Secretary in Watford

At TJX Europe, every day brings new opportunities for growth, exploration, and achievement. You’ll be part of our vibrant team that embraces diversity, fosters collaboration, and prioritises your development. Whether you’re working in our Distribution Centers, Corporate Offices, or Retail Stores—TK Maxx & Homesense, you’ll find abundant opportunities to learn, thrive, and make an impact.

Job Summary: Central Operations is a future-focused, innovative and collaborative operational function. We help deliver cross-functional European strategies, and partner across the business to support the future growth of TJX Europe through innovation, leverage, efficiencies and consistent operational excellence. We are looking for a confident and detail-oriented administrative professional with proven experience supporting leaders, who thrives in a structured yet dynamic environment, demonstrates sound judgement, and approaches work with tact, diplomacy, and enthusiasm. Highly organised, comfortable working to deadlines, and who takes pride in delivering high-quality support.

The Secretary role provides professional, flexible, and proactive secretarial and personal assistant support to a VP and AVP in the Central Operations. This is a key enabling role, requiring excellent organisational skills, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The successful candidate will act as a trusted support, ensuring the smooth coordination of diaries, meetings, communications, and departmental activities while building strong working relationships across the business.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, confidential administrative and PA support to the VP and AVP within Central Operations.
• Proactively manage complex and competing diaries, prioritising requests and resolving conflicts with sound judgement and diplomacy.
• Organise and coordinate internal and external meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes, venues, and catering.
• Plan and schedule key activities such as leadership meetings, PDP reviews, key dates, and organisational milestones.
• Prepare, format, proofread, and distribute correspondence, presentations, reports, and spreadsheets to agreed deadlines.
• Collate, manage, and circulate weekly and monthly reports and information across the function.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date departmental records, organisation charts, contact lists, and documentation.
• Arrange domestic and international travel, including itineraries, accommodation, transport, and meeting logistics.
• Support departmental and TJX-wide events, including conferences, charity events, and team away days.
• Provide induction support for new associates and leadership team members, including workstation and equipment set-up.
• Process purchase orders and coordinate procurement of office supplies and stationery.
• Act as a professional point of contact, managing communications tactfully and building effective working relationships across TJX.
• Work collaboratively with other PAs and administrators.
• Provide PA cover for the wider Central Operations leadership team during absences.
• Undertake ad-hoc research relating to suppliers, publications, conferences, or business initiatives.
• Plan and manage own workload effectively, escalating risks or issues appropriately and adhering to company policies and standards.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and role-model TJX Leadership Competencies and Cultural Factors.

Skills / Knowledge / Experience

• Demonstrable experience in a Secretary, PA, or senior administrative role supporting senior management.
• Knowledge of business operations and organisational structures within a matrixed organisation.
• Strong diary, meeting, and travel coordination skills supporting leaders.
• Experience of working collaboratively, in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• High standard of written and verbal communication, with outstanding attention to detail.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Experience of supporting department wide activities such as meetings, events, inductions, or team initiatives.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Ability to communicate with tact, diplomacy, and professionalism at all levels of the organisation.
• Proactive and solutions focused, with the ability to anticipate needs and adapt to changing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across teams.
• Understanding of administrative and secretarial best practices within a corporate environment.
• Understanding of how to operate effectively within defined policies, procedures, and approval frameworks.
• Proficient in computer literacy, including the use of standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite).
• Awareness of relevant laws, regulations, and standards (e.g., GDPR for data privacy).
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally within Europe as required.

Desirable:

• Experience within a large, fast-paced retail organisation, ideally in a European or global context.
• Up to date knowledge and understanding of TJX store environment and off-price knowledge.
• Second language skills.

As proud as we are of our past success, it’s our future that excites us most. We strive to provide opportunities for growth, recognition and a competitive salary and benefits package. Share our determination to think bolder and bigger, and be part of our future. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and/or sexual orientation.

Address: 73 Clarendon Road, Location: EUR Home Office Watford GB