Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Job title: Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Team: SLT

Location: London. This role will be based in Amna’s London office for a minimum of 3 days each week.

Annual wage: 30,000 – 35,000 GBP

Who We Are

Amna means safe in Arabic – representing the core of our work – supporting communities and frontline workers to bring non-clinical mental health support to every person affected by war, conflict and displacement. At Amna, our core values of respect, understanding, curiosity and connection guide everything we do. Our mission is to build community capacity for healing. Our vision is a world where refugees can determine their future unbounded by the impacts of conflict and displacement.

We partner with local organisations and institutions working with displaced communities to set up psychosocial healing services in which individuals and groups can discover and connect to practices that promote their healing and wellbeing. We invest in and train people within these organisations to provide this support, and we help partners build psychosocial interventions in collaboration with refugee communities – all with a values-based, trauma-sensitive and identity-informed approach.

Our partnerships are not limited. We connect partners through our global healing network of peer organisations to exchange learnings and enhance their practices as the network strives to support forcibly displaced communities around the world.

Role purpose:

The Executive Assistant (EA) will provide high-level administrative support to the CEO and Amna’s Board of Directors. This includes administrative help such as managing calendars, drafting communications and briefings, planning, and organising meetings, travel, office administration and personal assistance. It also includes working on and managing special projects including research, data analysis, preparation for public speaking, writing and research.

This dynamic and creative position requires the ability to anticipate needs, think critically, and offer solutions to problems with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills including strong written and verbal skills, the ability to work with little supervision, and manage simultaneous priorities in a one-to-one working relationship.

Key areas of responsibilities:

CEO support:

• Work closely with the CEO to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. Act as a “barometer”, having a sense for the issues taking place in the environment and keeping the CEO updated. Anticipate CEO’s needs in advance of meetings, conferences, and media appearances.
• Provide sophisticated calendar management for Amna’s CEO and Founder. Prioritise inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts and exercising tact; make judgements and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the CEO and Founder, including those of a highly confidential or critical nature.
• Prioritize and determine appropriate course of action, referral, or response, exercising judgement to reflect CEO’s style and Amna’s values and policies.
• Writing and managing documentation and data sets for the CEO including briefing papers, correspondence and talking points.
• Leading and managing special projects including research for Amna’s and CEO’s contribution to future books, podcasts and articles.
• Liaise between the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to ensure regular communications and smooth decision-making.
• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to coordinate the CEO’s outreach activities. Follow up on contacts made by the CEO to cultivate ongoing relationships.
• Support wider Amna team in any tasks related to the CEO or SLT – and being flexible to help out wherever needed
• Occasional travel may be required when needed.

Board support:

• Work closely with the CEO and relevant stakeholders to compile, organize, and distribute comprehensive materials for board meetings, including reports, presentations, and other necessary documents.
• Arrange and coordinate logistics for board meetings, ensuring all necessary resources are in place. This includes scheduling, venue arrangements, and any technology or equipment required for presentations.
• Attend board meetings to provide administrative support, take minutes, and ensure all actions and decisions are documented. Distribute minutes promptly after meetings.
• Track action items resulting from board meetings and ensure timely follow-up by the CEO and relevant team members. Provide periodic updates on the status of action items.
• Assist in onboarding new board members by providing orientation materials and facilitating introductions to key stakeholders within the organization.
• Provide a secretariat service to the Trustees, supporting the company secretary (as so designated) in the smooth running of board and committee administration;
• Support the CEO and committee chairs in ensuring adherence to the charity’s governance framework;
• Maintain a central and up-to-date register of key governance documents and ensure that they are easily accessible to senior staff and Trustees;
• Maintain Trustee records and minute books;
• Support the CEO and board to ensure that the charity is up to date with best practice on charity governance;
• Support the Trustees, CEO and senior designated staff in ensuring that Trustees’ regulatory obligations are properly planned and executed, including registering trustees with the appropriate bodies
• Ensure compliance with GDPR regulations in relation to all Trustee Board work and ensure Trustees remain up to date with legislation
• Work with the CEO and chair to ensure the Trustee Board is kept up to date on safeguarding emerging practice and is accountable
• Drive forwards with the chair and CEO emerging practice in governance and associated development for trustees
• Ensure comprehensive induction plan is developed for new Trustees when they join the Board

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible and diversified administrative experience, experience as an Executive Assistant or similar role.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent research skills and experience in writing briefing papers
• Exceptional organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given, prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices.
• Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office and desktop publishing software; ability to design and edit graphic presentations and materials.
• Able to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Demonstrable commitment to Amna values and mission.
• Legal understanding or experience with the Charity Commission is preferred.
• Non-profit board experience is preferred.
• Persian or Arabic languages will be considered an advantage.

Personal qualities:

• High emotional intelligence with capacity to motivate and manage self
• Ability to represent the organisation professionally and sensitively
• The capacity to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations
• Ability and temperament to work with sensitive information
• Caring – able to anticipate and meet multiple needs
• Committed to excellence and meeting high expectations

Safeguarding:

The role-holder will have experience working according to ethical and good practice safeguarding principles. They will be expected to adhere to and promote Amna’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policies as they will be involved in and responsible for programmes working with children and vulnerable groups in different settings.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Amna is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disabilities status.

Applications are strongly encouraged from people with lived experience as refugees/of displacement.