SUMMARY
Position Title: Executive Assistant to the CEO
Salary: £31,000-36,000 (pro -rata)
Reports to: CEO
Contract: Part-time (2days weekly minimum), fixed-term contract for 1 year, with potential for extension and role expansion based on mutual agreement and effectiveness
Hours: TAA has flexible working hours, with some expected evenings and weekends due to the nature of the role. All extra hours are reimbursed as Time off in Lieu (TOIL).
Location: Liberation centre Brixton, London (New office in Brixton)/ Remote working within the UK with some days work from our office monthly
Start date: May 2025 (specific date tbc)
Benefits: TAA laptop and phone, (employee assistance and health cash package including staff supervision, counselling, dental, optical care and more.).
The Advocacy Academy is an activist youth movement. We serve as the political home for grassroots youth organising and the catalyst for collective action. The lives of the young people we work alongside have been directly shaped by living in an unjust world, and we exist to turn their anger into action.
Young people are often the catalysts for major social change, from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, to the Soweto Uprising mobilising young people to resist the apartheid regime's education policies, to the Sunrise Movement redrawing the electoral map across America, and more recently encampments and protests across the world protesting the genocide in Palestine. How successfully they achieve real and lasting change depends on whether they are organised and whether they have the right strategy and tactics to be effective.
We have reached over 15,000 young people, have over 250 active members and 7 live campaigns. Having built the foundations of our movement, we are looking to the next stage of our growth. These coming years will see the development of our first institutional campaigns co-created across our whole movement, and the expansion of our work with local partners and campaigners across the country. If all goes to plan, we envision a national infrastructure that accelerates youth campaigns which will shake the nation, and builds the power of young people to shape our politics for decades to come.
We want our young leaders to win and to build real power across the UK that ensures that the generations that follow arent just inheriting our mess, but are equipped and ready to fix it. We are dynamic, ambitious and a little bit spicy. We are looking for someone to join us who is as passionate as we are about building the world as it should be.
Before you skim the job descriptions, please remember you dont have to tick all the boxes for each role to apply. We all experience a bit of imposter syndrome, including the staff here at The Advocacy Academy. Lets name it for what it is - a manifestation of the oppression many of us face on a day to day. If this role pulls you and you believe you could make a difference, then apply anyway or reach out to us to discuss more!
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
1.Provide overall support to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to facilitate the organisations mission and strategic objectives.
2.Serve as the primary point of contact for the CEO, representing their office with discretion including but not limited to:
A.Manage the CEOs calendar, organising meetings and events, ensuring priorities are reflected, and reserving time for focus or personal needs.
B.Coordinate meeting agendas, distribute briefing materials, and prepare comprehensive overviews to ensure the CEO is equipped for decision-making and discussions.
C.Track and manage actions requested by the CEO, ensuring follow-ups are completed and progress is reported.
D.Manage the CEOs correspondence, highlighting key items and managing confidential communications efficiently.
E.With time and experience, proactively delegate relevant correspondence and tasks to the appropriate team members or senior officers.
F.With time and experience, assist with the initiation and execution of special cross-organisation projects as directed by the CEO.
G.Occasionally help facilitate the organisation and execution of team events, workshops, and organisational leadership gatherings.
3.Board management
A.Deliver seamless administrative and strategic support to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
B.Anticipate and address the CEOs needs to optimise their time and priorities.
C.Strengthen cross-team collaboration by acting as a central point of communication and coordination.
D.Uphold confidentiality and discretion in handling sensitive information and internal matters.
4.You will ensure that your responsibilities run like well-oiled machines by being a conductor of the orchestra through pulling in the right people at the right time and ensuring that key milestones are met:
A.Deliver seamless administrative and strategic support to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
B.Anticipate and address the CEOs needs to optimise their time and priorities.
C.Strengthen cross-team collaboration by acting as a central point of communication and coordination.
D.Uphold confidentiality and discretion in handling sensitive information and internal matters.
5.Share responsibilities for achieving our strategic objectives by upholding our vision, mission, strategy, ideology, and cultural values within your area and also across TAA, supporting on cross-departmental projects as needed:
A.Embody our commitment to social and economic justice
B.Role model upholding ideology, culture and value expectations across the organisation including but not limited to: leading by example across departments and during team days and role-modelling leadership, identifying to the CEO and leadership teams opportunities and risks to our integrity and authenticity in relation to ideology and culture
C.Ensure that you work in tandem with and in support of other team members including but not limited to: encouraging collaborations across other departments with resources as needed
D.Take responsibility for communicating your own wellbeing and needs and providing feedback on TAA wellbeing initiatives to your line manager, and contribute to living the TAA culture
E.Take responsibility for pursuing your own development to build knowledge and skills to fulfil your role and areas of interest
6.Governance and Compliance
A.Work with the Finance, HR and Operations to prioritise and centre risk management in your portfolio: feeding into risk analysis and mitigation, identifying and escalating risks to the strategic objectives, taking the lead to mitigate risks early and thoroughly.
B.Ensure understanding and compliance with TAA policies and practices and take the lead on their implementation within your portfolio
IDEAL EXPERIENCE
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Proven experience in supporting executive-level staff in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment
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Proven relationship management skills to liaise with internal teams, stakeholders, and board members.
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Strong time management and organisational skills to handle competing priorities effectively.
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Experience managing complex, high-priority calendars.
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Experience in working in a fast pace environments, with different stakeholders
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing clear and concise briefings and board materials.
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Proactive problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities.
Strong stakeholder engagement and diplomacy in handling sensitive matters. -
Ability to work independently with integrity, discretion, and sound judgment.
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Youre enterprising and excited to be working in a start-up environment, using initiative to build things from scratch with limited resources, satisfied with done for now and iterating to better later.You will be willing to support The Advocacy Academys mission to empower young leaders and activists.
This is an outline of the responsibilities and duties of the Executive Assistant to the CEO role, it is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Liberation Centre and our young people. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.
HOW TO APPLY
Candidates will be asked to provide a CV and a Cover Letter OR a supporting video application addressing the following questions (no more than 1000 words or 10 minutes for all questions).
1.What three skills would you bring to the role and why?
2.Tell us about a social justice issue that makes you angry, and why it matters to you?
3.Include anything else you would like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Executive Assistant to the CEO role.
A BIT ABOUT YOU
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You believe in the potential of young people to challenge the status quo and are dedicated to helping them become more powerful citizens.
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Youve got a deep understanding of or interest in, and/or a personal relationship with, issues of social justice. From racism to the housing crisis to climate justice, youll be keen on understanding how systemic injustice operates in our society, clued-up and well-read on the big issues of our time and committed to changing them.
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Youll be comfortable managing short-and long-term projects and communicating with a diverse range of stakeholders. This role requires someone with initiative who can balance multiple priorities and sensitivities.
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Youre a sensitive and thoughtful relationship-builder. You are a great listener, and remember peoples names, faces, and stories.
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You are a team player and happy to work with a team of diverse people at TAA.
- Youre a confident communicator: persuasive, passionate, and inspiring. Youll know intuitively how to communicate effectively and can build strong, deep relationships with a wide range of people
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Youre comfortable with tension and have experience managing difficult conversations to successful resolutions.
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You pursue growth, value feedback, and being outside your comfort zone and are always willing to reflect, learn, grow, stretch yourself and be willing to be involved in other departments activities.
In addition, please also provide information on your notice period and your availability for interview. You may also attach any other content that would be relevant for us to have in order to showcase interest and experience. The content can come in any
form of media, including but not limited to - a mind map of ideas, a timeline or portfolio of your work, life or experiences; a recording; a Powerpoint or other form of presentation; a song, article, poem or other writing samples.
DATES
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Closing Date: The deadline for applications is by 1pm on 28th March 2025.
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Task: If shortlisted you may be required to complete a short written assessment task.
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First Round of Interviews: will be scheduled for 7th -11th April 2025 (Dates are subject to change).
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Second Round of Interviews: will be scheduled for 14th -18th April 2025 (Dates are subject to change).
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the role, or want to find out more about the Advocacy Academy contact [email protected] by indicating the title of the role as the subject of your email.
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US
We aim to be representative of the community we are working with. We encourage applications from people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQIA, working class as well as disabled people, those living with mental health conditions, refugees and migrants. We welcome people from all identities who are made to feel marginalised.
Were not just committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we actively celebrate diversity in all its forms. Let us know if we can do anything to make the application or interview process more accessible. If you are invited to interview, we will at that point ask you for any accessibility requirements or preferences.
As an employer we make all reasonable adjustments to support employees in their work if they are disabled or have a health condition. We support the Access to Work scheme which could provide you with financial support to get the help you need to do all tasks successfully. We are happy to facilitate Access to Work assessments and reclaims, and would actively welcome applicants who would need this in order to do the job.
We welcome applications from people with convictions. Please disclose in your application if you have any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not protected (as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) . We consider each person on their own merits, taking into account all the circumstances.
