Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Playing an important support role at BDO, our Secretarial and Administration team contributes to our success by taking responsibility for planning and organisation. Their proactive approach to what we do ensures our projects operate seamlessly and co-operation remains strong across our firm. Whatever the challenge, they provide the foundations on which we can excel. Joining this team, you’ll enjoy a friendly and supportive environment – and plenty of variety to keep you on your toes. Want to play your part in our international operation?

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

In this new challenging and rewarding role as Senior Personal Assistant, you will provide a full range of high level support to Partners and other senior members of our FS Audit team. Service levels underpin the firm’s commitment to the delivery of exceptional audited entity service.

You will provide high level administrative, business and personal assistance within the department and become an integral member of the Business Support team.  You will act as a role model, respecting confidentiality at all times.  This busy role will also have supervisory responsibilities for other business support staff. You will be responsible for the following:

Diary Management

Seeks to understand priorities, so is in a position to reschedule meetings when the need arises with minimal guidance. Actively ensures partner is punctual for meetings and is aware of partner’s location at all times. Assists partner in managing diary commitments to ensure that internal as well as external reputation is considered when rearranging or cancelling appointments.  Keeps partner appraised of changes. Agrees with partner when to consult and when to resolve matters independently.  Actively assists partner to prepare for forthcoming meetings.   Collates any documents required and has them ready for imminent meetings.

Email Management

Monitors partner’s email account in their absence and provides agreed assistance at other times. 

WIP and Debt / Workday

Actively manages the process of getting bills produced on time and liaises with the credit control  team about outstanding debts. Knowledge of using Workday.  Produces and understands WIP and provision reports.  Maintains provisions and project codes as instructed.  Offers assistance and reminders on billing deadlines. 

CMS and Pipeline

Manages partner's CMS contacts: follows up with partner to collect new information after meetings, uses the internet and other external sources to obtain information.  Reviews CMS audited entity and contact information on a regular basis.  Ensures that audited entity and contact business interests are flagged so that they receive relevant material.  Manages the sales and pipeline for each partner, checks their diaries and encourages them to pass on information. Is a confident user of the CMS reporting system.

Documentation

Produces a consistently high standard of work, at speed and under pressure.  Ensures that all documentation is brand and CVI compliant.  Researches the Brand intranet and liaises with the Brand and Design team for advice on complex documentation as necessary.  Seeks input from others to quality control key documents.  Able to generate draft responses to routine correspondence for finalisation by partner.  Automatically drafts routine, recurring correspondence.

Staff Supervision

Leads by example.  Adept at delegating.  Coaches junior team members in how to manage priorities and negotiate adjusted timelines.  Identifies ways in which the team can improve the audited entity experience. Provides guidance, support and motivation to colleagues to help them understand change initiatives.  Keeps an eye open for issues and intervenes personally to help resolve them or flags them to line manager. Challenge colleagues who fail to display the firm’s values.

You’ll be someone with:

• Extensive experience of diary management
• Advanced level in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Previous experience working at PA / Secretary level
• Exceptional spelling, punctuation and grammar
• GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent)
• Typing speed minimum 50 – 60wpm
• Ability to readily understand the Group’s and Firm’s environment, the Firm’s structure and culture
• Ability in exercising initiative, discretion and organisation
• Be able to identify and evaluate problems and demonstrate the ability to approach and tackle problems effectively
• Is reliable and punctual and has a flexible approach able to adjust quickly when priorities change.  Presents a professional appearance and attitude at all times.
• Is proactive and completes matters arising before being instructed to do so.  Work on own initiative and is self-motivated.
• Forward thinking and anticipates requirements. Strives to suggest possible solutions and actively looks for ways in which they can assist others, using the wider team as appropriate.
• Is adept at coping with changing priorities and organising colleagues to help meet deadlines or respond to urgent issues.  Remains calm and focused when working under extreme pressure.
• Behaviour and attention to detail illustrates what exceptional audited entity service (ECS) is, encourages others to do likewise and is a role model for how to identify and overcome barriers to ECS.  Consistently adheres to the standards set by the Business Support Audited entity Service Charter.
• Is highly self aware. Trusted to respond to sensitive matters appropriately. Exercises good judgement in deciding when to raise issues.
• Confident written and verbal communicator.  Communicates face to face as much as possible rather than via email. Uses non verbal behaviour to promote open communication. Is confident at speaking at team meetings.  Able to relate to people at all levels with ease.  Sets an example by treating everybody with respect.  Able to be Bold when necessary.
• Discourages others from dwelling on problems and escalates issues when appropriate to do so.
• Recognises and takes responsibility for ensuring that skills are maintained up to date and relevant.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to our business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture.  From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another.  At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices.  BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences.  With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.

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