Executive Assistant

What Makes This Opportunity Unique?

As an Executive Assistant at Clifford Chance, you will engage in a unique blend of responsibilities that foster strategic partnerships and international collaboration within a global legal powerhouse. This role offers significant autonomy and influence, allowing you to directly shape business decisions and enhance operational excellence.

You will:

• Strategic Partnership: Attend meetings with senior stakeholders, manage action points, and provide input that helps shape business decisions.
• Project Coordination: Take ownership of project timelines, compile and analyse data, and escalate risks, directly influencing key outcomes.
• International Collaboration: Work daily with colleagues and leaders from across Europe and beyond, gaining exposure to a truly global business environment.
• Process Improvement: Identify and implement opportunities to enhance service quality and operational excellence.
• Autonomy & Decision-Making: Exercise independent judgement, manage shifting priorities, and ensure critical deadlines are met.
• Team Culture: Contribute to a vibrant, collaborative team, sharing best practices and supporting colleagues across the Virtual Assistant Team based out of multiple offices.

Who You Will Work With

You will report to the Senior Manager, VA Team, while working collaboratively with colleagues across London, Delhi, Hyderabad, Newcastle, and Warsaw, ensuring a seamless delivery of service across locations.

Job Overview

The Global Business Support (GBS) function provides high-quality support to Clifford Chance offices worldwide through its various teams. As an Executive Assistant, you will provide dedicated support to allocated GBS stakeholders, assisting with a range of executive and administrative tasks. The role requires flexibility, with key working hours spanning from morning to evening, with adjustments possible upon reasonable request.

What You Will Be Responsible For

You will be responsible for providing comprehensive executive assistance to your assigned stakeholders, supporting up to five individuals. Adaptability and flexibility are essential as responsibilities and stakeholder allocations may shift.

What You Will Do

As an Executive Assistant, your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Inbox Management: Prioritise and streamline email correspondences, keeping inboxes organised and junk-free, systematically filing emails, and responding on behalf of stakeholders when required.
• Calendar & Meeting Management: Proactively plan and manage dynamic calendars, resolving scheduling conflicts, arranging meeting logistics, taking minutes, and circulating action points promptly.
• Travel Management: Organise comprehensive travel itineraries, including flights, rail, taxis, hotels, visas, and insurance, ensuring calendars are updated and records maintained.
• Expense & Budget Management: Accurately and promptly submit claims (expenses, mileage), assist with invoice processing, purchase orders, and budget tracking, delegating to Administrative Assistants when appropriate.
• Documentation & Data Management: Prepare and maintain accurate documentation, including reports, presentations, and correspondences, managing document control via iManage and other platforms.
• Project Coordination: Support stakeholders by researching, compiling, and analysing project data, drafting status reports, escalating risks, monitoring milestones, and making informed decisions to meet deadlines.
• Confidentiality & Integrity: Maintain the highest level of discretion and professionalism, adhering to policies and regulatory requirements, fostering trust and reliability.
• Collaboration & Team Engagement: Work closely with stakeholders for seamless communication, actively contribute to the VA Team across all offices, assist with onboarding new members, and provide absence cover.
• Ad-Hoc Support: Assist with various ad-hoc tasks, including onboarding new hires, managing distribution lists, organising off-sites and team gatherings, and supporting stakeholder upskilling initiatives.

Your Experience and Skills

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's/MBA from a reputed institute preferred.
• 5+ years of experience, preferably in a multinational organisation with cross-cultural exposure.
• Proven experience supervising teams in a professional services environment, with a strong focus on service delivery and performance management.
• Prior experience supporting senior leadership, including minute-taking, presentation creation, and managing Excel-based reports.
• Project or programme management experience is desirable; coaching will be provided if needed.

Stakeholder Management:

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and challenge at all levels.
• Comfortable working across international, regional, and local contexts.
• Structured and strategic approach to balancing long-, medium-, and short-term team priorities.
• Strong organisational and delegation skills.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Flexible and effective communicator - both verbally and in writing, with proficiency in English and Polish required.
• Maintains regular and transparent communication with managers and colleagues.
• Approachable, helpful, and adaptable in a dynamic team environment.

Analytical & Problem Solving:

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to gather, interpret, and present data insights.
• Excellent problem-solving ability; capable of breaking down complex issues and identifying solutions.
• Makes sound decisions based on available information or guidance.
• Proactively identifies opportunities to improve service quality based on stakeholder feedback.

Work Ethic & Professionalism:

• Demonstrates resilience and the ability to manage competing deadlines under pressure.
• Quick learner with a proactive, results-driven mindset.
• Able to manage workload independently and as part of a team.
• Exceptional attention to detail in all tasks and deliverables.
• Confident handling new and unfamiliar situations.

How We Will Support You

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge, through formal training, informal coaching and mentoring, skills-based and technical training, and on-the-job learning.

Key skills/competency

• Executive Support
• Project Coordination
• Stakeholder Management
• Calendar Management
• Travel Planning
• Data Analysis
• Communication Skills
• Organisational Skills
• Problem Solving
• Confidentiality