Personal Assistant to Sector Director (Beef & Lamb/Agriculture)

Job summary

We are currently recruiting for a Personal Assistant to the Sector Director to work on a hybrid basis, two to three days from our HQ in Coventry and the remainder working remotely from home, Monday to Friday. We may also consider candidates who prefer to be based at our York office.

This is a pivotal role providing comprehensive, professional support to the Sector Director and playing a critical part as a trusted partner. The role enables the director to operate effectively, focus on strategic priorities and engage confidently with key internal and external stakeholders.

We are seeking an experienced Personal Assistant with exceptional organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment. You will confidently manage complex diaries, coordinate travel and oversee end‑to‑end meeting management. Proven experience of minute‑taking is essential, alongside the ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, exercise sound judgement and handle sensitive information with discretion.

Established in 2008, AHDB is the independent, impartial public body that unlocks success in British agriculture. Funded by a levy from over 100,000 British farmers, growers and processors in the beef, lamb, pork, dairy and cereals sectors, we support and champion farmers and processors, often where no one else can or will.

Job description

• Provide comprehensive, professional executive support to the Sector Director, including diary and email management and travel and accommodation arrangements
• Manage internal and external stakeholder meetings, including agenda preparation, coordination of papers and tracking actions
• Act as a first point of contact for the Sector Director, dealing confidently with internal and external stakeholders
• Support planning, monitoring and reporting of delivery against the Sector Plan, analysing key engagement activity and metrics
• Liaise with Communications to support effective delivery of the Sector Communications Plan and targeted messaging to levy payers
• Support budget monitoring, identifying and highlighting potential overspend
• Champion use of the customer database (Microsoft Dynamics), ensuring contacts, permissions and records are accurate and up to date
• Build effective working relationships to become a trusted and recognised contact across sector engagement
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and value for money

Person specification

• Substantial experience as a Personal Assistant, providing proactive support at director level, ideally including board exposure
• Strong organisational capability, with the ability to manage complex diaries, competing priorities and deadlines
• High levels of professionalism, discretion and judgement, with proven minute‑taking experience
• Confident interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships
• Proactive, hands‑on and solutions‑focused, comfortable working independently in a fast‑paced environment, with an interest in the agriculture sector

Benefits

We believe in rewarding our people for their hard work, so we have a great mix of benefits and opportunities to give you the recognition you deserve:

• 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday, to include hybrid working
• 33 days of annual leave plus one privilege day (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance cover (4x salary)
• A market-leading defined contribution pension scheme with Legal & General
• Enhanced pay of 20 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, subject to length of service
• A paid day each year to volunteer and make a difference in your community
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Excellent training and development opportunities and an agreed development plan
• Recognition awards throughout the year
• Reward Gateway membership – this gives you a huge number of online discounts and savings

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

To apply, simply upload your CV and Cover Letter via our careers portal by clicking the ‘Apply’ button on this page. Our hiring managers will review your application, and we’ll be in touch with the outcome shortly after the closing date.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial interview via MS Teams. If successful, a second-stage face-to-face interview will be held at our HQ in Coventry, Warwickshire, following our competency-based framework.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of suitable applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@ahdb.org.uk
• Telephone : 02476 935722

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ahdb.org.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles of the Civil Service, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Head of HR via email: hr@ahdb.org.uk