Executive Assistant to Directors Cultural Engagement and Arts

Job Description

Executive Assistant to Directors Cultural Engagement and Arts

The Role:

We are looking for an experienced and professional Executive Assistant who will play a pivotal role in supporting the Director Cultural Engagement (50%) and Director Arts (50%) and will work closely with the Directors and their global management teams to ensure Cultural Engagement (CE) delivers work to the highest standard.

This is a key role within Cultural Engagement; a primary point of contact for both directors, holding relationships with external stakeholders and colleagues globally and across the British Council.

Cultural Engagement works with people in over 200 countries and territories and is on the ground in 100 countries. CE builds connections, understanding and trust through our work in arts and culture, education and English.

Accountabilities:

Some of the main accountabilities for this role include managing the Directors’ participation in meetings and events, providing input into agendas and structure, and liaising with stakeholders and working with internal colleagues for briefing content to ensure the Directors are properly prepared for meetings and events and have all relevant materials. You also liaise with senior managers, internal stakeholders, and external contacts.

A critical aspect of this role includes taking swift and concise meeting minutes. You also write and coordinate responses to correspondence as appropriate, ensuring that confidential matters are managed appropriately. You manage complex diaries and prioritise meetings for internal and external contacts. Another important aspect of this role involves making travel arrangements with and on behalf of the Directors, including multi-stop itineraries that require strategic forward planning.

The successful candidate prioritises and makes decisions on the Directors’ behalf. You ensure any matters are dealt with appropriately or directed to the appropriate colleague, actions are followed up to completion, and responses are prepared and forwarded to the Director of Cultural Engagement or the Director of Arts for sign-off, where appropriate.

Requirements of the role:

• Excellent interpersonal skills demonstrating assertiveness, confidence and approachability
• Experience of detailed and complex diary management and executive support to one or more senior people
• Experience of meeting preparation and virtual conferencing including concise minute taking
• Experience of complex travel arrangements and reconciliation of financial claims
• Knowledge of best practice of managing emails efficiently and effectively
• Ability to work pro-actively and without supervision.
• Experience of SAP or a comparable financial system
• Experience of organization of conferences to function/job family skills framework where applicable
• Motivation and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism, demonstrated through an understanding of the British Council’s approach and of equality considerations relevant to the role, and examples of behaviours and decisions or actions that contribute to a more inclusive organisational culture

Closing Date:   Applications will close at 23:59 on Sunday 4 May 2025 South Africa Time.   
Interviews will be held around the last week of May.  

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

Important Information:

Department: Cultural Engagement  

Contract type: Indefinite (Permanent) Contract (Full time - 36 hours per week). 
Pay band: 7

Salary: £30,839 plus £3,300 London Market Allowance for those based in the London area only. 

Benefits Include, but are not limited to:

•    32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
•    3 days volunteering leave
•    Career average defined benefit pension scheme

Location: London, UK. (Hybrid office and home working)

Requirements:
Please note that candidates must have the pre-existing, legal right to work in the UK. 

Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. 

British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service.  This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

About the Organization

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in the more than 100 countries. 

We connect. We inspire.