Executive Assistant (12 month Mat Cover)

UNAVAILABLE; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media agency in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative support. The successful candidate will manage executive schedules, coordinate meetings, and handle confidential information. The role demands exceptional organizational skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Benefits include flexible working opportunities, generous leave policies, and access to wellness programs.

Benefits

Pension

Private Medical

Flexible working

Birthday day off

Additional well-being days

Qualifications

• Proven experience supporting senior management in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Must be a natural team player and also able to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Manage the executive's diary and prioritize meetings.
• Handle the inbox for the Executive Leadership Team.
• Coordinate and organize internal and external meetings and events.

Skills

EA experience ideally in an advertising/media agency environment

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Robust experience managing board level diaries

Advanced MS Office

Ability to manage domestic and international travel

Tools

MS Outlook

PowerPoint

Word

Excel

Job description

Company Description

Publicis Media helps clients drive sustainable business growth by harnessing the modern media landscape to drive one-to-one consumer connections at scale. Publicis Media UK is made up of 2000 people working across market-leading media agencies including Zenith, Starcom and Spark Foundry as well as specialist practices Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), Performics, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, Publicis Media Content and NextTECHnow. Together they combine deep expertise in media investment, strategy, insights and analytics, data and technology, commerce, performance marketing and content. Publicis Media is part of Publicis Groupe and is present in more than 100 countries with over 108,000 people employees worldwide.

Our Commitment Publicis Media is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of their background.

Job Description

What will you be doing?

The Executive Assistant (12 month mat cover) provides high-level administrative support to executives, ensuring their day-to-day operations run smoothly. The role requires exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion. The EA will act as a gatekeeper and a liaison, enabling executives to focus on strategic priorities.

A strong, reliable, and assertive person who is proactive and professional. Must be confident and resilient whilst always maintaining a level of calm dealing with last minute changes throughout the day.

Flexible and approachable with a positive energy, the successful candidate also requires a level of maturity, who can exercise absolute discretion, confidentiality and should be comfortable with senior management and client interaction. Having the ability to foresee issues before they are problems is key in this role.

It’s crucial the candidate is confident to act on the Execs behalf where appropriate.

They must be a natural team player, but also equally adept to working alone, proactively and without close supervision or direction.

We are a small team of EAs who all support and cover each other. Whilst this is a full-on and demanding role it’s also a very fun and lively environment to work in.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Proactive diary management – being able to prioritise meetings, meeting deadlines and managing ever changing schedules.
• Management of inbox for the Executive Leadership Team, responding to correspondence, cascading Information on their behalf and flagging where needed.
• Attending department meetings, recording actions and chasing where required.
• Compiling PowerPoint decks and coordinating with departments for the Information.
• Supporting the execs on internal and external meetings (including away days and events). This Includes attending on the day and organising the event from start to execution.
• Updating the EA Bible with relevant information.
• Arranging travel for your execs including, transfers, hotels, flights, meetings, booking of restaurants etc
• Ensuring Execs are briefed daily for the day ahead and kept informed of any/all changes particularly during times of travel, back-to-back meetings, etc.
• Scheduling weekly check-in meetings with the execs.
• Actioning general administrative duties including raising purchase orders, expenses, timesheets, courier, and car bookings.
• Booking meeting rooms, catering & arranging AV support.
• Ad-hoc support on personal tasks and out of hours (when required).

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

• EA experience ideally in an advertising/media agency environment
• Proven and demonstrable experience operating as an EA to senior management in a busy, fast paced, high pressured environment
• Robust experience managing board level and ever-changing diaries is key
• Prior extensive experience managing domestic and international travel
• Consistently demonstrate situation sensitivity and confidentiality
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including maturity and confidence in dealing with senior stakeholders
• Proven ability to multi-task and prioritise
• Willingness to be adaptable and undertake a broad variety of tasks
• Ability to be flexible in working on different global time zones when required
• Advanced MS Office and media options (including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, and Keynote)
• Accurate typing of emails, letters, and all other correspondence
• Abilityto help facilitate & resolve simple IT problems for Manager in a proactive and helpful manner. Co-ordination with IT Dept where needed

Additional Information

Publicis Media has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and Income Protection Plans we also offer;

• WORK YOUR WORLD opportunity to work anywhere in the world, where there is a Publicis office, for up to 6 weeks a year.
• REFLECTION DAYS - Two additional days of paid leave to step away from your usual day-to-day work and create time to focus on your well-being and self-care.
• HELP@HAND BENEFITS 24/7 helpline to support you on a personal and professional level. Access to remote GPs, mental health support and CBT. Wellbeing content and lifestyle coaching.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES We provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING, BANK HOLIDAY SWAP and BIRTHDAY DAY OFF You are entitled to an additional day off for your birthday, from your first day of employment.
• GREAT LOCAL DISCOUNTS This includes membership discounts with Soho Friends, local restaurants and retailers in Westfield White City and Television Centre.

Full details of our benefits will be shared when you join us!

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office-based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAGs (Employee Action Groups).