Personal Assistant in Christchurch

Solent Group works with a diverse portfolio of retailers and supplies bespoke products within various categories, including Health & Beauty, Household, Impulse Snacking, and Reusable Bags. We are proud to be best-in-class when it comes to own-label product innovation. Our categories are fast-paced with ever-evolving trends and a host of ground-breaking products coming to market on a regular basis - we add value to retailers by leading and owning each category.

Here at Solent, we want people to be extraordinary. We pride ourselves on creating and producing amazing products and brands for our global customers. You will be joining a company with offices globally across South Africa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, and the UK.

Purpose of the role

The Personal Assistant to the CEO & Executive Suite is a central operator within the business, ensuring the CEO and senior leadership team are aligned, prioritised, and operating effectively. This role is less about traditional administrative support and more about driving rhythm, coordination, and flow across the Exec layer. You will act as the connective tissue between the CEO, Exec team, and wider business, ensuring priorities translate into action. While the role includes core Executive Assistant responsibilities, the primary focus is on enabling leadership effectiveness, managing competing priorities, and keeping the business moving at pace.

Key Responsibilities

• CEO Support & Prioritisation
  • Act as a true right-hand support to the CEO, managing both professional and day-to-day requirements to ensure they can operate at full capacity.
  • Own and manage the CEO's diary with a strategic lens, balancing business priorities with personal commitments and ensuring effective use of time.
  • Anticipate needs in advance, including preparation for meetings, travel, and day-to-day requirements.
  • Manage all aspects of CEO logistics including travel bookings, itineraries, visas, accommodation, and transport.
  • Oversee personal administration where required, including appointments, reservations, and ad hoc requests.
  • Ensure the CEO's working environment runs smoothly, including office setup, refreshments, and day planning (e.g. meetings, lunch arrangements).
  • Coordinate vehicle and travel-related requirements (e.g. servicing, MOT, transport logistics).
  • Act as a gatekeeper to the CEO, managing access, prioritising requests, and filtering information appropriately.
  • Prepare daily, weekly, and forward-looking schedules to ensure clarity and control of commitments.
  • Provide high-quality briefing support for meetings, ensuring the CEO is fully prepared with context, materials, and key talking points.
  • Support with drafting communications, emails, and documents on behalf of the CEO.
  • Handle confidential and sensitive matters with complete discretion and professionalism.
• Collaboration & Communication
  • Serve as a key point of connection between the CEO and internal stakeholders, fostering clear, timely, and respectful communication.
  • Build strong working relationships across the executive team and wider organisation.
  • Coordinate cross-functional meetings, leadership forums, and offsites, ensuring outcomes and actions are clearly captured and progressed.
  • Deal with customers, suppliers, and key stakeholders.
  • Represent the executive professionally.
  • Handle sensitive situations with discretion.
• Operational & Administrative Excellence
  • Prepare agendas, presentations, briefing notes, and reports for internal and external meetings.
  • Track actions, decisions, and commitments, helping ensure follow-through.
  • Support day-to-day operational tasks that enable the CEO's effectiveness, adapting quickly as priorities shift.
• Confidentiality & Trust
  • Handle sensitive information with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgement.
  • Act as a trusted representative of the CEO, reflecting their style and values in all interactions.
• Calendar & Time Management
  • Schedule meetings strategically and pro-actively.
  • Protect focus time.
  • Avoid double-bookings.
  • Prioritise based on importance.
• Inbox & Communication
  • Filter emails.
  • Draft replies on executive's behalf.
  • Flag urgent messages.
  • Communicate with stakeholders professionally.
• Meetings
  • Create agendas.
  • Take notes.
  • Track action items.
  • Send follow-ups.
• Travel & Logistics
  • Flights, hotels, transport (for shows, exec & ops board).
  • Itineraries.
  • Visas/documentation.
• Admin & Organisation
  • File management.
  • Document prep (presentations, reports).
  • Expense tracking and submission.
  • Contract handling where required.
• Project Support
  • Track deadlines.
  • Follow up with team members.
  • Keep projects moving.

Experience

• Proven experience supporting a senior executive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, confident working with people at all levels.
• Proactive - anticipate problems before they happen, adaptable, and solutions-focused, with a natural sense of ownership.
• Flexible - comfortable working with ambiguity and changing priorities.
• High emotional intelligence and sound judgement.

Personal Attributes

• Collaborative, approachable, and relationship-driven.
• Calm under pressure with a 'no task too small' mindset.
• Naturally curious and always thinking one step ahead.
• Discreet, trustworthy, and professional.
• Flexibility in working hours.

What we offer

• Competitive salary with annual salary reviews.
• 25 days holiday per annum, increasing to 27 days after 3 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service.
• Extensive benefits programme including buying additional holiday, medical cash plan, access to mental health support and many other benefits.
• Great learning and development and progression opportunities.
• Yearly bonus structure (based on company targets).
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave.
• Generous Company Sick Pay.
• Pension Scheme Contribution.
• Solent social events run by our in-house Social Team.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Free parking on Christchurch Quay.