Business Services Professional

Why this job matters

The Executive Assistant supports the delivery of a functional leadership team member's critical tasks, directing activities that enable executive level effectiveness and efficiency.

EA to the Openreach IT Director is a unique opportunity to directly support a BT leader in the day to day running of their office, the EA will be required to: -

• Provide high quality secretarial and administrative support by running an efficient office focussing effort on achieving objectives.

• The diary can constitute as much as 80% of your workload and its paramount to connect regularly to build a strong partnership and understand workstyles and align on priorities to keep the flow of work going and ensure things happen at the right time, and in the right order.

• It is important in a changing and challenging environment to adapt and establish new ways of working, pioneering change by sharing and introducing collaboration applications to provide support and services, in the office and remotely, simplifying processes and communication using digital technology and applications to achieve results.

Diplomacy and discretion in keeping sensitive strategic, commercial and personnel matters - confidentiality and trust is paramount. Ability to work with minimum of instruction, anticipate needs and takes the initiative without being prompted are essential.

What you’ll be doing

Time Management and Meeting Planning

• Accountable for managing and prioritising the diary, ensuring most effective use of time and creating adequate breaks, prep and task time.

• Able to filter and prioritise requests, solve conflicts and delegate where appropriate; creating a reference library of prioritisation and meetings that can be delegated.

• Integrate and synchronise personal commitments and actively seek these out for the full year.

• Instigate regular office meetings to plan and discharge actions and tasks.

• Be creative in using the calendar and creating reminders for completing tasks; team leave and attendance; apologies sent for meeting; storing meeting papers; adding travel time and importantly keeping slots free so that another PA can see Outlook availability.

• Co-ordinate and manage every aspect of travel itinerary (including venue bookings) anticipating all needs, ensuring cost effectiveness and compliance

Meeting Preparation

• Works with content owners on coordinating and preparing meeting papers (at least 48hrs in advance) and builds in prep time where required.

• Sets the process for reading papers (e.g store in calendar, print, diary time).

• Strong at using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint as necessary to create and edit agendas, slides, briefing papers.

• Prompts when overrunning / late for next meeting

Email Management

• Develops processes to ensure urgent or timebound emails are dealt with and actions completed.

• Responds to routine emails and delegates as appropriate. Regularly scans and cleans up Junk folders.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Develops great working relationships with stakeholders agreeing ways of working and regularly connecting to align on priorities and build understanding.

• Take responsibility for continuous learning and agreeing personal development

• Develops and maintains internal and external relationships to improve impact across the business

• Creates a PA support network for providing holiday cover and seeks out opportunities to cover EA role.

• Offers advice when requested for a single decision, making recommendations for or against.

• Uses knowledge of best practice to collaborate with peers across the business in different ways.

Communications / Engagement

• Co-ordinates all people calls/webcasts/events working with content owners on preparing agenda and material.

• Co-ordinates engagement & visibility plans including virtual.

Technology

• Develops knowledge and skills of new technologies and how they are used in BT.

• Stays up to date on digital technology and applications making time for training and seeking out best practice.

• Proficient in O365 and IT applications and setting up Teams channels for chats, meetings, and collaboration.

• Advanced knowledge and expert on internal systems and processes, i.e., room bookings, catering, finance, and travel

Additional Responsibilities

Primary Point of Contact / Call Management for the office and virtual office. Screens and filters calls and visitors acting as a gatekeeper

Safety, Security, Ethics & Compliance – ensure compliance to BT processes and policy demonstrating financial awareness for business requests (POs, Orderdesk, Travel, A/L)

Special Projects & Ad hoc – delivers administration tasks as requested, this may be, but not limited to:-

• Co-ordinates and supports Leadership Team visits in Bangalore

• Produces or edits Microsoft Word or PowerPoint documents

• Solves simple IT problems on behalf of the team.

• Responsible for onboarding of any new members of the team, creating a reusable guide to ensure the process is efficient.

• Attends meetings to take notes/actions, endeavouring to chase and close these.

Our leadership standards

Looking in:
Leading inclusively and Safely
I inspire and build trust through self-awareness, honesty and integrity.
Owning outcomes
I take the right decisions that benefit the broader organisation.

Looking out:
Delivering for the customer
I execute brilliantly on clear priorities that add value to our customers and the wider business.
Commercially savvy
I demonstrate strong commercial focus, bringing an external perspective to decision-making.

Looking to the future:
Growth mindset
I experiment and identify opportunities for growth for both myself and the organisation.
Building for the future
I build diverse future-ready teams where all individuals can be at their best.