Who are we?
Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
The role
The job holder will focus the majority of their time on providing a secretarial support service to the a specific team, focusing on a range of administration support tasks. They may also provide personal support to a nominated manager/managers and this may require diary and e mail support, as necessary.
What you'll do
Planning/Reporting:
Ensures records of meetings are kept through the production of accurate and timely minutes and any related documentation
Manages assigned projects and contribute to other projects as required
Provides relevant management information to managers as required
Technical:
A) PA Support (for nominated individuals)
Organises diary, files and electronic records
Screens calls and e-mails, prioritizing items for response and answering routine enquiries. Re-directs items as appropriate.
Provides administration support for personal matters, as appropriate
Prepares paperwork for meetings
B) General Administration:
Organises local and international travel arrangements, including visa requirements, insurance arrangements and the preparation of travel itineraries
Liaises with other support areas as required e.g. Facilities/post room/reception team etc
Produces a wide variety of documentation using appropriate software packages, including reports, presentations, letters and spreadsheets. Reviews final documentation for completeness, accuracy, quality, corporate style and format
Processes invoices and checks and reconciles expenses for their department/team
Ensure up to date records are maintained at all times on the Company’s/Group’s systems
Screens calls for the department
Liaises with other secretarial and administration resource in the Division as required, in order to ensure support is available during lunch breaks, holidays or periods of absence. On a contingency basis, may provide secretarial support for other teams within the Division
C) Other:
Keeps informed of all regulatory and legal changes which impacts on the job role
Ensures up to date records are maintained at all times on the Company systems
Responds appropriately to urgent issues as they arise
Policy, Process and Procedures:
Environment, Customer Focus and Relationships:
a) General
Develops relationships with administrative support staff to provide support/exchange information
Behaves with all clients (both internal and external) fairly and ethically
Shares information that could be beneficial to the Operating Entity/Group
b) Suppliers
Maintains an appropriate group of suppliers e.g. transport services, hotels, restaurants etc
Develops strong relationships with suppliers
Negotiates with suppliers to provide best balance of quality, service and price
People Management/Personal Development:
Actively undertakes personal development to ensure up to date knowledge and understanding of best practice
Remains aware of external, industry, legal and regulatory developments etc to ensure practice and outputs are of a sufficiently high standard
Keeps informed of all legal and regulatory developments relevant to the Operating Entity/Group
Regulatory and Compliance:
The Board of each Operating Entity requires the highest standards of corporate governance, operational excellence and financial reporting throughout the Group from all its employees. Specific responsibilities are listed below.
Ensures compliance of self and direct reports (if any) with all applicable legal, fiscal and regulatory obligations in the form of policies and procedures
Ensures correct authorisation is obtained and processes followed when required by the Operating Entity and/or Group
Ensures performance, HR and T&C records are up to date and meet the Operating Entity and/or Group’s requirements (which will include those of direct reports if any)
Maintains accurate records and deals with correspondence appropriately
Operates in an honest, professional and ethical manner
Strictly adheres to the Group Employee Code of Conduct
Completes all relevant regulatory training
Ensures competence of self and direct reports (if any)
Who we're looking for
Knowledge/Experience
Previous experience of working in a secretarial capacity – ideally supporting a team
Experience of diary management and compiling international travel itineraries and plans
Understands the role of a secretary/PA
Able to use Microsoft office packages in particular Word and Excel
Skills/Behaviours
Attention to detail with ability to produce accurate documentation, professional documents which are visually appealing and correct with regards to grammar, layout and spelling.
Ability to work effectively within a team.
Prioritisation and organisational skills – able to demonstrate flexibility with regards to working hours when required and is able to produce a high quality of work within short deadlines.
Proactive – is able to anticipate issues and rectify these on behalf of their manager/team
Internal Networking skills – understands the organisation and where to find answers/relevant resources.
Self-motivated
Numerate – able to create spreadsheets and manage expenses processes
Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders. Portrays a professional and polished image of the Division to all external contacts.
Able to deal with confidential matters appropriately
Qualifications
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
Reasonable adjustments
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
