Executive Assistant to the Director

Executive Assistant to the Director Who Are You?

Are you a highly organised, proactive and detail-oriented individual with experience of supporting senior staff? The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (PMC) is looking for an Executive Assistant to manage the business of the Director's office and provide administrative support to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). If you have a flexible and professional approach with the ability to meet challenging and changing deadlines, then we would love to hear from you.

Who We Are

As a research centre and educational charity, PMC aims to generate original, inclusive and creative thinking and scholarship on British art, understood in its most diverse and expansive contexts. We host and support a thriving programme of research events. We publish innovative books and a wide range of digital outputs, including our prize-winning journal British Art Studies. We pursue individual and collaborative research projects. With our grants and fellowships programme, we sustain the most exciting and original work in British art and visual culture. We make our specialist archives and library accessible to a growing number of members of the public, at Bedford Square and beyond. We deliver teaching and learning programmes and run networks that connect researchers and professionals.

About the Role and Key Responsibilities

PMC is looking for an Executive Assistant to provide high-level support to the Director as well as administrative support to the SLT, especially in relation to team meetings, booking travel, project planning and supporting organisational work relating to charity governance, and also SLT business and activities, such as policy review and creation. In this varied and exciting role, you will manage the Director's diary and assist the Director in preparing for meetings while providing confidential support to them in the administration of all their responsibilities. You will be required to plan lunch meetings, make travel and restaurant bookings and process expenses as well as answering emails and correspondence on behalf of the Director. In supporting the SLT, you will organise and prepare materials for the weekly SLT meetings, collate and circulate the weekly agenda and minute the meetings. You will also provide support for the Centre's strategy work, working with the Chief Operating Officer to plan meetings and associated administration. In addition, you will assist the PMC's SLT and Yale's Office of the Provost to prepare and collate documents for the PMC's Board of Trustees meetings.

You will also assist the Director in carrying out research and administrative work related to PMC projects and assist in archiving PMC research projects as well as supporting other members of SLT with Centre projects, as agreed with the Director.

Who We Need

The successful applicant will have:

• experience of supporting busy senior staff and prioritising their workloads and your own workload
• advanced proficiency in the use of IT office systems
• experience of servicing formal meetings, taking and drafting minutes
• excellent organisational and administrative skills
• rigorous attention to detail
• the ability to meet challenging and changing deadlines
• strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues and external contacts
• a flexible and professional approach
• the ability to demonstrate diplomacy when dealing with sensitive matters
• an understanding and appreciation of confidentiality and discretion
• an interest in the work of the Centre, especially British art and culture

Why Join Us?

The successful applicant will benefit from:

• a generous annual leave allowance
• an excellent pension scheme
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• an Employee Assistance Programme
• an employer-funded financial coaching programme
• free and subsidised access to museums and galleries through organisational ICOM membership
• training and development opportunities

Further Information

Salary will be in the range of £40,000 - £45,000 per annum depending on experience.

This is a permanent, full-time post and the hours of work are thirty-five per week.

Applicants will be expected to work on site at the Paul Mellon Centre, Bedford Square, London WC1. We are happy to talk about flexible working arrangements offered by the Centre.

For full details, please see the Job Description and Person Specification on our website.

Closing Date

The closing date for applications is Monday 3 March am GMT.

Interviews

Interviews for the post will be held on Tuesday 18 March 2025.

Start Date

It is hoped that the successful candidate would be available to start work on 1 April 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Enquiries

Queries about the post should be addressed to the Centre's HR Team at