PA to Global R&I Director, NPD and Supply Chain Innovation Director

Role Overview

• Effective and proactive diary management for both Directors, confidently navigating complex, ever-changing schedules across multiple time zones.
• Long term planning through strategic calendar management. Structure calendar around long term priorities, business critical meetings and safeguard time for strategic work, preparation for critical meetings and people/team development.
• Communication Management: gatekeeper and liaison; handling emails including drafting responses, filtering enquiries, ensuring timely response to priority requests and propose delegates for diary clashes.
• Long term planning through strategic calendar management.
• Coordinating domestic and international travel itineraries.
• Acting as a key coordination point between UK-based and international stakeholders, including the NPD & Supply Chain Innovation Director based in Poland.
• Preparing, editing, and collating professional presentations, correspondence, and briefing materials.
• Management of document/record electronic filing (self and Directors) to facilitate ‘data/information at fingertips’ to maximise efficiency. Including handling sensitive information with a high level of trust and professionalism
• Arrange and support meetings, ensuring agendas, attendance, and logistics are fully aligned.
• Attend relevant leadership team meetings to provide organisational and administrative support.
• Support the teams on strategy, KPIs, and progress tracking.
• Work closely with the PA to the Chief Brand Officer on whole team events.
• Lead planning and execution of R&I and NPD team events and away days.
• Build and maintain networks with internal teams, external agencies, suppliers, and partners.
• Budget management including cost center oversight.
• Manage expenses for both Directors and relevant team activities.
• Coordinate with the wider admin team to build engagement and effective ways of working.
• Proactively suggest ideas to strengthen communication and morale.
• Act as a trusted representative of both Directors with stakeholders and direct reports.
• Coordinate the collection, upkeep and consolidation of KPIs and budget information across R&I, NPD and Supply Chain Innovation.
• Work closely with managers to ensure KPI and budget data is kept up to date and submitted in line with agreed timelines.
• Track spend against budgets, highlighting variances and incomplete information.
• Follow up with managers where updates are missing or unclear and escalate issues to the Directors as required.
• Support preparation of KPI reporting for leadership forums.

Requirements

• Experience of working as a PA/EA within a commercial, high performing organisation.
• Proven experience of supporting senior leaders working across different countries and time zones within a global or matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication skills at all levels of the organisation, flexing style to suit the audience.
• Strong organisation and planning skills and record keeping.
• Computer literate in Microsoft packages and ideally experienced in using AI to drive efficiency.
• Able to multi-task, managing multiple priorities at any one time.
• Confident and resilient and pragmatic.
• Assertive and able to hold others to account.
• Flexible and enthusiastic.
• Happy to work on their own and with others.
• Confidential and discreet.
• Demonstrates excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work under own initiative.
• Strong creative flair advantageous.
• Experience of working as a PA at a senior level within a commercial, high performing organisation.
• Highly skilled in maximising effectiveness of Executives.
• Experience at creating highly engaging presentations.
• Experience of organising conferences/events/away days.
• Experience of working with an international client group.
• Experience of supporting a broader team, alongside managing a 1:1 PA relationship.
• Experience of working within a decentralised/matrix structure advantageous.
• Experience of using SAP advantageous

Benefits

• Yearly bonus based on personal contribution and financial performance
• Flexible working options
• 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays and the option to buy and sell holidays
• Onsite Gym and Wellbeing Centre
• Perkbox – employee discount scheme with discounts online, in high street stores, cinema, holidays, restaurants and many more
• Pension scheme with your contributions matched for up to 10% of your salary
• Cycle to work scheme
• SimplyHealth Cash plan
• Onsite Staff shop and online staff discounts
• Access to LinkedIn Learning
• Access to ABF Networking, connect, collaborate, and grow across the ABF Group.