoming commitments; anticipate their needs in advance of meetings and events ensuring thorough preparation and readiness, with particular attention to tracking and supporting any activities and actions arising from Exec meetings.
• Function as a barometer for the broader environment by sensing emerging issues and dynamics and alerting the Head of Ventures to these when appropriate.
• Proactive collaboration with other EA and PA colleagues to develop and enhance ways of working, providing cover and assistance when required and actively sharing best practices to drive consistency and efficiency across the team.
• Undertake additional projects and duties as assigned, demonstrating flexibility and a proactive approach to evolving business needs.
• Challenge existing procedures to drive improvements in operational efficiency and reliability.
• Mentor PA/Administrator from within the Support Team to aid their career progression by sharing experiences, providing advice, helping to navigate challenges, and offering guidance with goal setting and development.

Education & experience required:

• Significant executive level support experience, ideally including supporting C-level.
• Advanced Microsoft Office suite expertise for presentation and visuals preparation and manipulation, budget tracking, expense processing, business letters and formal communications.
• Proficient with general IT including tools such as SharePoint, Teams, Google office.
• Previous experience gained within Investment houses, Venture Capital businesses or consulting firms, or banking would be an advantage.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for interaction with stakeholders and drafting of correspondence.
• Exceptional organisational and time management skills to support efficient productivity.
• Impeccable attention to detail to ensure accuracy and efficiency to minimise the need for rework, and aid the production of high-quality work.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to support navigating professional relationships effectively, and enabling positive collaboration and conflict resolution for improved teamwork.
• Solid problem-solving skills to navigate challenges and support making informed decisions using good judgement.
• Sound numeracy skills with the ability to understand and work with numbers and apply them effectively when working with expenses and budgets.
• Effective clear and concise minute taking skills to ensure the accurate recording of essential information, actions, decisions, and key points.
• Proficient project coordination skills with the ability to manage tasks, people, and resource to track that projects run smoothly, meets objectives, and within deadlines.
• Strong decision-making ability – able to identify the most suitable solution having considered all relevant perspectives.
• Ability to respond swiftly, appropriately and efficiently to situations and events that demand immediate attention or quick turnaround.

No formal qualification is required although A-Level education or equivalent is expected, however formal EA training or relevant professional qualifications (e.g. Level 4/5 Executive Assistant Certificate IEAA – Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators) would be an advantage.

Skills & abilities:

• Resilient and able to adapt to change and find ways through evolving situations, maintaining calm when under pressure.
• Resourceful and able to work on own initiative with minimal direction, be adaptable and creative to effectively overcome challenges and achieve the right outcomes.
• Proactive and achieves effective outcomes by planning ahead, anticipating needs, identifying opportunities, and actively working towards solutions and taking the initiative before potential challenges arise.
• Discreet and operates with a high level of integrity across the duties of the role from confidentiality of information, and being mindful of how words and actions might affect others, to not participating in hearsay.
• Positive and professional with exemplary standards at all times, particularly when interacting with a diverse array of stakeholders.

What we can offer you: Focused on finding life-changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’. We are dedicated to creating a diverse, flexible, equitable and happy work environment so our colleagues can thrive as their truest selves. We act with courage, curiosity, care & commitment to deliver quality & excellence for our patients and each other. Join us, and you’ll be given the scope to develop your professional skills and experience in a safe, supportive and challenging environment. Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles. We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity: At LifeArc, we commit to advancing equal opportunities and building a diverse workforce by ensuring a fair, inclusive, and accessible recruitment experience for all. We employ individuals based on their suitability for the work to be performed and their potential for development, regardless of age, sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, or belief. Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion includes creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, is valued for who they are and has the opportunity to translate their potential. We want every candidate to do their very best. If you require special assistance or reasonable adjustments, please be sure to let us know in advance what will be most useful for you and/or to discuss your needs.

Please note we are actively recruiting, and the closing date may be brought forward if we find the right person for this role.