Personal Assistant

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On behalf of HS2, we are looking for a Personal Assistant (Inside IR35) for a 6 month minimum, potentially 12 months contract based in London (Hybrid 2-3 days, with occasional travel covered by expenses)

The role

The Personal Assistant will provide high-level administrative, organisational and executive support to senior leaders within the External Affairs Directorate.

Acting as a trusted first point of contact, the postholder will manage complex diaries, coordinate communications, prepare briefings and reports, organise meetings and events, and ensure the efficient operation of the leadership team.

The role requires exceptional organisational skills, sound judgement, discretion, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment while engaging confidently with senior internal and external stakeholders.

• As a Personal Assistant (Comms/External Affairs) your main responsibilities will be to:
• Provide comprehensive executive and administrative support to senior leaders, including diary management, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, and correspondence.
• Act as the first point of contact for enquiries, managing communications and redirecting matters as appropriate.
• Manage complex and demanding diaries, ensuring effective prioritisation of meetings, events, site visits, and stakeholder engagements.
• Coordinate and manage senior leadership mailboxes, responding to routine enquiries and escalating issues where necessary.
• Prepare and format briefing packs, reports, presentations, meeting papers, and other executive documentation.
• Organise and support meetings, including agenda preparation, minute-taking, action tracking, and follow-up.
• Coordinate directorate meetings, leadership events, workshops, away days, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Maintain accurate records, databases, organisational charts, document repositories, and electronic filing systems.
• Manage travel and accommodation arrangements in accordance with organisational policies and budgets.
• Administer corporate expenditure within delegated authority and maintain associated records.
• Support project delivery and undertake ad hoc administrative assignments as required.
• Build effective working relationships with senior stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Provide cover for other Executive Assistants and support wider business activities as required.
• Promote organisational values, health and safety requirements, and equality, diversity and inclusion principles in all aspects of work.

Essential

• Proven experience in a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or senior administrative support role.
• Proven experience supporting Executive Director, Board-level, or senior leadership teams.
• Extensive experience managing complex diaries, competing priorities, and demanding schedules.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate confidently at all levels.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and work effectively under pressure.
• Experience preparing professional reports, presentations, briefing papers, meeting minutes, and correspondence.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build effective relationships across a wide range of internal and external contacts.
• High levels of discretion, confidentiality, and professional judgement.
• Advanced IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications, Teams, Share Point, and document management systems.
• Tenacious, proactive, and able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Desirable

• Experience working within a regulated, public sector, infrastructure, or politically sensitive environment.
• Experience supporting large-scale meetings, events, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Knowledge of government, parliamentary, or public affairs processes.
• Understanding of communications, community engagement, or corporate affairs functions.
• Experience managing budgets, expenses, or corporate credit card administration.
• Project coordination or project support experience.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation.

Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs.

As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".

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