Administrative Assistant jobs in United Kingdom

Location: London (Hybrid | 3 days on-site)
Contract: Full-time

We are seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to support senior partners within a fast‑paced, client‑facing professional services environment. This role sits at the heart of complex search and project activity, requiring exceptional diary management, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to remain calm and proactive under pressure.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted extension of the partners they support, managing competing priorities, liaising with senior clients and candidates, and ensuring seamless delivery across multiple concurrent projects.

• Full ownership and management of senior partner diaries, with autonomous control and intuitive time management
• Proactively planning ahead and anticipating conflicts
• Managing high volumes of meetings, interviews and client engagements
• Ensuring holidays, peak periods and business disruptions are carefully planned for

• Supporting end‑to‑end search processes across multiple live projects
• Coordinating internal teams, senior clients and candidates throughout the lifecycle of assignments
• Managing high volumes of meetings and interviews, both internal and external
• Flagging workload pressures and project risks early, setting and communicating priorities clearly

• Acting as a key point of contact for senior‑level clients and their EAs
• Building trusted, empathetic relationships with candidates and managing candidate administration (CVs, GDPR documentation, records)
• Handling client queries confidently and professionally, often as an alternative contact to consultants or partners
• Proactively managing issues and changes in candidate or client engagement

• Maintaining accurate, timely records across internal databases and shared drives
• Tracking activity, data, feedback and updates across searches and business development activity
• Supporting partners with business development tracking, meeting scheduling and contact management
• Ensuring internal systems are consistently up to date and compliant

• Supporting marketing initiatives, events and thought leadership activity
• Coordinating end‑to‑end delivery of events, including venues, guest lists, communications and follow‑ups
• Ensuring colleagues are fully prepared with context and materials ahead of events and engagements
• Contributing to firm‑wide initiatives, culture and cross‑team collaboration

• Proven experience supporting senior executives, partners or board‑level stakeholders
• Background in a fast‑paced, client‑facing professional services or search environment
• Exceptional diary, inbox and meeting coordination skills
• Confidence liaising with senior clients, candidates and internal stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail
• Highly organised, calm and process‑driven, with the ability to manage peaks in workload
• Comfortable challenging constructively and suggesting improvements to processes

• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
• Confident using CRM or database systems (e.g. FileFinder or similar)
• Comfortable working across virtual platforms such as Zoom and Teams

• Proactive, accountable and able to work autonomously
• Calm, reassuring and detail‑oriented under pressure
• Collaborative, non‑hierarchical and team‑oriented
• Able to manage multiple projects in parallel without losing accuracy
• Professional, discreet and trusted with sensitive information

This role suits someone who enjoys responsibility, pace and variety, and who takes pride in being a central, reliable presence within a high‑performing team. You will be expected to work flexibly across multiple projects while maintaining high standards and strong relationships throughout the firm.