Group Executive Assistant to Group Deputy CEO & Group CFO in London

Elevare Civic Education Group is seeking a highly professional, proactive and discreet Executive Assistant to provide high-quality, confidential and well-controlled executive support to the Deputy Group CEO and Group CFO. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of a values-led civic education group spanning further and higher education, schools and charitable activity. This role will provide essential support to a senior executive leader, helping to ensure the smooth running of a busy executive office while supporting key financial administration, accounting records, audit preparation, internal controls, governance reporting and regulatory assurance activity across the Group.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, methodical and resilient, with excellent communication skills and the confidence to work with senior leaders, governors, trustees, auditors, regulators, professional advisers and colleagues across multiple sites. You will be comfortable managing complex diaries and inboxes, preparing high-quality briefings and reports, coordinating meetings, maintaining accurate records and trackers, handling confidential and financially sensitive information, and supporting the delivery of finance, audit, risk, compliance and governance priorities.

You will bring strong judgement, excellent attention to detail, sound numeracy and a calm, professional approach in a fast-paced environment. Experience of supporting financial administration, accounting processes, audit evidence collation, action tracking, internal controls or assurance activity in a complex or regulated organisation would be particularly valuable. This role would suit someone who enjoys working at pace, can move confidently between operational detail and wider strategic priorities, and is motivated by the opportunity to contribute to robust financial oversight, effective audit assurance, strong governance and an organisation with a clear civic mission.

In return, we offer the opportunity to play a central role within an ambitious and collaborative Group, working closely with senior leaders and contributing to work that has real impact across our communities.

What you will do:

• Provide high-level executive support to the Deputy Group CEO & Group CFO, with secondary support to the wider Group Executive Team.
• Manage complex diaries, inboxes, correspondence, calls, meetings and travel arrangements.
• Draft, proofread, edit and quality assure reports, letters, Board and Committee papers, briefings, presentations and correspondence, ensuring that financial, audit, governance and regulatory information is accurate, clear and produced to deadline.
• Coordinate deadlines, chase actions and ensure timely responses for executive priorities, audit actions, governance returns, regulatory requirements and financial reporting cycles.
• Handle sensitive, confidential, commercially sensitive and financially sensitive information with absolute discretion and professionalism.
• Support the preparation, collation, review and issue of Board, Committee and governance meeting papers, with particular attention to financial reporting, audit assurance, risk, compliance and regulatory matters.
• Maintain accurate risk registers, audit action trackers, compliance logs, financial information, accounting records, assurance evidence, files and key organisational data.
• Arrange internal and external meetings, prepare agendas and papers, take accurate minutes and follow up agreed actions, ensuring financial, accounting, audit, internal control, governance and regulatory matters are clearly captured and progressed.
• Support the review, updating and publication of policies and procedures on SharePoint, particularly those relating to finance, accounting, audit, internal controls, governance, compliance and regulation.
• Coordinate regulatory committee activities where required, including papers, logistics, minutes, action tracking and follow-up on matters relating to finance, accounting, audit, internal controls, governance, regulation and risk.
• Represent the Group Executive Team professionally as a first point of contact for staff, visitors and stakeholders.
• Review systems and processes relating to executive support, financial administration, audit tracking, governance reporting and regulatory compliance, making recommendations to improve accuracy, efficiency, control and ways of working.
• Support training, events, engagement activity and occasional organisational/promotional events.
• Work flexibly across London South East Colleges and London South East Academies Trust sites as required.

About you:

• Degree-level education is preferable or equivalent experience.
• Substantial experience in a senior executive support or senior administrative role, including complex diary management, correspondence handling, forward planning, committee servicing and support to senior leaders.
• Experience of supporting financial administration, accounting processes, financial records, management information, reporting cycles or related assurance activity.
• Experience of supporting audit preparation, evidence collation, audit action tracking, internal controls, risk registers, compliance logs or governance assurance processes.
• Able to prepare, review and quality assure documents, reports, minutes, correspondence and briefing papers to a high standard, ensuring accuracy, clarity and consistency.
• Strong numeracy skills and confidence in working accurately with financial information, accounting records, management information and assurance data.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft 365, including SharePoint, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and able to maintain accurate records, trackers, reports and controlled documentation.
• Methodical, organised and resilient, with the ability to manage competing executive priorities, statutory or regulatory deadlines, audit actions and governance reporting requirements.
• Able to present complex, sensitive or technical information clearly and appropriately for executives, Board, Committee and external audiences.
• Able to operate with absolute discretion, sound judgement and professionalism when handling confidential, commercially sensitive, financial, audit, governance and regulatory information.
• Experience of working in Further Education, Higher Education, a multi-academy trust, public sector, charity or similarly regulated environment would be advantageous.
• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and the Nolan Principles of public life.

Working arrangements:

This is a full-time role, 37 hours per week, based primarily at Bromley and Orpington with travel to other London South East Colleges and London South East Academies Trust sites as required.

Benefits:

• We offer a highly competitive benefits package, including excellent annual leave and a generous pension through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme depending on role.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Annual season ticket loan.
• Access to the Discounts for Teachers portal.
• Free Wi-Fi access in over 10,000 locations worldwide through Eduroam.
• Access to our on-site gym at Bromley campus and discount at other local gyms.
• Discounts in our in-house restaurants and on hair and beauty treatments.

London South East Colleges is fully committed to equality of opportunity and to creating a diverse, inclusive and respectful working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, parental status or marital or partnership status.