Business Assistant

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Business Assistant to support the Director of CIO Office and the wider CIO Office within our Investment Division. This is an exciting opportunity to work within an important area of the business, providing trusted support to senior leaders and helping to ensure the smooth running of key activities across the division.

You'll act as a central coordinator, building strong relationships with collaborators across St. James's Place and working alongside Business and Executive Assistants across the organisation. No two days will be the same. You will support senior collaborator engagement and coordinate key meetings. You will also assist with major events, travel arrangements and business priorities.

Your role

is crucial in helping leaders focus on their most important responsibilities. This role would suit someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys building strong relationships and takes pride in delivering an outstanding service with professionalism and discretion. What You'll Be Responsible For You'll provide comprehensive administrative and operational support to the Director of CIO Office and the wider leadership team, helping to ensure priorities are delivered efficiently and effectively.

Key responsibilities

Arranging speaker requests and coordinating engagement opportunities for Investment Specialists and senior collaborators across the business. Coordinating complex diaries, meetings and collaborator schedules to maximise efficiency and effectiveness. Preparing meeting agendas, capturing minutes and tracking actions to ensure commitments are delivered.

Supporting Board and Committee governance processes, including coordinating paper submissions and review timelines. Coordinating UK and international travel, preparing itineraries and managing associated expenses. Supporting procurement processes, including purchase orders, invoices and payment administration. Coordinating onboarding activities and IT requirements for new joiners.

Managing delegated absence and holiday administration. Supporting the planning and delivery of events, town halls, webinars, off-sites, leadership meetings and team activities. Acting as a trusted point of contact for internal and external collaborators, visitors and colleagues. Providing flexible support across the CIO Office and the wider division as business requirements evolve.

About You

You'll be someone who enjoys being at the centre of a busy, collaborative environment and takes pride in keeping things organised, running smoothly and moving forward. You'll be confident working with senior team members, comfortable managing multiple priorities and able to remain calm and professional when plans change.

You'll have excellent attention to detail, strong organisational skills and a proactive approach that enables you to identify solutions before problems arise. You'll be trusted with sensitive information, so discretion, professionalism and sound judgement are essential. Most importantly, you'll bring a positive, can-do attitude and enjoy developing strong relationships across teams, helping others succeed whilst maintaining high standards of service and support.

Essential Criteria Previous experience in a Business Assistant, Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant or comparable administrative support role. Experience managing multiple priorities, collaborators and complex schedules within a fast-paced environment. Strong organisational skills paired with excellent attention to detail.

Confident communication skills with the ability to build positive relationships across all levels of an organisation. Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion. Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Ability to work proactively, solve problems independently and adapt to changing priorities.

Commitment to maintaining a strong office presence (four days per week) and providing hands-on support to collaborators. Desirable Criteria Experience supporting senior leaders within Financial Services or a regulated environment. Experience managing both domestic and international travel arrangements, as well as expense reporting.

Familiarity with governance processes, including supporting Board or Committee meetings. Experience supporting team events, leadership meetings, webinars or large-scale business activities. Familiarity with SharePoint and maintaining shared information repositories. Understanding of the Financial Services sector and the wider regulatory environment.

Special Requirements You'll enjoy being part of a collaborative office environment, with some flexibility for home working and occasional adjustments to working hours to support key business priorities.