Executive Assistant – 50 Best in Crawley

The 50 Best brand is the leading authority in global gastronomy and the international drinks scene, showcasing worldwide trends and highlighting great restaurants and bars from all corners of the Earth. 50 Best is owned and managed by William Reed Ltd. We have offices in Gatwick, Brighton and London, UK; Montpellier, France; Singapore and Chicago, US. The successful candidate would be based in our Gatwick office but there will also need to be flexibility to travel to our London office fairly frequently and our Brighton office occasionally also. Dependent on business needs, there will also be the ability to work from home as and when appropriate.

We are looking for a highly experienced, confidential and proactive Executive Assistant who is used to supporting several senior level leaders across multiple divisions. The successful candidate will be predominantly supporting four new Managing Directors in our ever growing 50 Best brand. They will also be providing light-touch support to a few of the Executive Leaders and covering for the CEO’s EA during periods of absence. This is a new position, and the role will be offered on a 6 months’ Fixed Term Contract basis. Ideally, the candidate will be available to start immediately.

It is essential that you will have previous experience of managing various demands on your time, across multiple stakeholders. You will be unflappable and autonomous by nature, highly confidential and able to work both adeptly and efficiently. The role has no direct people management or budget ownership responsibilities, but it does hold indirect influence through coordinating senior stakeholders’ workflows, managing information flow and supporting decision‑making.

Responsibilities predominantly span the 50Best division, involving sustained interaction with senior internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment, continuity and progress across diverse teams and divisions. The role enables leaders to focus on strategic priorities by coordinating information flow, managing complex commitments and maintaining oversight of key actions and decisions. You will act as a trusted partner and gatekeeper and strengthen organisational efficiency by ensuring leaders are well‑briefed, risks are anticipated and communications with senior stakeholders are handled professionally. The role provides a reliable, structured and responsive service that supports continuity, clarity and progress across the business. This involves both complex calendar management and seamless coordination of travel arrangements.

What you’ll be doing:

• Driving the efficient operation of Executive and Managing Director workflows by coordinating the flow of information, priorities and deadlines, ensuring leaders remain focused on strategic decision‑making and longer‑term planning.
• Influencing and aligning senior stakeholders with competing priorities by using diplomacy, negotiation and well‑structured communication to secure outcomes that support senior stakeholder’s objectives.
• Applying advanced judgement to navigate complex or ambiguous situations, resolving scheduling conflicts, anticipating risks and shaping practical solutions that maintain momentum across multiple initiatives with minimal escalation and without compromising priorities.
• Strengthening governance disciplines by producing accurate agendas, minutes and action tracking, ensuring decisions, commitments and follow‑ups are clearly documented, communicated and progressed within agreed timeframes.
• Facilitating clear and timely communication between executives, senior stakeholders and external partners, influencing outcomes through diplomacy, professional insight and well‑structured information exchange.
• Managing confidential and sensitive matters with a high degree of autonomy, protecting the integrity and reputation of senior stakeholders and ensuring information is handled with discretion and sound judgement.
• Ensuring leaders are consistently well‑prepared by coordinating high‑quality briefing materials, insights and documentation that support effective decision‑making and engagement across the organisation.
• Improving operational effectiveness by designing, maintaining and enhancing processes, documentation and workflows that increase clarity, consistency and organisational discipline across executive activities.
• Representing senior stakeholders with authority and professionalism, building effective relationships, influencing interactions across functions and supporting alignment on priorities and organisational needs.

Requirements

What you will need:

• Strong experience offering EA level support to multiple senior / Executive level stakeholders, ideally within a complex, matrix managed organisation.
• An ability and willingness to work between offices dependent on business needs.
• Exceptional organisational and administrative skills, with the ability to manage high volumes of complex and competing demands with precision, while remaining composed, resourceful and solutions‑focused in a fast‑moving environment.
• An ability to balance and prioritise the needs of multiple senior leaders, navigating competing demands with professionalism and sound judgement.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate and engage confidently with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• A curious mindset and a proactive approach, able to question, push back and foresee and avoid obstacles before they arise and an ability and willingness to suggest process improvements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interpret, structure and present information clearly and succinctly for executive‑level decision‑making.
• Proven ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion, integrity and professional judgement.
• High proficiency in Microsoft 365 and confidence adopting AI‑enabled tools and other digital platforms to enhance productivity and workflow efficiency.
• Evidence of consistent delivery of accurate, high‑quality work, supported by exceptional attention to detail and the ability to prioritise effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to use initiative and operate autonomously, applying informed judgement and creative problem‑solving when faced with ambiguity or time‑sensitive situations.

Other information

Company Benefits and Initiatives Include:

• 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays (pro-rata).
• An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”.
• A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community.
• Opportunity for hybrid working.
• Contributory Pension.
• Life Assurance Scheme.
• Group Income Protection.
• Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements.
• Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme, Virtual GP service and Access to health & wellbeing resources and tools.

Why work for us

We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics. If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.