Lead EA to the CEO

Lead EA to the CEO

Application Deadline: 18 October 2026

Department: Executive Office

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London

Compensation: £75,000 / year

Description

Salary: £75,000

Bonus: Discretionary

Location: Kings Cross, London - Up to 5 days a week in the office

Employment Type: Permanent, full time

Closing Date: Sunday 18th October

About ARIA

ARIA is a new R&D funding agency built to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible. From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on. Our success is shaped by one question: how will ARIA transform the lives of the UK’s future generations? Whether that’s a life-changing new technology or a burgeoning new industry, it should be obvious that ARIA played a catalytic role. If you want to help make breakthroughs like these possible, come and build ARIA with us.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to lead ARIA's team of executive assistants whilst providing exceptional support to the CEO. In this role you will build an outstanding and efficient executive support function that will enable ARIA to be a highly productive organisation. Alongside leading and managing the Executive Assistant team, you will ensure the CEO’s time, priorities and commitments are managed seamlessly. You will exercise sound judgement and absolute discretion in handling sensitive information, relationships and competing demands.

You will lead the management of the CEO’s diary, correspondence, meetings, travel and events, ensuring they are thoroughly prepared for every commitment. You will also capture, track and drive forward actions arising from meetings, ensuring commitments are followed through effectively.

To thrive in this role, you will be highly organised and efficient, have exceptional attention to detail, and be confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. Above all, you will think several steps ahead of those you support, anticipating what will be needed and taking action before being asked. Please be aware that this role may require occasional travel across the UK, to support senior leaders at meetings and events.

What you’ll do

The duties of the role will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and continuously improve ARIA's EA function, coaching and developing the team, setting high standards, establishing effective ways of working, and ensuring excellent support and resilient coverage across the organisation.
• Own the management of the CEO's diary, ensuring their time reflects ARIA's priorities, anticipating competing demands, resolving conflicts, and escalating issues appropriately.
• Act as a trusted partner to the CEO, exercising excellent judgement and discretion in handling sensitive matters, information, and relationships.
• Maintain oversight of the CEO's commitments, deadlines, and dependencies, anticipating what is needed, coordinating preparation and materials, and ensuring decisions and actions are captured and acted upon.
• Manage the CEO's inbox and correspondence, exercising sound judgement about what to handle, delegate, prioritise, or escalated.
• Work closely with the Internal Chief of Staff and Head of Executive Engagement to ensure the Office of the CEO operates as a calm, highly effective centre of coordination across the Executive Team and wider organisation.
• Build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring requests for the CEO's time and attention are handled appropriately.
• Work alongside the Internal Chief of Staff on the ARIA board meetings, support on administration for these meetings to include scheduling and coordinating papers.
• Own the effective administration for Committee meetings, working with chairs and senior colleagues to coordinate agendas, papers, minutes, decisions, and actions.
• Oversee the CEO's travel and other logistics, including transport, accommodation, and detailed itineraries.
• Coordinate the planning and delivery of internal events and team activities, working with colleagues who own their purpose and content.

Who you are

• You have significant experience as a Senior or Lead Executive Assistant, supporting CEOs or other senior executives in a fast paced and demanding environment.
• You have led and developed a team of assistants, with a track record of hiring well, coaching others, setting high standards, and building an effective team.
• You exercise excellent judgement and discretion, including knowing when to act independently, when to seek input, and when to escalated.
• You think several steps ahead, anticipate what will be needed, and take action without waiting to be asked.
• You are exceptionally effective at the core craft of executive support, including managing complex diaries, correspondence, and inboxes.
• You have exceptional organisational and time management skills, able to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines without losing sight of what matters most, while maintaining excellent attention to detail.
• You have excellent interpersonal judgement and are confident engaging with people at all levels, building effective relationships and representing the CEO and ARIA appropriately.
• You are highly adaptable, responding effectively to changing priorities, the different working styles and needs of those you support, and new tools and ways of working.
• You communicate clearly and precisely, both orally and in writing, and can turn varied and unstructured inputs into high quality correspondence, presentations, briefings, and other materials.
• You identify opportunities to make things work better and have experience designing and implementing simple, effective administrative processes and ways of working.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave arrangements
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
• Life Assurance
• 2 days of paid volunteer days
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• An excellent office location in Kings X, London

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy here. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those here.

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