Job Specification: Strategic Executive Assistant to the CEO / Chief of Staff
Location: Middlesborough, North East England
Company: Market-Leading, High-Growth Blue-Chip Organisation
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent. 2-3 days in the office / remaining WFH
Salary: £60,000-£65,000 (depending on experience)
About the Company:
Our client is a market-leading, blue-chip business with a strong heritage within the construction sector, a reputation for excellence and a clear strategy for accelerated growth. Headquartered in the North East of England, they are expanding their operations, driving innovation and strengthening our leadership team. To support this next phase of growth, they are seeking a highly capable, forward-thinking Strategic Executive Assistant to the CEO / Chief of Staff to act as a critical partner to the CEO and senior leadership team.
Role Overview:
This is not a traditional EA role. It is a hybrid strategic support position combining high-level executive assistance with Chief-of-Staff–style responsibilities. The successful candidate will operate as a trusted adviser to the CEO, enabling effective decision-making, driving cross-functional initiatives, streamlining operations and ensuring organisational alignment.
The ideal candidate is commercially astute, detail-driven and proactive—someone who can anticipate needs, solve strategic problems and help the CEO maximise impact across the business.
Key Responsibilities:
Executive Support & Strategic Partnership
• Act as a key strategic partner to the CEO, providing insights, preparing briefing documents, and supporting decision-making.
• Manage complex and dynamic schedules, ensuring the CEO’s time is aligned with business priorities.
• Oversee the flow of information across the executive office, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and readiness for key meetings and board interactions.
• Prepare high-quality presentations, board packs, reports and strategic papers.
• Tabulating strategy.
• Research, analysis, conclusion presentation.
• HR duties.
• Team accountability day to day .
• Booking travel.
• VSBE champion, make sure that the company stays on track and holding the team accountable day to day for the plan.
• Follow up action points.
Chief of Staff Responsibilities
• Support the CEO in shaping and tracking strategic objectives, KPIs and transformation projects.
• Drive alignment across leadership teams and ensure effective follow-through on actions and commitments.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives and support delivery of critical business programmes.
• Act as a sounding board for the CEO—evaluating options, identifying risks and offering recommendations. Strategy, finding gaps, working out solutions
• Meeting with clients , phone, video, F2F.
• Inspiring people.
• Persuasion, presenting a case.
• Working and closing very high value deals, high detail, high trust, high stakes.
Operational Excellence
• Optimise processes, communications and internal workflows within the Executive Office.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, professionalism and performance.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the CEO, representing the Executive Office with authority and confidentiality.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information with absolute discretion.
Skills, Experience & Qualifications:
Essential:
• Significant experience (10 years +) as a senior Executive Assistant, Business Manager, or Chief of Staff supporting C-Suite leaders.
• Proven ability to operate in a blue-chip, high-performance, or complex corporate environment.
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Strong business acumen and an understanding of strategic planning, project management, and corporate governance.
• Excellent communication skills—written, verbal and interpersonal—with the ability to engage at all levels.
• High emotional intelligence, diplomacy and judgement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and modern productivity tools.
• Finance understanding.
• HR capabilities.
• Strategy understanding and execution.
• Laser focus on what matters.
Desirable:
• Experience working within a fast-growing or transformation-focused organisation.
• Experience preparing board-level materials and working directly with boards or committees.
• Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
Personal Attributes:
• Proactive, resourceful and solution-oriented.
• Calm under pressure, resilient and adaptable.
• Commercially aware with a growth mindset.
• Able to build strong relationships quickly.
• Discreet, trustworthy and committed to high ethical standards.
• Confident enough to challenge constructively and supportively.
What They Offer:
• Competitive salary and executive-level benefits package.
• Opportunity to work closely with an inspiring CEO and senior leadership team.
• Exposure to strategic decision-making at the highest level.
• A pivotal role within a dynamic, expanding, and industry-leading organisation.
• Career development opportunities within executive leadership or strategic operations.
Application
