Assistant

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development seeks an Assistant in London to provide administrative support and secretarial assistance to senior managers. Key responsibilities include managing schedules, organizing meetings, and ensuring efficient communication across various teams. Ideal candidates will possess strong administrative experience, excellent communication skills, and a proactive approach to tasks in a multicultural setting.

Benefits

Flexible working conditions

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Engaging work environment

Qualifications

• Previous secretarial and administrative experience essential.
• Fluent in English with excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide secretarial and administrative duties to ensure smooth business operations.
• Manage diaries, arrange meetings, and coordinate travel.
• Draft correspondences and prepare meeting materials.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

High School Education

Recognised secretarial qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Requisition ID 35751 Office Country United Kingdom Office City London Division Banking Sectors Contract Type Regular Contract Length Posting End Date 30/06/2025

Purpose of Job

The Assistant is responsible for administrative support and secretarial assistance to senior and/or other allocated managers from the team. The role is responsible for the smooth running of the managers’ business activities including travel planning and expenses, diary and internal high level meetings Inc. committee meetings.

For this role to be successful they need to interact across the whole of the EBRD up to and including Managing Directors and where applicable external clients & service providers.

Background

SIG delivers approximately 100 signed projects per year in the power, energy, transport, social infrastructure and municipal infrastructure sectors, for a total of around EUR 4.0 billion in annual business volume, supported by approximately 200 technical cooperation activities each year. SIG also carries out various policy dialogue activities related to key sector issues, that seek to unlock greater potential for commercialised and provide-sector led projects in the sector. The SI3P Blended Finance and TC Unit is responsible for supporting the SIG’s grant business of around EUR 250 million per year.

The Assistant provides secretarial and administrative support two Associate Directors/Heads of the Policy and Grant unit and their teams and assists other Assistants/Officers in the team as and when required. In the absence of the manager, ensures routine office support procedures are carried out, covering Assistants’ absence and providing guidance & coaching to junior secretaries when required. This role will entail dealing with colleagues in the Resident Offices as well as in the Headquarters, which in turn also includes various departments.

Facts / Scale

• The Assistant supports two Associate Directors/Heads and up to 20 team members
• The main interfaces are with their Managers, Directors and other Assistants/Officers within the same department and throughout the Bank both in HQ and the RO’s.
• No Line Management Responsibility.

Liaison with external clients & service providers as appropriate.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Carry out all secretarial and administrative duties for the team to enable smooth running of the activities.
• Managing diaries, arranging internal and external meetings and conference calls, receiving visitors ensuring that each meeting is seamlessly executed.
• Correspondence – drafting, checking and/or proofreading as needed
• Obtain the appropriate sign off on documents when required ensuring that they are signed or coordinated in a timely manner.
• Take minutes at meetings ensuring all key points are captured, summarised and effectively presented to the manager.
• Prepare Powerpoint presentations and other material for meetings / committees
• Responsible for arranging all elements of travel according to EBRD policy and claiming expenses in a timely manner to ensure the Director/Manager does not incur any unnecessary delays in receiving payment.

• Maintain comprehensive filing in outlook as well as various hard copy and electronic systems and archiving for Managers’/team to ensure instant retrieval of documents.

• Organise and coordinate filing in various electronic systems i.e. Live link including all aspects of safekeeping if applicable.Overall coordination and responsibility for the information added, ensuring quality management and control of the information.
• May manage and coordinate conferences and events by being well organised, paying the utmost attention to detail and trouble shooting on the day to ensure that all runs smoothly and to time.
• Act as departmental co-ordinator, IT co-ordinator, HR co-ordinator, Stationery co-ordinator.
• Organise and coordinate internal departmental events ensuring they are professionally managed to a high standard.
• Conduct ad-hoc or specific tasks assigned by Line Manager which may be related amongst others to pipeline or reporting.
• Maintain Team shared calendar, Weekly Whereabouts, & Contact Database.
• Provide secretarial cover during absences and provide handover notes to ensure a smooth transition.

Process and release invoices for consultancy contracts as appropriate.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience

Academic Qualifications

• High School Education
• A recognised secretarial qualification would be useful, but is not essential
• Fluent English, with excellent written and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of another language (e.g. Russian, German, French, or Arabic) both written and spoken would be useful

Experience/Knowledge

• Secretarial and administrative experience essential.
• Good organisational skills, proactive and flexible attitude to work essential.

• Ability to use initiative to undertake tasks and projects without guidance.
• Good communications skills, including pleasant and efficient telephone manner.
• Attention to detail and eye for accuracy.
• Good knowledge of the Department’s procedures and the EBRD.
• Ability to cope well under pressure.
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues in a multicultural environment.
• Conscientious, reliable and flexible with a professional and helpful attitude.
• Strong team player, with the ability to work efficiently and to handle simultaneous assignments involving a wide range of bank-wide contacts.
• Ability to multi-task while remaining calm and professional and a capacity for hard work.
• Excellent interpersonal manner, including tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to exercise judgment on and deal discretely with confidential/sensitive information and data.
• Confidence to put self forward for various projects and responsibilities and quickly understand what is required of the task in hand.

Technical Skills

• Computer literate: Windows XP: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Knowledge of SAP desirable but not essential

At least 55 wpm typing

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does. A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted (for further consideration).