Strategic Assistant to the CEO

AmTrust International; Bishop's Cleeve; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic consultancy firm in Cheltenham is seeking a Strategic Assistant to the CEO. In this pivotal role, you'll support the CEO in shaping business strategy and operational execution, engage with stakeholders, and manage high-level communications. This position offers great career advancement potential and requires strong analytical and commercial skills. Regular UK travel is expected, with occasional international trips.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus

Professional development allowance

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex information.
• Solid commercial acumen and interest in insurance or MGA sector.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO in shaping and implementing business strategy.
• Prepare high-quality reports and presentations for executive use.
• Build trusted relationships with the leadership team and partners.

Skills

Analytical skills

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Project management

Job description

Job Description

Strategic Assistant to the CEO

Future Leadership Pathway – Cheltenham Office

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (regular UK travel and occasional international travel at short notice)

Contract: Permanent, Full Time (hours as required)

Salary: £55,000 – £75,000 per annum + discretionary bonus + professional development allowance

About Marley Risk Consultants (MRC)

Marley Risk Consultants is a high‑growth UK consultancy specialising in structural warranty, latent defect, and complex property‑related risk and claims management.

Our mission is to be the partner of choice for all things structural warranty, providing unmatched expertise, reliability, and peace of mind to our clients across the built environment.

We live by six core values that underpin everything we do: Excellence, Innovation, Integrity, Responsibility, Inclusion, and Teamwork.

As we continue our growth; launching an MGA, expanding into fire‑safety remediation, and strengthening our ESG and governance capabilities, we are investing in the next generation of leadership talent to join our executive office.

Role Purpose

The Strategic Assistant to the CEO is a unique opportunity to work alongside the Chief Executive Officer of a dynamic, values‑led business during a period of significant growth. This is a strategic, analytical, and project‑focused role, ideal for an ambitious early‑career professional with strong commercial acumen and an interest in the insurance or MGA sector. You’ll act as the CEO’s right hand, supporting strategy, operational execution, and stakeholder engagement, with visibility across all areas of the business. This is a high trust position, where, as the CEO’s sounding board you will have a unique opportunity to work with them on business ideation and their teams to make it a reality. The intrapreneurial and fast‑moving growth will expose the successful candidate to opportunities to explore their business interests in depth. The role combines strategic delivery with light executive coordination (the CEO will retain dedicated Secretariat EA support) and is designed as a 3–5‑year development pathway into a management role within Marley Risk Consultants.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Operational Delivery:
• Support the CEO in shaping, tracking, and implementing business strategy, goals, and departmental plans.
• Prepare concise, high‑quality reports, presentations, and briefing materials for Board and Executive use.
• Work closely with the Executive Assistant to ensure strategic and operational deliverables are aligned with CEO requirements.
• Coordinate and monitor progress across key transformation initiatives (e.g. MGA launch, IT enhancement, ESG integration).
• Undertake structured financial, market, and competitor analysis to support strategic decisions.
• Work cross‑functionally with department heads (Claims, Operations, MGA, Finance, HR) to ensure alignment with corporate objectives.
• CEO Office & Executive Communication:
• Assist in managing the flow of information and decision‑making within the CEO’s office.
• Draft communications, proposals, and thought‑leadership content on behalf of the CEO.
• Support board governance through preparation of reports, action tracking, and progress updates.
• Collaborate with the CEO’s Executive Assistant to coordinate CEO participation in key meetings, conferences, and industry forums.
• Work collaboratively with the Executive Assistant to the CEO through weekly alignment meetings to distinguish strategic priorities from logistical tasks.
• Stakeholder & Relationship Management:
• Build trusted relationships across the leadership team and external partners.
• Support high‑level client and investor meetings through research, briefing, and follow‑up.
• Represent Marley’s values and professionalism in all communications and engagements.
• Coordinate with the Executive Assistant to ensure stakeholder meetings are fully supported.
• Insight, Analysis & Continuous Improvement:
• Develop dashboards and progress reports for strategic projects and KPIs.
• Identify process improvements and efficiency opportunities within the business.
• Contribute to building a data‑driven and insight‑led executive function.
• Focus on strategic process improvements and KPI reporting, while collaborating with the executive Assistant on administrative efficiency initiatives.

Working Pattern and Travel

• Regular UK travel required, with occasional international travel at short notice.
• Working hours are not fixed and will flex to meet the needs of the CEO’s schedule and business priorities.
• The role will be based primarily from the Cheltenham office, with travel to London, clients, and regional offices as required.

Career Development Pathway (3-5 Years)

Role

• Progress into a Management role within the CEO Office or MGA division.
• Gain exposure to board governance, regulatory and financial management, and client strategy.
• Lead cross‑departmental initiatives and mentor future analysts or assistants.
• Undertake professional development funded by MRC (e.g. CII, Prince2, ILM, or MBA modules).