Who are we?
Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
What is the role?
Howden is seeking a highly organised and proactive Executive Assistant to support our Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief of Staff (CoS). This role sits within our Group Functions pillar, providing essential administrative and secretarial support to ensure the smooth running of their day-to-day responsibilities.
We are specifically looking for a polished and highly capable EA who has already supported C-suite executives. The candidate must be ready to hit the ground running, with minimal need for guidance or training. While we are open to candidates from different industries, experience in insurance or financial services is strongly preferred.
Please note this is a full-time, permanent role based in our Central London office. Following a hybrid work pattern, the expectation is to be onsite 4 days per week.
What will you be doing?
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Managing diaries, scheduling meetings, and organising appointments to ensure effective time management.
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Preparing documentation, including reports, presentations, correspondence, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and professional formatting.
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Assisting the CoS with the preparation of board papers and supporting governance-related tasks to ensure compliance with company policies.
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Helping to organise offsites, events, and townhalls throughout the year, ensuring smooth planning and execution.
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Acting as the first point of contact for complex tasks and problem-solving, using initiative and resourcefulness to assist the COO and CoS effectively.
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Coordinating travel arrangements, both domestic and international, including visas, itineraries, and accommodation.
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Greeting and hosting external guests, ensuring they have a professional and positive experience.
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Handling email and call screening, prioritising urgent matters, and responding to routine enquiries where appropriate.
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Taking and distributing accurate meeting minutes, ensuring follow-up actions are tracked and completed.
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Managing expenses, processing invoices, and maintaining financial records for the department.
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Providing administrative support for personal matters where appropriate.
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Liaising with internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
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Maintaining strong attention to detail throughout all tasks and upholding the professional brand of the COO office.
What are we looking for?
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Prior experience in an EA role, directly supporting C-suite stakeholders.
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A strong background in a similarly large blue-chip organisation (insurance or financial services experience preferred).
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Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
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High attention to detail, with the ability to produce accurate and well-presented documents and manage confidential information professionally.
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
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Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
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We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
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We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
Reasonable adjustments
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
