Executive Assistant

A high-impact Executive Assistant role supporting two members of our senior leadership team. Parental leave cover, starting late July, for approximately 7 months. Fast-paced and project-heavy, with genuine influence across the organisation.

About Ryman Healthcare: At Ryman, exceptional care doesn't happen by chance. Behind every meal served, every activity enjoyed, every home maintained, and every moment of support is a dedicated team working together to make life easier for our residents. That's our promise: it's all taken care of. Founded in Christchurch in 1984, Ryman Healthcare is New Zealand's largest retirement living and aged care provider, with 47 villages across New Zealand and Australia and around 7,800 team members. We're proud of our 40-year history, and even more excited about where we're headed. We're in a real period of transformation, focused on stronger commercial outcomes, smarter ways of working, and continuing to set the standard in retirement living and aged care.

The Role: This is a 7-month fixed-term parental leave cover, starting late July. Supporting both our Chief Customer Officer and Chief People and Safety Officer, you'll be in the thick of it: agile, curious, and a real doer who influences and collaborates across the organisation. This is not a traditional Executive Assistant role. It's a fast-paced, project-heavy role for someone who thrives on variety and momentum. You'll do far more than manage diaries. You'll anticipate needs, drive things forward, and bring order and follow-through to two busy executive portfolios. You'll bring commercial awareness and digital confidence to everything you do, using technology smartly to work more efficiently and add value. If you're someone who likes to be at the centre of the action and gets satisfaction from making things happen, this role is for you.

What you'll do:

• Manage diaries, travel, and email across both executive portfolios, making sound, commercially aware judgments about priorities and trade-offs.
• Coordinate leadership team meetings for both leaders, including agendas, packs, logistics, and follow-through on actions.
• Coordinate quarterly sales workshops end-to-end, including agenda, pack preparation, and team travel.
• Track board paper timelines to ensure deadlines are met.
• Deliver ad hoc project work, reporting, and analysis as required, using digital tools to turn information into clear, useful insights.
• Look for opportunities to work smarter, harnessing digital tools and AI to lift efficiency and improve ways of working.

Who You Are: You are agile, curious, and resilient. You operate autonomously with minimal direction, and you bring energy and initiative to everything you do. You're a natural collaborator who can build relationships and influence across all levels of the organisation. You bring commercial nous and a genuine digital mindset, always looking for smarter, more efficient ways to deliver.

You bring:

• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, particularly PowerPoint and Excel (intermediate to advanced).
• Comfort and confidence with AI tools such as Copilot, with a genuine appetite to use technology to work smarter.
• A commercial mindset and sound business acumen, with an understanding of how your work supports broader business priorities and outcomes.
• An agile, adaptable, and self-motivated approach, with the resilience to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• The ability to operate autonomously, prioritise effectively, and keep multiple workstreams moving at once.
• Strong communication and relationship skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across the organisation.
• A proactive, action-oriented mindset, with genuine curiosity and a drive to improve how things are done.

What's in it for you:

• A business in transformation: you'll have real influence and the opportunity to work at the heart of our senior leadership team.
• Additional wellbeing leave and flexible working arrangements.
• Access to over 60 discounts with well-known brands across health and wellbeing, banking, insurance, and retail.
• Social club events, Furry Fridays (bring your dog to work).
• Pioneers Café access (Christchurch office).

Ready to apply: At Ryman, we support an environment where everyone feels welcome to be themselves. We embrace diversity and celebrate individual uniqueness, encouraging anyone wanting to work for Ryman to apply for our vacant positions.