Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. 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 24,000 employees spanning over 56 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.
We are looking for an experienced and highly organised Personal Assistant to join our Group Legal team in London, supporting three of our senior leadership team: the Head of Disputes, Head of M&A, and Head of Employment. Reporting into the Head of Disputes, this is a fantastic opportunity to become an integral part of a dynamic, fast-growing legal function at one of the world's leading insurance groups.
This is not a light administrative role. Supporting three senior legal heads simultaneously means managing competing priorities at pace, staying ahead of what each principal needs, and maintaining a consistently high standard of output. You will thrive in this role if you enjoy variety, take pride in your work, and are energised by a fast-paced environment. You will be expected to work with a high degree of independence, exercise sound judgement, and build genuine relationships across the Legal function and the wider business.
The role also contributes to the broader coordination of the legal support team, working alongside other EAs and PAs in the function to ensure seamless coverage and a collaborative team environment. Absolute discretion when handling confidential legal matters is non-negotiable. This is a full-time, permanent role based in London, following a hybrid working pattern.
Managing complex diaries for the three senior legal heads simultaneously, coordinating across internal and external schedules and Legal Leadership Team meetings.
Screening and managing inboxes for the three senior legal heads, prioritising items for response and redirecting correspondence as appropriate.
Preparing, formatting, and proofreading legal documents, transaction documentation, and presentations to a high standard, including version control and arranging signatures via e-signature tools such as DocuSign.
Arranging international travel for the three senior legal heads, including flights, accommodation, visas, and ground transport, managing any last-minute changes as they arise.
Coordinating with external law firms and panel counsel, including scheduling, correspondence, engagement letters, and tracking matter updates and deadlines.
Processing invoices and managing legal spend approvals across the three practice areas, entering them into the e-billing or matter management system and following up on payment.
Supporting the Head of Disputes with day-to-day litigation administration, including engagement with external counsel, proactive follow up with Finance on unpaid invoices, and assistance with preparation of case updates for Board and other committees.
Supporting the Head of Employment with administration of confidential employment matters, including coordinating with HR, scheduling sensitive meetings, and handling related correspondence with discretion.
Supporting the Head of M&A with transaction administration, including data room and document management, scheduling with deal teams, stakeholder correspondence, and coordinating signing logistics during active transaction periods.
Keeping track of actions, deadlines, and follow-ups across the three practice areas and flagging anything that needs escalating.
Managing the day-to-day administrative needs of the three senior legal heads, including expenses, desk bookings, and general operational requirements.
Assisting with Legal Leadership Team and committee meetings, including collating papers, taking minutes, and tracking action points.
Assisting with routine compliance administration, such as conflicts checks and maintaining registers and records as required.
Supporting onboarding of new joiners in the Legal team, including coordinating systems access and inductions with IT and HR.
Supporting recruitment administration across the three practice areas as needed, including interview scheduling and liaison with HR and Talent Acquisition.
Using the team's core systems confidently, including document and matter management platforms and collaboration tools such as SharePoint and Teams.
Using AI and productivity tools responsibly to support drafting, scheduling, and document handling, in line with the team's acceptable-use policies.
Handling all confidential, personal, and legally privileged information with discretion and in line with data protection obligations.
Working as part of the wider legal support team, covering colleagues during absences and contributing to the smooth running of the Group Legal team.
Proven experience in a senior PA role, ideally within a legal, professional services, or financial services environment.
Comfortable managing multiple principals simultaneously — experienced in handling competing demands and confident in prioritising effectively without being directed.
Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with a consistently high standard of output even under pressure.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills — able to correspond professionally on behalf of senior legal leaders and interact confidently with internal and external stakeholders.
Absolute discretion when handling privileged and confidential legal information — non-negotiable.
A genuine understanding of how a legal function operates, including familiarity with legal documents, matter management, external counsel relationships, and governance processes.
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office — Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Self-sufficient and proactive — able to anticipate what is needed, stay ahead of deadlines, and resolve issues with minimal escalation.
A collaborative team player who integrates well into a close-knit support function and is willing to contribute beyond their immediate remit.
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:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
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
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