Executive Assistant to the CEO
Who we are
People First is an independent customer-led charitable organisation that has worked in Cumbria for over 35 years.
The Well Communities is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, led by people in recovery from substance misuse.
This role will work across both People First and The Well communities, who work in Partnership across the North of England.
We are passionate about our values of equality, respect, and inclusion. We provide a wide range of support and information services across Cumbria, Lancashire, and Teesside, all aimed at helping people to live informed, respected, healthy and fulfilled lives.
Purpose of job
An exciting opportunity has arisen to work for our organisations during a time of growth and development.
We are seeking an organised, highly detail-focused Executive Assistant to provide high level and proactive support to the Chief Executive Officer.
This includes full responsibility for diary management, email inbox organisation, meeting preparation, governance support, and the co-ordination of work across the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The EA will ensure the CEO is fully briefed, prepared, and supported to operate effectively and efficiently.
The Executive Assistant will also be responsible for supporting the CEO with personal errands and administration as well as work-related support.
This post is critical to the smooth and effective running of the organisation. The successful candidate will play a central role in meeting co-ordination, diary management, governance support, and high-quality minute taking, ensuring
decisions, actions, and discussions are accurately recorded and followed up.
The person
As a prerequisite, the successful candidate must believe in the core values of People First and The Well Communities and be driven by their missions.
- Must be highly organised with a keen eye for detail
- Be able to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines
- Be an effective communicator and able to liaise with Trustees, Directors, Managers, staff, members, customers, and key stakeholders
- Be a team player
- Be proactive and able to work in a fast-paced environment
Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential
- Proven experience in an EA/PA role at a senior level
- Extensive experience of minute taking, including formal Board or committee meetings
- Exceptional written English with strong attention to detail
- Ability to summarise complex discussions clearly and accurately
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and Outlook
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
- High levels of professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality
- Commitment to the values and mission of the third sector
- Strong communication and relationship building skills and ability to communicate effectively with people and maintain positive relationships, deliver presentations and facilitate group discussions
- The ability to work at pace on multiple projects, staying organised at all times
- Ability to effectively plan and organise workload
- Strong attention to detail and able to quality check all work in line with agreed deadlines
- A high degree of personal motivation and willingness to learn new skills, taking on challenges with enthusiasm
- Proactive can-do attitude and commitment to organisational excellence
- Capacity to work with a diverse range of people, organisations and partners
- Ability to work as part of a team by supporting colleagues and sharing knowledge and expertise as well as working unguided
- Able to work well under pressure
- Current driving license and access to own transport
Desirable
- Experience working in a charity, not-for-profit, or public sector organisation
- Understanding of charity governance and Board structures
- Experience working in a fast-paced or changing environment
Duties will likely include:
- Provide comprehensive EA support to the CEO – including personal and work-related tasks
- Proactively manage diaries, appointments, and meeting schedules
- Support with travel arrangements including booking trains and hotels
- Co-ordinate internal and external meetings with a wide range of stakeholders
- Prepare meeting agendas, briefing papers, and supporting documentation
- Act as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders
- Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism
- Take clear, accurate, and comprehensive minutes for a range of meetings within an agreed timeframe
- Capture key discussions, decisions, actions, and rationale in line with good governance practice
- Maintain action logs and follow up on agreed actions as required with the Senior leadership team
- Ensure meeting records are stored and managed in line with organisational and data protection policies
- Continuously improve minute-taking processes and templates where appropriate
- Prepare reports and documents on behalf of the CEO and directors and respond to additional requests from the business team for support with their workload and administrative duties
- Liaise with Executives, PA’s and other high profile external parties on a regular basis, to arrange meetings
- Line management of PA’s and Business admin staff
- Work with the CEO and Board of Trustees to produce reports, co-ordinate tasks and work as requested to specified deadlines
- Assist with special assignments/projects, as needed
- Create, maintain, and improve systems and processes to streamline operations – this includes implementing systems / processes in different locations
General Business Support
Part of the EA role will also include some general administration support for the wider organisation within the Central Business Team and includes:
- Support Organisational projects, audits, and reporting activities
- Assist with document management, policy updates, and internal communications on behalf of the director team
- Support financial, HR, or governance processes as required
- Administration of our bid writing process and proofreading tender submissions
- Submitting expense claims
- Supporting with project launches
- Management of the admin inbox – signposting customers
- Provide contingency for senior members of the business team
Other duties
- Evening and weekend work may be required
- The duties outlined above are not intended to be exhaustive and may change as the needs of the organisation alter in line with current agendas. Due to the developing nature of our organisation we require staff to remain highly flexible in their approach, and work to meet the changing needs of the projects
- Please note that the successful candidate will be required to subscribe to the DBS update service which requires all People First staff to pay an annual subscription fee
Salary Band Justification
This role sits within a management salary band of £30,000 due to the level of responsibility, autonomy, and specialist skills required.
The post holder will provide high-level Executive Assistant support to the CEO and senior leaders, requiring the ability to manage competing priorities, handle sensitive and confidential information, and operate with minimal supervision. A significant proportion of the role involves formal minute taking, a skill requiring advanced listening, analytical, and written communication abilities, as well as a strong understanding of governance and accountability.
In addition, the role contributes to the effective functioning of the organisation through wider business support activities, supporting operational delivery and compliance.
Competency Framework
The role will be assessed against the following core competencies:
- Governance & Minute Taking
- Organisation & Planning
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills
- Attention to Detail & Accuracy
- Business Support & Improvement
- Values & Professionalism
Driving
A current driving license and access to own transport is required for this role. This post requires you to have the appropriate ‘business use’ insurance in place as occasional business use of your car is required to carry out tasks, such as (but not limited to) the following:
- Travel to customer or business meetings
- Running business errands during the day
- Travel between different People First business sites
- Transporting colleagues/volunteers/members/customers or business contacts, for example, to business meetings or self-advocacy groups
- Making deliveries or collections
- Carrying extra equipment
For more information
If you’d like any further information about the role or if you have any questions, please contact our Head of Business : [email protected]
To Apply
If you’re interested in the role and think you’d be a good fit, we’d like to hear from you.
To apply for this position, please email a copy of your CV including details of two references, to [email protected] or alternatively, you can post for the attention of Barry to People First Conference Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, CA2 5XB
All applications should be clearly marked: Confidential – Executive Assistant
To arrive no later than 5.00 p.m. on 1st June 2026 (this date may change depending on the volume of applications).
Please be aware that we may hold initial fact finding / information sessions with candidates who pass our shortlisting process prior to the closing date. These will be held via Microsoft Teams. Successful candidates will then be invited to formal interviews.
Interviews to take place 4th June 2026 – Please note candidates may be asked to prepare a document to present at the interview.