Executive Assistant

Company:

Oliver Wyman

Description:

The Opportunity:

Reporting to the UK EA Manager, the successfulExecutive Assistantwill provide high‑calibre administrative support to up to three Partners. You will act as a trusted business partner, enabling decision‑making and partner productivity, managing their and your time, and representing the firm with discretion and professionalism. This role requires strong organisational skills, a proactive mindset and the ability to prioritise a high volume of email and competing demands.

The position is a hybrid role with a minimum of 60% based in our Newcastle office with the other 40% working from home. Hours are 9 am-6 pm (including one hour lunch break).

Key Responsibilities:

Daily administration (50%)

• Own the end‑to‑end administrative lifecycle for assigned Partners: anticipate needs, manage complex diaries and prioritise requests to ensure Partners are prepared and briefed.
• Provide proactive and strategic diary management: schedule and coordinate internal and external meetings, including multi‑time‑zone video conferences (Teams, Zoom), and propose creative solutions to conflicts while protecting focus time.
• Manage and prioritise your own inbox and workload: triage high volumes of incoming correspondence, apply consistent prioritisation and colour coding, escalate to Partners when necessary, and ensure timely action or response where appropriate.
• Arrange sometimes complex domestic and international travel: plan and book flights using our travel agency, hotels and visas; prepare detailed itineraries, keep up to date details in the partner diary and coordinate ground transport and other logistics.
• Maintain accurate timesheets and project documentation in our inhouse database, Certinia; prepare timely expense reports and support travel and expense approvals in line with firm policy.
• Support contract workflows, tracking and compliance requirements: gather and upload required documentation, follow contract processes and liaise with Legal/Commercial teams as needed.
• Liaise proactively with cross‑functional partners (Finance, IT, HR/HC, DTP, Facilities) to resolve operational issues and deliver seamless service.
• Use approved technology, including available AI tools, responsibly to streamline routine tasks while maintaining confidentiality and quality control.
• Support ad‑hoc events or office initiatives for assigned Partners as required.

Client development (30%)

• Act as a proactive business partner to support Partners’ client and business development priorities; understand client landscapes and help align administrative support to commercial objectives.
• Maintain and update CRM contact lists and business activity records; track pipeline and sales activity, ensuring next actions are recorded and followed up.
• Coordinate business development and client meeting logistics end‑to‑end: prepare meeting packs with the help of our inhouse document production team and help with meeting set‑up if required (rooms, passes, catering, tech), and ensure meetings proceed with minimal disruption.
• Identify and flag client opportunities or follow‑ups; arrange introductions and follow‑through actions in line with Partners’ priorities.
• Build strong relationships with client assistants and internal stakeholders to facilitate access and smooth delivery of client interactions.
• Coordinate travel and meeting itineraries to optimise client engagement and efficiency, grouping meetings where appropriate to reduce travel time and cost.

Team Support (20%)

• Provide reliable short‑term cover for other EAs and Partners as required to ensure continuity of service.
• Support onboarding, mentoring and training of new EAs; contribute to the EA community by sharing best practice and participating in team initiatives and meetings.
• Help identify and implement process improvements to increase team efficiency and consistency; participate in projects to standardise workflows.
• Provide occasional Office Services support and collaborate across functions to maintain smooth day‑to‑day operations.
• Be approachable and constructive in feedback, setting a positive example in behaviour and service delivery.

Experience required:

• Minimum of three years’ experience in an administrative, EA or PA role supporting executives; experience in professional services (consulting, financial services) preferred.
• Proven experience supporting client‑facing activities and business development processes desirable.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating complex diaries, travel and large meetings or events.
• Familiarity with corporate systems such as CRM, Certinia (timesheet/project documentation), and expense/travel platforms desirable.

Skills and Attributes required:

• Strong service orientation with a proactive, solution-focused approach; acts as a trusted business partner to senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; presents information clearly and confidently to diverse audiences.
• High level of discretion, confidentiality, and professional judgment; adheres to firm policies on data protection and information security.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable working autonomously and collaboratively; receptive to feedback and committed to continuous development.
• Resilient, adaptable and composed under pressure.
• Collaborative mindset; builds and leverages internal networks to resolve issues efficiently and influence stakeholders.
• Confident user of Microsoft Windows, Outlook, Teams, Zoom; working knowledge of Excel preferred; proficient with approved productivity and collaboration tools, including AI tools, while safeguarding confidentiality.
• Takes ownership of tasks end to end with sound judgment and accountability; escalates appropriately.
• Supports compliance by maintaining accurate records, following contract, expense, and timesheet processes, and assisting governance and audit requirements.
• Continuously seeks efficiencies, shares best practices, and contributes to EA community development.
• Represents the firm professionally with tact, diplomacy, and integrity.

Why Join Us?

At Oliver Wyman, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We value collaboration, integrity, and excellence, and we encourage our team members to bring their authentic selves to work. Our culture promotes continuous learning and development, providing opportunities for growth and advancement within the firm.

We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a flexible work environment that supports work-life balance. Join us in making a difference for our clients and communities while advancing your career in a supportive and innovative setting.

Oliver Wyman is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X. Marsh is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age background, civil partnership status, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, gender reassignment, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments in accordance with applicable law to any candidate with a disability to allow them to fully participate in the recruitment process. If you have a disability that may require reasonable adjustments, please contact us at [email protected] is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one “anchor day” per week on which their full team will be together in person.