Division Summary
The Office of the Chief Operating Officer ("COO") is led by the global COO. The Office of the COO ("OCOO") comprises Operations, Technology, Client Management Unit, Supplier Risk Management, Business Change, Business Management, and Global Real Estate Services ("GRES").
Job Purpose
The main function of the Executive Assistant ("EA") role is to provide comprehensive, confidential and professional support to the Chief Operating Officer.
The core hours will be 8.30am to 5pm, however you will be required to work outside your core working hours in order to fulfil the responsibility of your role.
Key Responsibilities
General EA duties include, but are not limited to, the following.
Diary management and support to COO for meeting preparation
- Extensive diary management and appointment prioritisation through effective use of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams.
- Keeping on top of complex and constantly changing scheduling of meetings, anticipating scheduling problems and dealing with them promptly and efficiently.
- Having a thorough understanding of the upcoming calendar of events and the ability to prioritise accordingly.
- Ensuring the COO is appropriately prepared for all meetings in a timely manner, including preparation and distribution of the relevant paperwork, booking rooms, venues and catering as well as ensuring the required technology is correctly set up.
- Having a thorough understanding of the purpose of the meetings hosted or attended by the COO, of the attendees, and the materials required for the meetings.
Document management
- Working with OCOO Business Management to understand regulatory requirements for the COO as a Senior Manager under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, and the consequent importance of maintaining records accordingly.
- Ensuring that documents frequently used by the COO (e.g. divisional presentations to Board members) are up-to-date and ready for COO use.
- Performing basic checks, verification and proof-reading of documents in accordance with COO instructions.
Written communication
- Sending concise, administrative emails on behalf of the COO to internal and external stakeholders using professional language.
Town Halls and other COO-hosted events
- Arranging COO Town Halls including assisting with presentations, arranging meeting rooms and logistics, attendees, guest speakers and catering.
- Arranging other events hosted by COO such as networking events, promotion drinks, project go-live celebration events, breakfasts or drinks with OCOO staff.
External events
- Organizing the COO's participation in external events such as conferences, training and roundtables.
- Ensuring the COO has the correct support for attending these events such as securing approval, scheduling, preparation of materials and travel booking.
- Dealing with any Gifts & Entertainment requirements associated with the above.
Travel support
- Organising travel for the COO (domestic and international) including car and hotel bookings, appropriate visas, preparation of travel itineraries, contingency planning and travel security.
- Submitting COO's expenses in a timely fashion and ensuring they are within company policy.
- Ensuring that COO has submitted the appropriate edays requests.
Stakeholder management / relationship building
- Developing and maintaining relationships with other executive assistants and teams across the Bank, both locally and internationally.
- Acting as cover / back-up to other executive assistants where necessary (and vice versa).
- Arranging appropriate holiday cover.
General administration tasks
- Receiving and screening telephone calls using independent judgment to determine those that require priority attention.
- Manage the OCOO distribution lists, ensuring they are maintained accurately in line with staff movements.
- Work with Business Management team to understand and access distribution lists used by the COO for divisional or Bank-wide communications, ensuring these are ready for COO use.
- General day-to-day administration including photocopying, printing, post, ordering stationery and business cards.
- Raising purchase orders ensuring that all appropriate documentation is signed before submitting for approval.
- Onboarding of new joiners including registration through Signature forms, arranging desk, access pass and providing first point of contact.
- Managing seating and coordinating all desk moves/changes for the OCOO team including the accommodation of new starters or contractors and forward planning of future seating requirements. Keeping the IT VIP team updated with regards to expected new staff, thereby reducing the last minute rush to get systems in place before they start.
- Working with IT VIP Helpdesk and Facilities teams to resolve IT, telephony or desk-related problems faced by the COO.
- Assisting OCOO Executives visiting from overseas whilst they are working in the London office, including arranging access, seating and IT requirements, etc.
- Adhoc project work as required
Preferred Qualifications and Experience
Knowledge, technical skills and expertise
- Previous experience of working in financial services, preferably a bank.
- Previous experience of providing direct support to senior executives and leaders, preferably C-suite.
- Knowledge of COO functions, their remit and how they operate.
- Advanced knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint. Confident learning new systems such as for travel booking, expenses, gifts and entertainment, etc.
- Very discreet with a solid understanding of what must remain confidential.
- Organised, pro-active individual who is always one step ahead and constantly anticipates the needs of others.
- Ability to quickly familiarize self with organization, its structure, professional culture and build relationships quickly.
- Confident and assertive with the ability to manage upward where necessary.
- Ability to manage a fluctuating workload, keeping occupied during quiet periods whilst remaining calm and resilient under conflicting pressures and alternating demands.
- Ability to engage and deal with diverse cultures and different working styles / approaches, at all levels of seniority.
- Operates effectively both autonomously and within a team.
Personal attributes
- High level of integrity
- Discreet
- Good judgement
- Resilient
- Pro-active
- Good attention to detail
- Trustworthy and reliable