Retail COO and Operation Director PA - 12 month FTC

Close Brothers Group; London; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK merchant banking group is seeking an Administrative Support professional to assist the Retail COO. The ideal candidate will excel in diary management, communication, and possess strong organizational skills. This hybrid role emphasizes customer service and efficient workload prioritization. Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they don’t meet all criteria, as training opportunities may be provided.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in anticipating needs and managing schedules.
• Experience in liaising with a variety of individuals.
• Experience of minute taking is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Proactive diary management including arranging meetings.
• Inbox management and responding as needed.
• Attending and taking minutes at key meetings.

Skills

Customer service skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Ability to multi-task

Job description

OVERALL SUMMARY

At Close Brothers, we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don't tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity, and are open to discussing flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life. Join the Close Brothers Retail Team, where you will provide professional, proactive, and high-quality administrative support to the Retail COO.

Working as part of the Retail team, our ideal team member will have previous experience in anticipating needs, prioritising senior-level time, and effectively managing work schedules, diaries, travel, and correspondence with excellent customer service skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Proactive diary management: arranging meetings and making travel arrangements, in addition to organising catering, room bookings, and conference facilities.
2. Inbox management - flagging and responding if needed and appropriate.
3. Arranging and attending key offsites and events.
4. Onboarding new starters for Retail COO.
5. Ensuring the leader is well informed of upcoming meetings and papers are provided in sufficient time for preparation and review; keeping track of any actions for meetings.
6. Attend and take minutes/actions at key meetings and distribute as needed.
7. Take an active interest in departmental activities and keep up to date with projects in which leaders are involved.
8. Liaising with vendors, raising purchase orders, processing expense claims, and training others on the relevant systems where required and in a timely manner.
9. Supporting with management of holiday requests and updating sickness records within the HR people system on behalf of senior management.
10. Demonstrable customer ethos.
11. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
12. Experience of interacting with a wide variety of people in the workplace.
13. Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload.
14. Focused attitude and the ability to work on own initiative.
15. Excellent attention to detail.
16. Ability to multi-task.

IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE:

• Experience of minute taking.

We are an inclusive organisation and committed to ensuring our recruitment process is as accessible as possible to everyone. We will make adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or would like to discuss the recruitment process with us, please email us or request a call back.

ABOUT US

At Close Brothers, we support employees to balance their work-life priorities. In this role, you will enjoy a mixture of hybrid working. Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, mainly in the UK and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the FTSE 250.

To find out more about Close Brothers, please visit our careers page, our life at Close Brothers, and our benefits. Our mission is to be the best place in the UK for wealth professionals and their clients. We believe everyone should think ahead, have a financial plan, and invest wisely. Our clients include professionals, business owners, individuals, charities, families, and employers, relying on our financial advice and investment management services to grow their savings and investments.

We are a team of about 900 people across 15 UK offices, combining a local approach with face-to-face services to build strong, long-term client relationships. Sustainability is fundamental to our purpose, and we are dedicated to addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. We aim to create an inclusive company where everyone is valued, respected, and included, reflecting a diverse workforce from the top down.

If this job interests you but you do not meet every criterion, we still encourage you to apply, as we are open to providing training opportunities. As an early adopter of hybrid working, we are happy to discuss all flexible working options to help you balance your work and home life.