Personal Assistant to CEO & Chair
- Location:
- First Floor Moray House, Forthside Way, FK8 1QZ
- Salary:
- £26,047 - £29,710 per year
- Contract Type:
- Permanent
- Position Type:
- Full Time
- Hours:
- 35 hours per week
- Work From Home:
- Hybrid
About WICS
WICS is the economic regulator of Scottish Water, the publicly owned provider of water and sewerage services across Scotland. Scottish Water serves over 2.5 million households and 150,000 businesses and has a turnover of £1.3bn.
WICS is a non-departmental public body with statutory responsibilities. Our role is to challenge Scottish Water to achieve long-term value and provide best-in-class levels of service for its customers and communities. We also oversee the competitive retail market for non-household water and sewerage services in Scotland.
WICS is a small team, working at the forefront of economic regulation, across 32 roles we employ economists, strategists, analysts, communicators and a range of support staff.
Find out more about our role at www.wics.scot
About the role
We are seeking a highly organised, proactive Personal Assistant (PA) to provide comprehensive support to the CEO and Chair of the Board. This varied and fast-paced role is critical to the efficient operation of the office. The ideal candidate will have excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail, exceptional communication abilities, and the capacity to anticipate the needs of senior executives while managing multiple tasks with discretion and professionalism.
This role will initially be home-based, but as we transition to a hybrid working model, it is likely that the position will require office-based work due to the nature of the role.
As this role will have one direct report, the post holder should be confident in their ability to lead and manage a small team, providing guidance and support to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.
You will need to demonstrate experience across a range of key responsibilities:
Secretariat support
- Manages and delivers secretariat support for all key meetings across the organisation including preparing agendas, compiling and distributing papers and ensuring the accurate recording of minutes and actions.
- Engages with the Chair, CEO and leadership team to ensure organisational priorities are discussed and decisions taken in line with the organisation’s corporate plan and annual work plan.
Executive support
- Manage the CEO’s and Chair’s daily schedules, including meetings, travel arrangements, and event planning.
- Act as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the CEO and Chair.
- Handle sensitive information with discretion while managing and prioritising the CEO and Chair’s email inbox.
- Facilitate smooth communication between the Chair, Board, CEO, leadership team, and the wider office.
- Prepare and review documentation, including reports, correspondence, and presentations, and manage external stakeholder relationships on behalf of the CEO and Chair.
- Anticipates organisational needs and potential challenges, providing solutions and support where needed.
Governance support
- Maintain and update corporate records, assisting with governance activities such as action tracking and risk register management.
- Ensure accurate and confidential filing systems are in place, adhering to data protection and retention policies.
Project support
- Support high-priority projects by coordinating tasks, monitoring deadlines, and facilitating communication across the organisation.
- Prepare and review documentation, including reports, correspondence, and presentations, and manage external stakeholder relationships on behalf of the CEO and Chair.
About you
We are looking for an excellent communicator with outstanding organisational skills and a keen attention to detail. You should thrive in fast-paced environments and be comfortable managing multiple priorities with professionalism and discretion. The ideal candidate will have:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business administration or a related field.
- Experience supporting senior executives, preferable in a PA or Executive Assist role.
- Strong administrative and secretarial skills, with the ability to manage complex scheduled and meetings.
- A high level of discretion in handling confidential information.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders at all levels.
- Excellent written communication skills and attention to detail.
- A high level of proficiency with the MS Office suite.
Benefits
We offer additional benefits including:
- Learning and development opportunities
- Public sector pension, with 27% employer contribution
- Generous annual leave entitlement, with an additional 3 days after 5 years’ service
- Flexible working arrangements
- Family-friendly policies including enhanced maternity and paternity pay
- Paid leave for volunteering
How to apply
Please visit www.wics.scot/publications/careers/personal-assistant-ceo-chair for more information about the role.
Please submit a one-page CV along with a one-page cover letter evidencing how your skills and experience meet the criteria for this role to recruitment@wics.scot. Please include the following reference in the subject line of your email to us: WICS-PA-2024
Applications close on the 6 November 2024 at midnight. Successful candidates will be invited to a panel interview thereafter.
Eligibility to work in the UK
All applicants must be eligible to work in the UK at the time of employment. For further details regarding the eligibility criteria please access the UK Government website by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work.
Equal opportunities policy
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates who have a disability and who satisfy the basic criteria.
Reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process will be made where necessary to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged in the process because of their disability. Please get in touch with our team at recruitment@wics.scot if you would like to discuss this in more detail.