Personal Assistant

Civil Aviation Authority; Gatwick; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Civil Aviation Authority is the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator, delivering high safety standards and responsive operations. This Personal Assistant role supports up to two Group Directors, coordinating priorities and ensuring timely, confidential executive support.

The role integrates with a wider admin team, handling diary, travel, and briefing materials while maintaining discretion and professional service across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Strong administrative background, ideally supporting senior leaders.
• Proven ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Excellent diary and inbox management skills.
• Confidence using modern digital tools, especially Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage and prioritise inboxes, correspondence, and meeting requests, identifying urgent or time-critical matters.
• Coordinate all diary management, ensuring efficient scheduling and deadlines.
• Arrange domestic and international travel and logistics for cost-effective itineraries.
• Act as the first point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Diary management

Inbox management

Stakeholder liaison

Microsoft Office

Interpersonal skills

Organisation

Discretion

Team collaboration

Event planning

Budget management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Personal Assistant

Date: 15 Oct 2026

Location: Gatwick, GB

Personal Assistant (5649)

Contract Type: Full Time Permanent

Security Level: BPSS

Location: AVH / Hybrid(expectation min 2 days a week on site)

Visa Restrictions: This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship

Interview Date: From 10 Nov 2026 – in person Gatwick

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

You will be providing a high‑quality, proactive, and confidential level of executive support to up to two Group Directors. This role acts as a trusted partner, ensuring the smooth day‑to‑day operation of the Directors’ commitments, priorities, and stakeholder interactions.

Whilst often working independently, you will be an integral part of a wider administrative support team and will work collaboratively to coordinate and manage delivery of the designated Group Director(s) priorities.

You will also operate with minimum supervision, utmost confidentiality and deliver timely inputs to corporate processes and reports, the non-delivery of which could have a significant impact on the reputation of the CAA, the Group and Director (s).

• Manage and prioritise inboxes, correspondence, and meeting requests, identifying urgent or time‑critical matters and taking appropriate action in the absence of the Director(s).
• Coordinate all diary management, ensuring efficient scheduling, adequate preparation time, and timely planning for upcoming deadlines and deliverables.
• Arrange domestic and international travel, logistics, and all supporting documentation to ensure cost‑effective and seamless itineraries.
• Act as the first point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear, courteous, and helpful information.
• Liaise with Heads of Department and other senior colleagues on behalf of the Director(s).
• Maintain regular contact with Director(s) while they are travelling or working remotely, escalating urgent issues when required.
• Prepare, edit, and assemble briefing papers, presentations, management reports, and other documentation. Manage action logs.
• Organise meetings, workshops, and conferences, handling agendas, logistics, minutes, and follow‑up actions.
• Track progress of key deliverables linked to Business Plans and ensure timely updates to the Director(s).
• Maintain accurate filing systems and document control.
• Support corporate reporting cycles by providing timely, high‑quality inputs.
• Undertake ad‑hoc projects and tasks as required.

About You

The role requires a flexible approach and the ability to take on new tasks as and when business priorities change, anticipating what is coming and making sure the Director is properly prepared. The varied nature of the role requires you to be able to continually review and re-prioritise tasks, according to changing business needs, whilst delivering outputs to the required quality and timescales. Strong judgement and initiative is essential, including knowing what needs the Director’s attention and what you can resolve yourself.

You will have the ability to switch from one task to another whilst maintaining a strong attention to detail, but equally able to communicate and build effective work relationships with staff across all levels within the CAA and external stakeholders.

You will understand the importance of the Group Director’s senior leadership team and be part of supporting the Group Director in developing that team, acting as a sounding board as required and maintaining their complete trust.

• Strong administrative background, ideally supporting senior leaders.
• Proven ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• Excellent diary and inbox management skills.
• Confidence using modern digital tools, especially high proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Discreet, trustworthy, and able to handle confidential information.
• Calm and professional when faced with urgent demands.
• Team-oriented with the ability to collaborate across departments.
• Proactive and anticipatory support: the ability to anticipate what is coming and make sure the Director is properly prepared
• Understanding of organisational priorities
• commitment to delivering a high standard of professional service in a courteous and collaborative manner
• Strong judgement and initiative, including knowing what needs the Director’s attention and what they can resolve themselves.
• Ownership of tracking decisions, commitments, and actions, and proactively chasing them through.
• Have worked in a Regulatory environment
• Interest in Aviation & Aerospace
• Event planning and co-ordination
• Budget and expenses management

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance. To be vetted you must have the right to work in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

The CAA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct. To help ensure transparency and protect the independence and reputation of the CAA, candidates invited to interview will be required to complete a Declaration of Interests form, disclosing any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or be seen to influence, their ability to perform the role objectively and impartially.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations. We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers. We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed an interview. Find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme . If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligenceby candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factuallyaccurateand taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has beenidentified(presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

Explore What We Offer section on our careers website to find out about our benefits and how we support work-life balance.

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Interview Date: From 10 Nov 2026 – In Person Gatwick

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