Personal Assistant

Joining Arup

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

Are you passionate about building a more sustainable future? At Arup we work to find solutions for some of the world’s most complex problems – providing expertise across all areas of the built environment from strategic approach and planning to design and engineering.

Join us and you will have the freedom to push boundaries, develop new skills and work on some of the world’s most inspiring projects. We believe that by giving our people the freedom to be creative, we will produce work that continuously redefines quality across our firm. Whatever the role or specialism, our people are passionate about what they do, they believe in our values and are happy to come to work every day. And this is why people choose to work here and stay.

Our Business and Corporate Services functions provide a fundamental platform of unyielding support, enabling our firm to operate efficiently whilst working with our clients on ambitious projects that will set new industry standards. 

Watch this short clip to discover how Arup are shaping a better world and how you could be a part of it!

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our London office for a PA to provide meaningful and proactive support to leaders.  This significant role requires initiative, individual awareness and influencing skills together with excellent communication, planning and organisational capabilities.

The role will include extensive diary management, coordinating travel arrangements and organising internal and external meetings both in the UK and overseas.  This is likely to include liaison with other Personal Assistants and will involve a lot of preparation, requiring you to be organised, proactive and assertive whilst working in a calm and approachable way.

Is this role right for you?

·       Planning and organising the activities on behalf of the business leader, understanding the business priorities to manage the leader’s diary ensuring effective and efficient use of time.

·       Coordinating travel arrangements for overseas and UK travel, including preparation of itineraries.

·       Organising meetings, teleconferences, video/presentation or internal/external meetings.  This includes negotiating commercial arrangements with venues as appropriate.

·       Taking minutes or notes at meetings as required. Reporting to the Board on key issues and an accurate reflection of meetings in a timely manner is important, along with tracking actions and communicating outcomes.

·       Providing assistance in preparing for external and internal meetings, this includes regular document preparation, collation and filing. Enabling and supporting the timely delivery of reports and other documentation as required.

·       Collating reports and document packs ahead of meetings, conducting ad-hoc research and preparing draft PowerPoint presentations.

·       Taking ownership of organising social / staff events and working in collaboration with the business development and marketing team on client events.

·       Interrogation of Arup software as required, e.g. Ovabase, Ovaview, and may include completing timesheets and expenses claims.

We are looking for people who:

·       Possess previous experience at an executive level and a proven record of excellent PA skills & knowledge of standard office administrative practices and procedures.

·       Be educated to A-Level standard and achieved GCSE Maths and English at Grade A – C, or equivalent.

·       Have the ability to judge a context, make connections and build relationships.

·       Be self-motivated and able to work independently, with the ability to manage projects concurrently.

·       Be a creative problem solver; proactively seeking and acting upon feedback.

·       Have proficient computer skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software such as MS Office Suite, InDesign and/or other packages to produce visually interesting reports

·       Be interested in new and emerging digital tools.

Not ready to apply just yet or have some questions? Contact Drina Zupanovic at drina.zupanovicgerard@arup.com - Please note, to ensure we remain GDPR compliant do not send your CV directly to us via this email.

What We Offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together. 

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.  

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts. 

We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.  

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact drina.zupanovicgerard@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/

Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process.

Recruitment Agencies - We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on the list.