Jobs in Hermitage

PA TO THE CEO
Reading / Hybrid
Salary £32,000–£38,000
Permanent, Full Time
1 day per week in the Reading office | 37.5 hours per week
The Opportunity
We are looking for an exceptionally organised, proactive and commercially aware PA to support the CEO of a growing business. This is not a traditional diary-management role.
You'll be the person who knows what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, who is responsible and what needs chasing. If you're naturally organised, commercially switched-on and confident enough to take ownership, challenge when necessary and keep things moving, this could be an excellent opportunity.
What You'll Be Doing
CEO Diary & Priorities
* Take ownership of the CEO's diary and ensure his time is used effectively.
* Manage competing demands and make sensible decisions around priorities.
* Build preparation and follow-up time into the diary.
* Identify clashes, pressure points and potential problems before they become issues.
Inbox & Action Management
* Support the CEO with a busy inbox, identifying priorities and ensuring important requests are dealt with.
* Maintain a clear list of outstanding actions, decisions and commitments.
* Follow up with senior colleagues and stakeholders to ensure deadlines are met.
* Confidently chase outstanding information and deliverables.
* Highlight anything overdue, blocked or requiring CEO intervention.
Meetings & Follow-Up
* Coordinate meetings and ensure the right people and information are in place.
* Prepare briefing information and relevant documents ahead of meetings.
* Track actions and follow up afterwards to ensure agreed outcomes happen.
* Help establish a consistent and professional approach to CEO meetings.
Reporting & Business Support
* Coordinate information and management reports from across the business.
* Ensure reporting deadlines are met and information is accurate.
* Maintain organised records and effective systems.
* Support the CEO with business and management administration.
* Identify ways to improve processes and reduce unnecessary administration.
About You
We're looking for someone who is sharp, diligent and naturally proactive.
You may currently be working as a:
PA to a CEO, MD or senior executive
Executive Assistant
Senior Personal Assistant
Office or Operations Manager with significant executive support experience
You'll be someone who:
Takes ownership rather than waiting to be told what to do.
Creates structure in a busy and changing environment.
Follows things through and doesn't allow actions to disappear.
Is confident communicating with senior people and chasing deadlines.
Has excellent attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture.
Is discreet and trustworthy when dealing with confidential information.
Has strong commercial awareness and understands the pressures of running a business.
Remains calm and organised when priorities change.
Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Is highly confident with Microsoft Office, email, calendars and business systems and able to learn new technology quickly.
The Personality Fit
This role will suit someone who is comfortable taking control.
You shouldn't need the CEO to tell you that something needs doing.
You'll be comfortable saying:
"You have a meeting at 2pm. You need to review this beforehand, this action is still outstanding and I've chased Sarah for an update."
You'll need the confidence to remind, challenge and push when appropriate, while having the judgement and emotional intelligence to know when to step in and when to step back.
If you enjoy being the person who brings order, structure and accountability to a busy environment, you'll thrive in this role.
What Success Looks Like
You'll know you're succeeding when:
The CEO's diary is structured, realistic and under control.
He is consistently prepared for important meetings.
Actions and commitments are visible and followed through.
Management reporting is received on time.
Problems are identified before they reach the CEO.
Operational detail is taken away from the CEO where appropriate.
The CEO has more time and clarity to focus on strategic priorities and growing the business.
What's On Offer
£32,000–£38,000 salary, depending on experience
Hybrid working – 1 day per week in the Reading office
Permanent, full-time position – 37.5 hours per week
Close exposure to the CEO and senior management team
A genuinely influential role within a growing business
The opportunity to improve and shape how the CEO and management team operate
A role where your organisation, judgement and initiative will have a visible impact
If you're an experienced PA or EA who wants genuine responsibility rather than simply managing a diary, we'd love to hear from you