Office Manager (Head of House) & Personal Assistant in Manchester

Our mission is to cut through the chaos, make the complex simple and navigate a clear path to growth for our clients. We capitalise on complexity across consultancy, capability and execution by crafting dynamic digital solutions that outpace tomorrow’s challenges.

We’re a proudly diverse business comprised of deep specialists across media, marketing, training and technology. Although our skills, backgrounds and beliefs may differ, we are united by four core shared values:

• Run at change and challenge convention: We love to push the boundaries of what the world thinks is possible.
• Champion discovery: We go deep into our clients’ worlds and are always hungry to learn more about them, our specialisms and each other.
• Connected Clarity: We focus on collaboration, joining the right dots between our clients, partners and experts to deliver agile solutions at speed and scale.
• Positive Encouragement: We want to make working with us the best part of someone’s day, lifting one another up and ensuring everyone belongs.

We’re seeking a highly organised, proactive and personable Office Manager (Head of House) & Personal Assistant to oversee the smooth day-to-day running of our Manchester office whilst providing high-level support to a member of the senior leadership team. This role combines responsibility for office operations, workplace experience, internal events, supplier management, health & safety and budget management, alongside executive support including diary management, meeting coordination, travel planning and expenses.

The successful candidate will act as a key point of contact across the Brave Bison business, creating a welcoming, well-organised and professional environment for employees, clients, and visitors. This role requires an individual with great communication skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism. This position is fully office-based, five days per week in Manchester city centre.

Key Responsibilities

• Office Manager (Head of House): Be the go-to person in the office, creating a welcoming, supportive and professional environment for employees, clients and visitors.
• Welcome employees, clients, and visitors, ensuring they are authorised to be on site and have a great experience during their visit.
• Chair our Social & Wellbeing Committee, coordinating a calendar of fun, inclusive employee initiatives and company events, including our summer and Christmas celebrations.
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes for employees, including access cards, laptop setup and office inductions.
• Support with town halls and internal meetings with room setup, logistics, presentation preparation and coordination.
• Maintain responsibility for office security procedures and opening and closing the office.
• Maintain health and safety compliance, including risk assessments, fire safety procedures and first aid.
• Liaise with the landlord on issues relating to the building and office environment.
• Carry out regular office audits, logging issues and coordinating repairs and maintenance with contractors and handymen.
• Ensure all works are completed safely, correctly and cost-effectively.
• Ensure all office technology and equipment are functioning effectively, working closely with the IT team in London to resolve issues where required.
• Manage supplier procurement, contract negotiation, and supplier relationships, including cleaners, office works, catering, and other service providers.
• Manage the office budget, tracking spend across supplies, maintenance, hospitality, events, and supplier accounts to ensure maximum value.
• Manage weekly and monthly ordering to maintain sensible stock levels across the office, including stationery, kitchen stock and refreshments.
• Support sustainability initiatives by ensuring office supplies, products and suppliers align with the company sustainability and ethical policies.
• Coordinate couriers, post collections and support with travel bookings via our central system, Navan.

Personal Assistant:

• Manage complex calendar scheduling, ensuring seamless coordination across teams, stakeholders, and multiple office locations including London and Manchester.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, including transport, accommodation, itineraries, and visas.
• Track and manage budgets, expenses, and support with other financial administration.
• Handle confidential business matters and sensitive information with complete professionalism and discretion.
• Provide ad hoc administrative support as required, including document preparation, meeting coordination and administration.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum 4 years experience in an Office Manager role.
• Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and manage competing demands.
• Proven experience managing office operations, suppliers, contractors, budgets and workplace administration.
• Experience coordinating internal office events, team socials and well-being initiatives.
• Experience supporting senior executives, including managing complex diaries, travel arrangements, meetings, and confidential business matters would be beneficial.
• A background in an agency or creative environment would be ideal but is not essential.
• A positive, approachable, and collaborative attitude, with a genuine passion for creating an organised, welcoming and high performing office environment.
• Knowledge and understanding of office health & safety requirements, including maintaining a safe and legally compliant working environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to build strong relationships and liaise professionally with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly proactive, resourceful, and solutions focused, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks and projects.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Confident using Microsoft Office applications, particularly Outlook, Copilot Chat, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

What you’ll get:

Our people make us who we are, so to make sure we attract and retain the best and brightest in the industry, we offer an attractive benefits package. We are the UK’s first carbon neutral agency (a status we have held since 2018), with a serious commitment to monitoring and reducing the impact our work has on the planet across three core sustainability pillars of Greenhouse Gases, Waste & Recycling and Sustainable Consumption.

Here’s a snapshot of just some of the benefits we think you might also like:

• Private medical insurance: To keep you fighting fit and give you and your family peace of mind.
• Income protection: We know it feels good to be covered, just in case.
• Calm Subscription: Now more than ever, it’s important to mind your mind!
• 25 days annual leave: This increases to 27 days after three years with us, and then increases every subsequent year up to a max. of 30 days.
• Christmas closure: No need to save holiday days for the Christmas closure period. It's on us!
• Birthdays off: One extra day to celebrate your big day.
• Summer hours: Between June and August we finish at 15.00 every Friday.
• Online coaching and mental health support: Unlimited via OpenUp.
• Remote Working: Work abroad for up to one month a year.
• Performance & Salary: Reviewed twice a year for everyone.

Finally, we’re proud and committed to being an equal opportunity workplace, providing equal opportunities for all and treating all existing employees and all job applicants in the same way, regardless of their age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity status and marital & civil partnership status.