Executive Officer to CEO

WARCHILD; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent children's charity in London seeks an Executive Officer to the CEO, responsible for providing high-level executive support and strategic project management. You will coordinate with senior stakeholders and ensure governance excellence while working in a hybrid environment. The ideal candidate has strong organizational skills, experience in supporting board processes, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This role offers flexible working arrangements and a range of benefits, including health and wellbeing initiatives.

Benefits

Flexible working culture

28 days annual leave

5% employer pension contribution

Healthcare cash plan

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting C-suite level executives and governance processes.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Creative thinking and interest in communications and fundraising.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the leadership priorities and strategic project management.
• Provide executive assistance to the CEO and organizational leadership.
• Ensure compliance with statutory obligations and governance excellence.

Skills

High-level executive support

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Decision making

Job description

The Executive Officer to CEO leads the effective running of the CEO's office, providing strategic project management, coordination of leadership priorities, and hands‑on delivery across strategy development, planning and governance.

This is a pivotal role within War Child, sitting at the heart of the organisation's leadership and governance. Working closely with the CEO, Leadership Group, Chair and Board of Trustees, the Executive Officer to CEO plays a key role in enabling effective decision‑making, organisational oversight and delivery of War Child's ambitions for children.

Reporting to the CEO and acting as a trusted representative of their office, you will be an energetic, highly organised self‑starter with the judgement and confidence to balance strategic coordination with high‑quality executive support. The role combines project leadership, organisational planning and culture‑focused initiatives with hands‑on executive assistance.

As Company Secretary, you will also support excellence in governance by ensuring War Child meets its statutory and regulatory obligations, including compliance and reporting to the Charity Commission, Companies House and the Fundraising Regulator.

This is a hybrid role, with two days per week expected in the London office and up to three days per week working remotely. Occasional additional office attendance may be required to support meetings or key organisational activity.

If you share our values and believe that children's lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.

Below are some of the experiences and qualities we're looking for. You can read the full job advert on our website.

• Experienced in providing high‑level executive support at C‑suite level, and in supporting a Board and/or charity governance processes, including the drafting of high‑quality minutes, reports and formal papers.
• Possess strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills, with the confidence and sensitivity to engage effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders, and to represent the CEO with professionalism, discretion and sound judgement.
• Exceptionally organised with the ability to manage competing priorities and produce high‑quality outputs to tight deadlines.
• Experience of supporting or coordinating organisational strategy development, planning or review processes, or similar organisation‑wide initiatives.
• Able to bring experience and learning from a range of dynamic projects, programmes or campaigns, applying best practice to improve ways of working and outcomes.
• Demonstrates strong end‑to‑end project management capability, with the ability to introduce clear, methodical and proportionate approaches that maximise efficiency and organisational impact.
• Comfortable working in a creative, fast‑paced environment, with an interest in storytelling, communications and fundraising‑led work.
• Highly resilient, with the ability to bring clarity, structure and momentum when working in ambiguous or evolving circumstances, and to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office applications, with superb document, spreadsheet and presentation skills (including Word, Excel and PowerPoint / Canva).
• Able to exercise sound judgement in relation to competing priorities, making decisions and recommendations where solutions are not always obvious and initiative, discretion and prudence are required.

What we can offer you

At War Child, we genuinely value different ways of working. From day one, we're open to discussing flexible options, including hybrid working and flexible hours. Our goal is to support our employees to do their best work while ensuring we continue to deliver for children affected by conflict. Some of our benefits include:

• Flexible working culture and flexible public holidays 28 days annual leave (pro‑rata), plus bank holidays, which increases by one day per year on your work anniversary, up to a maximum of 33 days.
• Pension – 5% employer contribution (increasing to 6% after one year’s service), with minimum employee contribution.
• Health and wellbeing – employees may take advantage of a healthcare cash plan, a GP 24/7 helpline, cancer cover, and a range of wellbeing initiatives and training. All employees have access to free, confidential one‑to‑one wellbeing consultations with trained counsellors.

This role offers an incredible opportunity to make a tangible difference at a time of unprecedented need. Join us in standing up for children affected by war and help create a future where no child's life is torn apart by conflict