Assistant / Executive Assistant to CEO in Haddington

THE PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Executive Assistant (EA) provides highly proactive, strategic and operational support to the Managing Director and Operations Director. The role operates as a central coordination point across the business, ensuring executive time is optimised, priorities are aligned, and key activities are executed seamlessly.

Beyond traditional administrative support, this EA acts as a trusted partner, gatekeeper and integrator, enabling both directors to focus on strategic leadership, operational execution and external stakeholder engagement.

The EA will manage complex professional and personal diaries, international travel, meeting cadence and reporting processes, while maintaining professionalism, confidentiality and precision at all times.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional organisation, foresight and judgement, anticipating needs before they arise and ensuring that both Directors are consistently prepared and well-positioned for their commitments. They bring a calm, controlled and solutions-focused approach, able to operate at pace across multiple priorities without compromising quality. Highly discreet and trustworthy, they handle sensitive information with integrity and professionalism. They are proactive rather than reactive, comfortable making decisions within defined parameters, and confident engaging with senior stakeholders both internally and externally. Above all, they demonstrate ownership, initiative, attention to detail, adaptability and a strong service mindset, ensuring both Executive Directors’ weeks run with precision and efficiency.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Executive & Personal Diary Management
  • Full ownership of complex, dynamic diary management for both Directors (diary consolidation will likely be required!)
  • Prioritisation and optimisation of time across strategic, operational and personal commitments
  • Coordination of personal appointments and life administration where required
  • Proactive conflict resolution and forward productivity planning (short, medium and long horizons)
• Travel/Event Planning (Professional & Personal)
  • End-to-end planning of UK and international travel itineraries (flights, accommodation, ground transport, dining, events)
  • Creation of detailed, executive-level itineraries and briefing packs
  • Management of visas, documentation, contingencies and travel optimisation
  • Coordination of personal travel and leisure arrangements
• Meeting & Meeting Room Coordination
  • Scheduling and coordination of all leadership, board and external meetings
  • Ownership of room bookings, technology readiness, hospitality/catering and logistics
  • Ensuring efficiency and preparedness across all meeting environments
  • Liaison with internal and external stakeholders to best-align schedules
• Daily / Weekly Briefings
  • Preparation of daily and weekly briefing packs for both Directors
  • Consolidation of agendas, key documents, actions and priorities
  • Ensuring both Directors are fully briefed, aligned and prepared for all engagements
  • Tracking follow-ups and ensuring actions are completed in a timely manner
• Report Writing & Documentation
  • Drafting, formatting and updating board reports, operational updates and presentations
  • Maintaining consistency across reporting structures and templates
  • Supporting the collation of monthly, quarterly and ad-hoc reporting
  • Producing high-quality documents aligned with executive standards
• Executive Office Coordination
  • Acting as first point of contact / gatekeeper for both Directors
  • Managing inbound communication and prioritising responses
  • Supporting project coordination and cross-functional collaboration
  • Ensuring seamless flow of information across the Leadership Team
  • Managing expense claims, receipt handling and liaison with finance function
• General Responsibilities
  • Maintaining strict confidentiality
  • Supporting ad hoc projects, events and business initiatives
  • Continuous improvement of executive processes, systems and ways of working

ROLE COMPETENCIES

The following competencies (Korn Ferry) are seen as critical or important to this role.

Critical Competencies

• Plans & Aligns
• Optimises Work Processes
• Manages Complexity
• Situational Adaptability
• Communicates Effectively
• Ensures Accountability
• Instills Trust

Important Competencies

• Decision Quality
• Balances Stakeholders
• Collaborates
• Directs Work
• Resourcefulness
• Tech Savvy
• Manages Ambiguity
• Customer Focus (applied internally to executive stakeholders)
• Action Oriented
• Interpersonal Savvy

KEY QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience as an Executive Assistant supporting C-suite or Director-level leaders
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple senior stakeholders simultaneously
• Complex diary and inbox management (Strong experience)
• International travel coordination
• Meeting and board-level administration
• High proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, CoPilot)
• Strong written communication skills with experience in report and presentation preparation
• Experience working within fast-paced, commercially focused environments counting qualification with some previous experience in a senior role