Executive Assistant to the Managing Director

Mackies Aberdeen Dairy Co Ltd; Westertown; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Mackies Aberdeen Dairy Co Ltd in Westertown, Scotland, is seeking an Executive Assistant to the Managing Director. The role will manage the MD’s diary, inbox, meetings, travel and priorities, ensuring focus on strategic issues.

You will prepare agendas, papers and reports, coordinate Leadership Team meetings and capture actions, owners and deadlines with professional governance records. Strong MS 365 skills and discretion are essential.

Qualifications

• Significant executive support or senior administrative experience.
• Experience supporting a Managing Director, Executive Team, Leadership Team or Board.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Outstanding organisational skills with multi-priority management.
• Ability to engage senior leaders and hold commitments to agreed actions.
• Sound judgement, discretion and confidentiality.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and initiative.
• Proficient in MS 365 and AI-enabled tools for admin tasks.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted partner to the Managing Director and prioritise needs.
• Manage the MD’s diary, inbox, meetings, travel and competing priorities.
• Review and prioritise requests, ensuring urgent and strategic matters receive attention.
• Prepare agendas, briefings, presentations, reports and professional correspondence.
• Coordinate Leadership Team meetings and distribute papers in advance.
• Attend meetings and relay key messages, with feedback and risks captured.
• Capture decisions, actions, owners and deadlines with records kept.
• Drive accountability and escalate risks to senior leadership as needed.
• Support Board and shareholder meetings with packs, minutes and governance records.
• Coordinate strategic projects, monitor milestones and risks.
• Manage stakeholder interactions, ensuring a professional experience.
• Support adoption of AI tools and digital ways of working.
• Collaborate with admin team while owning executive priorities.

Skills

Executive Assistant experience

Diary management

Stakeholder management

Discretion & confidentiality

MS 365 suite

AI in administration

Agile adaptability

Fast-paced resilience

Education

Tools

Outlook

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

Job description

Executive Assistant to the Managing Director

Department

Office

Location

Westertown

Main Duties and 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.

Experience and 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.