View Vacancy - Personal Assistant Northern Ireland Executive (Brussels) (BEL19.641)

The Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels (ONIEB) was established in May 2001 to strengthen Northern Ireland’s relationship within Europe. It provides a central liaison point between the Northern Ireland (NI) Executive and the EU Institutions, and also with European countries and regions. It assists and facilitates NI Departments in their relationships with European bodies and aims to ensure that Northern Ireland’s interests are represented in negotiations and decision making at the EU level. It also undertakes a range of events and initiatives to showcase the best of both culture and policy making in Northern Ireland, to a wider Brussels and European audience The office is part of the wider family of the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union and is now looking for a Temporary Personal Assistant. Visit www.brusselsni.eu or @brusselsNI for more information on the work of the office.

The job will involve supporting the Director and Deputy Director of ONIEB in all aspects of their responsibilities, managing the reception desk and being the first point of contact within ONIEB for many outside organisations and third parties.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Personal Assistant to the Director : managing all aspects of the Director email inbox, diary, transport, finance, information flows, commissioning briefing for meetings, document creation, keeping records of meetings, and monitoring follow-up as necessary; assisting Director to keep their contact lists current; thinking ahead and preparing for the Director based on their diary; assisting with Brussels based staff communications as directed; assisting with Belfast based staff communications. Assisting the Deputy Director when required;
• Managing Relations with NICS and other outside organisations: co-ordinating the regular teleconferences with Ministers and senior officials in NI, and the teleconferences and meetings between ONIEB and a range of outside organisations. This will include agenda setting, recording outcomes of discussion and following up on action points;
• Managing Reception desk: greeting visitors, managing phone calls, setting up meeting rooms, looking at arrangements and logistics for the use of the space;
• Flexibility: as an integral part of the Brussels team, providing whatever support needed, particularly at times of intense workload. This can include the setting up, clear up and assisting with the smooth running of visits, receptions and events held in the Office. In staff absences, cover for essential office management tasks may also be required.

• Practical spoken and written French (or the prospect of achieving this quickly);
• Excellent organisational and Personal Assistant management skills;
• Excellent interpersonal skills – including the confidence to be firm with colleagues whilst retaining respect;
• Good IT (Microsoft Office and Outlook) skills;
• Effective drafting skills;
• Ability to think ahead, think strategically and act on own initiative;
• Ability to deliver results quickly, coping with multiple simultaneous tasks in a senior and complex working environment;
• Strong time management and prioritisation skills. Deadlines for actions are frequently short and pressure on colleagues is high;
• High standards of efficiency, self-motivation and resilience;
• Team-working ability, flexibility;
• Discretion alongside good judgement;
• Quick to learn and manage within complex, new organisational cultures;
• Proven ability to deliver results in a fast-moving, busy high profile environment;
• Experience of dealing with senior people.