Executive Assistant
Schroders · London
Who we’re looking for
We are looking for an Executive Assistant.
About Cazenove Capital
At Cazenove Capital we look after private individuals, families and charities. We are the wealth management business of the global investment manager Schroders. We help our clients around the world invest money to meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future.
About Schroders, our parent company
Schroders is a global investment manager which provides active asset management, wealth management and investment solutions. We aim to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We serve a diverse client base that includes pension schemes, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth individuals, family offices, as well as end clients through partnerships with distributors, financial advisers, and online platforms.
Established in 1804, we have around 5,500 people across 36 global locations. Schroders' success can be attributed to its diversified business model, spanning different asset classes, client types and geographies.
The base
We moved into our new HQ in the City of London in 2018. We are close to our clients, in the heart of the UK's financial centre. And we have everything we need to work flexibly.
The team
We are one of the largest UK-based wealth management firm, headquartered in London but with offices around the country. We help private clients, families, charities and some institutions meet their long term goals by offering our expertise in investment, wealth planning, lending and family office services. We draw on the resources of the Schroders group, as well as having our own in house investment team.
We're open to flexible working, so we can all balance our personal and professional commitments.
What you’ll do
Overview
To provide support to the Chief Investment Officer, Wealth Management and the Global Head of Banking, Lending & Trading, Wealth Management.
- Provide high-level, proactive support to two Executive Committee members, acting as a trusted extension of the executives and helping to create the capacity for them to remain focused on strategic and business priorities.
- Manage complex and demanding diaries with a strong understanding of priorities, proactively balancing competing demands and ensuring executive time is focused where it will have greatest impact.
- Anticipate requirements and identify issues before they arise, using judgement and initiative to resolve problems independently and minimise unnecessary demands on executive time.
- Manage executive inboxes proactively, identifying and escalating time-critical or priority matters, coordinating responses and delegating actions where appropriate.
- Develop a strong understanding of the executives’ business areas, priorities and key stakeholders, using this knowledge to anticipate requirements and provide effective, forward-looking support.
- Act as a key point of contact for senior internal and external stakeholders, managing interactions with professionalism and judgement and ensuring matters are appropriately prioritised and progressed.
- Coordinate complex travel arrangements and itineraries, anticipating requirements and ensuring executives are fully prepared for meetings and business travel.
- Organise leadership meetings, business updates, offsites, dinners and other events, taking ownership of logistics and ensuring effective preparation and follow-through.
- Prepare agendas and meeting materials, take high-quality minutes where required, and proactively track and follow up actions to ensure commitments are progressed.
- Prepare reports, presentations, briefing materials and other documentation to a high standard and in line with Schroders practice.
- Build and maintain strong relationships across the organisation, working effectively across functions and levels and developing a network that enables issues to be resolved quickly and effectively.
- Handle confidential and sensitive information with a high degree of discretion, judgement and professionalism.
- Work in close partnership with other Executive Assistants, sharing information and coordinating effectively to provide seamless support, appropriate cover and a consistently high standard of executive support.
The knowledge, experience and qualifications that will help
- Proven experience supporting senior executives, ideally at Executive Committee or equivalent level, within a complex and fast-paced organisation.
- Strong business awareness, with the ability to understand executive priorities, the wider business context and how individual priorities connect to broader organisational objectives.
- Demonstrable ability to anticipate needs, identify potential issues and take proactive action rather than waiting for direction.
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and make sound judgements about urgency and importance.
- Strong judgement and confidence to operate autonomously, make appropriate decisions and resolve issues with minimal supervision.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt style and approach to different audiences and levels of seniority.
- Strong stakeholder-management skills and the confidence to build effective relationships with senior colleagues, clients and external stakeholders.
- Ability to assimilate information quickly, understand context and identify what is relevant or requires action.
- High levels of discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Exceptional attention to detail, combined with the ability to maintain sight of the broader objective.
- Experience of preparing senior-level meeting materials, minute taking and managing actions through to completion.
- Confident use of industry-standard office and collaboration tools, with a willingness to embrace new technology and identify opportunities to work more efficiently.
- GCSE grades A–C, or equivalent, in Mathematics and English.
What you’ll be like
- Proactive and forward-looking, naturally anticipating what will be needed and taking action before being asked.
- Comfortable exercising judgement and taking ownership, while recognising when matters require escalation.
- Calm, organised and resilient, with the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced and changing environment.
- Commercially and organisationally aware, with an interest in understanding the business and the priorities of the executives you support.
- A confident relationship builder who can work effectively and credibly with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
- A self-starter who can manage competing priorities across two senior executives without requiring close supervision.
- Solutions-focused and resourceful, approaching challenges with a mindset of finding a way forward.
- Collaborative and team-oriented, recognising that effective executive support relies on strong relationships across the wider EA and business community.
- Flexible and adaptable, responding positively as priorities and business requirements evolve.
We recognise potential, whoever you are
Our purpose is to deliver excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We believe diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture help us make better decisions and achieve better outcomes for our clients. That's why inclusion is a strategic priority for us, and we are an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.
We will consider flexible working arrangements for all roles and provide reasonable accommodations to support applicants and employees, including those with neurodiversity, disability, or physical and mental health needs. For more information, please visit our FAQs.