Executive Assistant to Managing Director

Mackie's of Scotland; Rothienorman; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Mackie’s of Scotland seeks an Executive Assistant to support the Managing Director and Leadership Team, providing first-class daily assistance and ensuring smooth governance across the executive suite.

You will manage complex calendars, prepare high-quality papers, coordinate leadership meetings and drive follow-through on decisions while maintaining confidentiality and professional relationships.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant or senior administrative role.
• Experience supporting a Managing Director, Executive Team, Leadership Team or Board.
• Outstanding organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Confidence and credibility to engage with senior leaders and hold people accountable to agreed commitments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trusted working relationships at all levels.
• Sound judgement, complete discretion and the ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with the confidence to work independently and take initiative.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Confidence using digital tools, including a willingness to learn and apply AI responsibly to improve administration, communication and workflow management.
• The ability to remain calm, adaptable and effective in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted partner to the Managing Director, anticipating needs, identifying priorities and helping maintain focus on the issues that matter most to the business.
• Manage the Managing Director's diary, inbox, meetings, travel and competing priorities.
• Review and prioritise incoming requests, information and commitments, ensuring urgent and strategically important matters receive appropriate attention.
• Prepare agendas, briefings, presentations, reports and professional correspondence to a consistently high standard.
• Coordinate Leadership Team meetings and ensure papers are prepared and distributed in advance.
• Attend and, where appropriate, represent the Managing Director at internal meetings, ensuring key messages are shared clearly and relevant feedback, actions and risks are captured.
• Capture decisions, actions, owners and deadlines, maintaining clear records and effective action tracking.
• Drive accountability across the Leadership Team by proactively following up actions, identifying barriers to delivery, professionally challenging slippage and escalating risks where appropriate.
• Support Board and shareholder meetings, including meeting packs, minutes, governance records and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate strategic and cross-functional projects, monitoring milestones, risks and progress against agreed objectives.
• Manage key internal and external stakeholder interactions on behalf of the Managing Director, ensuring a professional, responsive and positive experience.
• Support the adoption and implementation of AI tools and digital ways of working, helping leaders use technology to improve productivity, decision-making and organisational effectiveness.
• Build strong working relationships across the business and collaborate closely with the Business Support Manager and administration team while retaining ownership of executive priorities.

Skills

Executive support

Senior admin

Stakeholder management

MS 365

Communication

Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

Teams

Job description

Company Description

Mackie’s of Scotland is a fifth-generation family business and one of the UK’s leading ice cream manufacturers, also producing award-winning chocolate bars. Based on a 1600-acre farm in Westertown, Aberdeenshire, the company’s 330 milking cows supply fresh milk and cream for real dairy ice cream and farm-made chocolate, crafted by a team of around 120 staff. Mackie’s products are sold across retail, convenience, and foodservice channels in the UK and internationally. The company is strongly committed to sustainability, generating over four and a half times the renewable energy it uses through wind, solar, biomass, and eco-refrigeration technologies. Mackie’s mission is to become the greenest company in Britain and actively supports charitable initiatives through its grant programs.

Role Description

We are looking for an exceptional Executive Assistant to support our Managing Director and wider Leadership Team.This is a pivotal role at the heart of the business. You will provide first-class daily support to the Managing Director while creating the structure, coordination and follow-through that helps our Leadership Team deliver its commitments.

We need someone who can manage a demanding executive workload, prepare high-quality papers and communications, keep leadership actions visible, and confidently follow up with senior colleagues to ensure decisions become results.

What you will do

• Act as a trusted partner to the Managing Director, anticipating needs, identifying priorities and helping maintain focus on the issues that matter most to the business.
• Manage the Managing Director's diary, inbox, meetings, travel and competing priorities.
• Review and prioritise incoming requests, information and commitments, ensuring urgent and strategically important matters receive appropriate attention.
• Prepare agendas, briefings, presentations, reports and professional correspondence to a consistently high standard.
• Coordinate Leadership Team meetings and ensure papers are prepared and distributed in advance.
• Attend and, where appropriate, represent the Managing Director at internal meetings, ensuring key messages are shared clearly and relevant feedback, actions and risks are captured.
• Capture decisions, actions, owners and deadlines, maintaining clear records and effective action tracking.
• Drive accountability across the Leadership Team by proactively following up actions, identifying barriers to delivery, professionally challenging slippage and escalating risks where appropriate.
• Support Board and shareholder meetings, including meeting packs, minutes, governance records and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate strategic and cross-functional projects, monitoring milestones, risks and progress against agreed objectives.
• Manage key internal and external stakeholder interactions on behalf of the Managing Director, ensuring a professional, responsive and positive experience.
• Support the adoption and implementation of AI tools and digital ways of working, helping leaders use technology to improve productivity, decision-making and organisational effectiveness.
• Build strong working relationships across the business and collaborate closely with the Business Support Manager and administration team while retaining ownership of executive priorities.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant or senior administrative role.
• Experience supporting a Managing Director, Executive Team, Leadership Team or Board.
• Outstanding organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Confidence and credibility to engage with senior leaders and hold people accountable to agreed commitments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trusted working relationships at all levels.
• Sound judgement, complete discretion and the ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with the confidence to work independently and take initiative.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
• Confidence using digital tools, including a willingness to learn and apply AI responsibly to improve administration, communication and workflow management.
• The ability to remain calm, adaptable and effective in a fast-paced environment.