Strategic Assistant to the CEO

Marley Risk Consultants Limited; Bishop's Cleeve; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy in structural warranty based in Cheltenham is looking for a Strategic Assistant to the CEO. This unique role involves supporting the CEO in business strategy, operational execution, and stakeholder engagement, providing a pathway for future leadership roles. The position requires strong commercial acumen and analytical skills, with responsibilities including strategic delivery, executive communication, and stakeholder management. The salary ranges from £55,000 to £75,000 per annum, plus additional benefits such as a bonus and professional development allowance.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus

Professional development allowance

Relocation package

Qualifications

• Ambitious early-career professional with a strong interest in the insurance or MGA sector.
• Experience in supporting strategic and operational initiatives.
• Ability to draft communications, proposals, and reports for executive usage.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO in shaping and implementing business strategy.
• Prepare high-quality reports and presentations for Board use.
• Build trusted relationships across leadership teams and stakeholders.
• Identify process improvements to enhance business efficiencies.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Research skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

• On-site
• Yearly salary: £55,000 - £75,000

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 + Relocation package

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.

These define our culture, guide our decisions, and shape how we build relationships with clients, colleagues, and communities.

As we continue our growth 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

This role is designed as a launchpad for future leadership. Over a three-to-five-year period, the successful candidate will have opportunities to:

• 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).