Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant to Executive Director

Salary: £45,000 to £47,000 

Contract Type: Full Time Permanent

Location : London / Gatwick/ Hybrid

Security Level: SC

Visa Restrictions: This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

Provide high‑level executive, secretarial, and administrative support to Executive Director, Consumer and Markets and wider leadership team, ensuring the effective and smooth operation of executive activities. The role is responsible for comprehensive diary and email management, meeting coordination and preparation, compilation of executive and governance reports, project tracking, and stakeholder engagement.  Acting as a central point of contact, the position facilitates clear communication with senior leaders, Board and Executive members, and external stakeholders. The role requires a high degree of professionalism, discretion, diplomacy, proactivity, and the ability to manage multiple priorities efficiently in a fast‑paced executive environment.

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide comprehensive administrative support, ensuring commitments run efficiently and effectively.
• Manage complex diary commitments, coordinating travel and associated logistics.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Prepare and produce papers, packs, presentations, and communications for internal and external audiences, often against tight deadlines.
• Collaboratively work with the wider Leadership Team, other Executive Director support teams and other Executive Director EA colleagues to ensure the delivery of necessary reports and communications.
• Assist, monitor and track action reporting.
• Coordinate meetings, conferences, and events, including developing and preparing agendas, taking minutes, and organising logistics for the Executive Director and Leadership team. 
• Ensure attendees are effectively prepared in advance of any meeting to ensure the effective and efficient running of the meeting.
• Drive and ensure internal governance and effectiveness in accordance with the CAA’s corporate responsibilities and delivery deadlines.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders on a regular basis and be the point of contact for the Directorate.
• Assist with ad-hoc projects and conducting research.
• Minute taking, collating, and managing action logs.
• Ensure internal governance is effective to ensure we meet our corporate responsibilities.
• Frequent collaboration with internal and external stakeholders

This role will require office attendance in line with when the Director is also in the office.  This is likely to mean at least two days a week in the office, largely at our London office but may also require some travel to our Gatwick Office (please see later comments about the relocation of our Gatwick office). 

About You:

You will thrive in a fast‑paced, changing environment, confidently re‑prioritising tasks while maintaining excellent attention to detail. The role requires strong relationship building skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels, including senior stakeholders and ministerial offices. Highly organised and adaptable, you will provide proactive support to the Director and wider team with minimal supervision, anticipating needs and managing daily priorities. Absolute discretion is essential, as the role involves handling sensitive and confidential information.

Essential Minimum Criteria

• Advanced diary, email, and time management, balancing complex and conflicting priorities to ensure executive capacity
• High‑level Board and Executive support for meetings, including agendas, papers, minutes, action tracking, and follow‑up
• Strong gatekeeping and prioritisation, managing access to senior leaders and protecting executive time
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, confident engaging at all levels including Board, Executive, Ministerial offices, and external stakeholders
• Proven stakeholder relationship management, working collaboratively with senior leaders, regulators, and external partners
• Outstanding diplomacy, judgement, and discretion, with experience handling sensitive and confidential information
• Proactive and anticipatory support, identifying risks, priorities, and solutions before issues arise
• Highly developed organisational skills, thriving in a fast‑paced, high‑scrutiny environment
• Project coordination experience, tracking actions, deadlines, and deliverables across multiple workstreams
• Strong business acumen, with an understanding of organisational priorities, governance, risk, and regulatory impact
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, making sound decisions and taking ownership
• High emotional intelligence, resilience, and adaptability under pressure
• Excellent attention to detail alongside big‑picture awareness
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and SharePoint or governance platforms
• Understanding of corporate governance, regulatory processes, and compliance requirements
• Commitment to delivering a high standard of professional service in a courteous, collaborative manner

 Desirable:

• Project management qualification, or training.
• Experience of working with Non-Executive Board members
• Knowledge or experience of working in a regulatory organisation.

Additional Security Information: For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance. If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.  To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years. For more information on SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Relocation & Property: The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational, and environmental considerations. We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers. We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site, and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028.

Inclusive Recruitment: We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by candidates in the CAA recruitment process: We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to 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 rejected on that basis.

Working With Us: We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance. We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values: Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: 04 May 2026

Interview Date: 18 May 2026 In Person, London

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.