Business Support Specialist

Company Description

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Job Description

About the Role

You will play a key role within our central Business Support function, providing first-class secretarial and administrative support to Partners in our Defence and Security GTM team. The focus is on enabling our Partners and Consultants to concentrate on client projects by ensuring seamless operations and support. You will be the first point of contact for a diverse range of personnel.

Key Responsibilities

Secretarial support for Partners (approx. 80% of role):

• • Complex diary and international travel management across multiple time zones
  • Inbox management and communication gatekeeping
  • Submission of expenses in line with company policy
  • Supporting consultants with booking rooms, organising catering, and travel arrangements
  • Supporting internal team meetings, external client events, and preparing documentation
  • General time and workload management to meet tight deadlines

General and system administration; ad hoc support (approx. 20%):

• • Supporting various Go-To-Market and capability initiatives
  • Processing purchase orders and assisting with ISO audits
  • Providing cover for team members during absence
  • Supporting workshops and other business support tasks

Hybrid working – our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment.

Qualifications

Experience:

• • Educated to A Level standard or equivalent
  • Eligible for Security Clearance

Skills & Personal Qualities:

• • Significant secretarial and administrative experience, ideally within a large organisation
  • Excellent MS Office skills, especially Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
  • Strong experience of complex diary and travel management
  • Ability to build effective working relationships
  • Confident communicator, both written and verbal, with a friendly and professional manner
  • Meticulous attention to detail and quality
  • Strong planning and organisational abilities under pressure
  • Proactive, adaptable, and committed to supporting your team
  • Experience in mentoring and/or line managing junior team members desirable

Why Join Us?

• Work in a collaborative, high-performing team environment
• Hybrid working model offering flexibility
• Opportunity to work with Partners supporting high-profile clients in the Defence and Security Go-To-Market team
• Ongoing learning, mentoring, and professional development

We know the skill-gap and ‘somewhat need to tick every box’ can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply – we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today by completing our online application

Please be aware that some of our UK roles at PA Consulting require a UK security clearance.

All PA people are required to undergo background checks and to achieve the Baseline Personnel Security Standard however, some UK roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting, where applicants must have at least 5 years of continuous residency in the UK.

We therefore ask that you only apply if you meet the residency requirements (i.e. you are a British citizen or have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years), as this is the prerequisite for a security clearance. If you\’re unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to review the UK Government’s guidance on security vetting before applying.

Additional Information

Life At PA encompasses our peoples\’ experience at PA. It\’s about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We\’re focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self.

Find out more about Life at PA here .

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits:

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives
• Annual performance-based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

We’re committed to advancing equality.We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations – Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on
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