Personal Assistant

BDO UK LLP; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

BDO UK LLP is seeking a Personal Assistant to support their Business Assurance team in Reading. The role involves managing diaries, organizing meetings, and providing administrative support to senior management. Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong communication skills, proficiency in office software, and the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in administrative support roles.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent communication and time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate diaries for Partners and group members.
• Organize business travel and liaise with clients for meetings.
• Provide administrative support and maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Communication

Time Management

Proactivity

Attention to Detail

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Concur

Workday

CMS

InTapp

Job description

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Playing an important support role at BDO, our Secretarial and Administration team contributes to our success by taking responsibility for planning and organisation. Their proactive approach to what we do ensures our projects operate seamlessly and co-operation remains strong across our firm. Whatever the challenge, they provide the foundations on which we can excel. Joining this team, you’ll enjoy a friendly and supportive environment – and plenty of variety to keep you on your toes. Want to play your part in our international operation?

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

This role as Personal Assistant will provide a full range of support in our busy Business Assurance team, working with the Partner and Director team - providing administrative, business and personal assistance within the department and to become an integral member of the support team. In this busy role you will:

1. Maintain and co-ordinate diaries of Partner(s) and group members as required as well as providing an effective time management approach
2. Arrange and co-ordinate internal/external meetings and events. Liaising with delegates, booking boardrooms and arranging refreshments/equipment as necessary
3. Organise extensive business travel, visas, hotel accommodation, preparation of itineraries, cars etc
4. Significant liaison with clients for meetings, presentations and reports
5. Acting as first point of contact for clients by receiving, screening and routing all incoming telephone calls, correspondence and mail
6. Confidence to liaise with high level Partners, both internally and externally
7. Acting as gatekeeper for Partners
8. Visibility of high level confidential information and maintaining confidentiality at all times
9. Responsible to act on the Partner(s) and Manager’s behalf on a range of issues and projects
10. Monitor e-mails/meeting invitations of Partner(s) and reply on their behalf when needed
11. Monthly billing for team and working with a Director to make sure all PS fees are raised and there is no shortfall
12. Performing conflict checks and client take on via Intapp
13. Use of CMS (Client Management System) to maintain accurate client/target information, as well as pipeline management
14. Liaising with the internal recruitment team to arrange interviews
15. Liaising with the marketing team, issuing seminar invites and supporting at events as necessary
16. Supporting with the production and management of tenders / bid documents
17. Documentation creation and management, including ensuring on Brand
18. Taking minutes at meetings when required
19. Completion of expense reports in a timely manner
20. Dealing with personal administration as and when required
21. Provide an exceptional client experience and support client initiatives within the firm, as well as being responsive and helping to create a positive impression at all touch points
22. Assisting with Finance Management by raising invoices and client fee portfolio
23. Assisting with client Risk Management by updating and maintaining Risk databases.
24. Liaison with the BS Hub in respect of secretarial cover within the group as well as providing support to other PAs as necessary, including holiday and sickness cover
25. Deal with routine enquiries and taking appropriate messages
26. General administrative assistance to group as required such as timecard chasing.

You'll be someone with:

1. Demonstrable experience across the responsibilities outlined above
2. Intermediate to advanced level of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
3. Fast accurate typing skills
4. Excellent communication skills
5. To either have previous experience in, or ability to learn Outlook, Concur, Workday, CMS, InTapp.
6. Ability to manage / prioritise tasks
7. Be a proactive member of the team
8. Ability to readily understand the Group’s and Firm’s environment, the Firm’s structure and culture
9. Ability in exercising initiative, discretion and organisation
10. Be able to identify and evaluate problems and demonstrate the ability to approach and tackle problems effectively
11. Be flexible and able to adjust quickly when priorities change
12. Ability to communicate at all levels within the Firm and externally
13. Work on own initiative and be self-motivated
14. Ability to pay attention to detail
15. Awareness of BDO Brand, layout of documents etc
16. Be forthright when necessary
17. Able to work in an area which is task orientated
18. Ability to adhere to strict deadlines
19. Ability to work within a team environment
20. Proactive in driving things forward
21. Ability to chase partners
22. Ability to see things through from start to finish and staying on top of do to lists.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to our business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.