Job DescriptionRole Purpose The Senior Executive Assistant provides proactive, high-impact support at C-suite level, working closely with the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), acting as a trusted partner who enables executives to operate effectively, strategically, and efficiently.
This role goes beyond traditional administrative support. It acts as a connector, coordinator, and driver of operational discipline, ensuring that leadership priorities translate into clear actions and outcomes. It is well suited to someone who thrives alongside an analytical, driven and decision-focused leader.
The Senior Executive Assistant acts as a gatekeeper, problem-solver and liaison, supporting the CEO and ELT in managing priorities, communications, and business flows across the organisation.
A core element of the role is Executive Operations Management: owning the operating rhythm of the CEO's office and the ELT - the calendar, ELT agenda and plan, Board cycle, decision and action tracking, and the executive-ready materials that keep leadership priorities moving to plan.
Key Responsibilities Executive & Strategic Support - Provide comprehensive, proactive support to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, prioritising competing demands and ensuring focus on critical business matters.
- Act as a trusted point of contact between executives and internal/external stakeholders, exercising discretion and sound judgment at all times.
- Anticipate executive needs, identify potential issues in advance, and proactively propose solutions.
- Work closely with an analytical, data-driven leader, structuring information and anticipating questions so that decisions can be made quickly and with confidence.
Calendar, Workflow & Priority Management - Own and manage the CEO's complex calendar (and ELT calendars as required) across time zones, resolving conflicts, optimising executive time and aligning it with the CEO's strategic priorities.
- Prepare executives for meetings by coordinating agendas and concise, decision-ready briefing materials, and ensuring follow-ups happen.
- Maintain a rolling forward view of commitments and priorities, flagging pressure points and gaps in advance.
- Act as a gatekeeper, prioritising access and protecting focus time
Executive Operations Management - Own and maintain the ELT plan: the annual and rolling calendar of ELT meetings, standing items, business and strategy reviews, and offsites, agreed with the CEO and published well in advance.
- Run the ELT agenda: collect topics and papers from ELT members, agree the agenda with the CEO, set the purpose of each item (decision, discussion or information) and issue pre-reads on time.
- Track actions, decisions and deliverables arising from leadership meetings, following up with owners to ensure completion and reporting progress and overdue items to the CEO.
- Act as the CEO's operational partner: coordinate cross-functional inputs and deadlines, anticipate bottlenecks, and escalate risks early.
- Maintain the CEO office's processes, templates, document control and SharePoint/Teams sites, and support the planning of leadership communications.
Meetings, Governance & Board Support - Coordinate ELT meetings, offsites and key leadership forums, including venues, logistics, materials and follow-up.
- Manage the Board and Committee meeting cycle end to end: maintain the annual Board calendar, schedule directors across time zones, and coordinate venues, virtual meeting set-up and logistics.
- Prepare Board agendas with the CEO and relevant executives (working with the Company Secretary or Legal where applicable); chase, collate and quality-check papers, manage version control, and distribute Board packs securely by agreed deadlines.
- Support Board and Committee meetings as required, capturing actions (and supporting minute-taking where applicable), and tracking actions through to completion with regular updates to the CEO.
- Act as day-to-day contact for Board members on logistics, papers and scheduling.
- Maintain high standards of confidentiality and information management.
Presentations & Executive Materials - Draft, build and refine PowerPoint presentations and briefing materials for the CEO for ELT, Board, internal and external audiences, turning inputs, data and rough notes into a clear, concise, decision-ready narrative.
- Gather inputs from functions, challenge and clarify content, and deliver to agreed deadlines; support the CEO with speaking notes and rehearsal materials.
Travel Management, Events & Logistics - Manage end-to-end business travel for the CEO (and ELT as required): flights, accommodation, ground transport, visas and travel documentation, in line with company travel policy.
- Prepare itineraries and trip briefing packs (schedule, attendees, background materials), and handle changes and disruption in real time, including urgent changes outside normal working hours.
- Process travel and executive expense claims in line with policy.
- Support the organisation of leadership offsites and internal events.
Confidentiality & Trust - Handle highly sensitive business and people information with discretion, in line with data protection law (including GDPR) and sponsor and client confidentiality obligations
- Operate as a trusted partner within the Executive Team
QualificationsSkills & Experience Required - Proven experience managing complex executive calendars and international travel
- Significant experience supporting C-suite executives in a global organisation
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High level of discretion and professionalism
- Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities
- Experience working with a highly analytical, data-driven senior leader, with strong attention to detail and accuracy
- Experience supporting Board and/or ELT meeting cycles, including agenda setting, paper preparation and follow-up
- Advanced PowerPoint skills with proven ability to draft executive-level presentations and briefing materials
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint)
Preferred - Experience in pharma, CRO, or life sciences
- Exposure to executive operations, Chief of Staff, PMO or business operations roles
- Experience supporting multiple executives or an ELT
- Familiarity with global organisations and remote collaboration
- Comfort using data and AI-enabled tools to improve the efficiency and quality of executive support
Key Competencies - Proactive ownership - anticipates needs and acts without prompting
- Execution focus - drives follow-through and accountability
- Operational rigour - builds and sustains the operating rhythm of the executive team, keeping plans, agendas and actions on track
- Analytical and structured thinking - brings clarity and organisation to complexity
- Stakeholder awareness - navigates senior relationships effectively
- Resilience & adaptability - thrives in a dynamic environment
Additional InformationWhen you join Ergomed Group, you make a difference by helping to bring safe and effective pharmaceutical treatment to patients around the world. You'll join a passionate and collaborative team of experts in clinical research, pharmacovigilance, and quality consulting.
We are diverse in many ways, yet our values unite us. Our values are how we work, not words on a wall. If they sound like you, you will feel at home here.
- Quality: we hold ourselves to the standard patients deserve.
- Integrity and trust: we do the right thing, especially when it is hard.
- Drive and passion: we care about the outcome, because someone is waiting on it.
- Agility and responsiveness: we move quickly, because patients cannot wait.
- Belonging: everyone is welcome, and every voice counts.
- Collaborative partnerships: we go further by going together.
We look forward to welcoming your application.
