Personal Assistant recruitment

Fidelity and its subsidiaries employ over 5,400 people in 23 countries managing US$255.9 billion worldwide.

Fidelity’s investment style relies on fundamental research of companies and a strict bottom-up portfolio construction discipline. This means Fidelity’s analysts and portfolio managers look closely at a company’s balance sheet and future plans; meet regularly with and question its management; and then speak to its competitors, suppliers, customers and anyone else who might give them information that helps to assess whether the investment is a good one. Every investment in every portfolio is selected on its merit and ability to contribute to a better return.                            

Purpose of your role

This role supports directly the Chief Administrative Officer for FIL who is also a member of the Global Operating Committee.  The CAO is responsible for all our CAO Functions, comprising Bermuda HQ and Tax, Global Oversight, Legal, Group Reporting, Group Finance, Treasury, Real Estate, Corporate Services, Global Communications Brand, and FIL Foundations.  The CAO has matrix reporting lines from each of our main business finance groups in Europe, Asia, Investment and Moonray.

Your key accountabilities

To provide secretarial and administrative support to the CAO partnering with him to understand his requirements and priorities, being proactive in planning ahead and anticipating needs with regard to the activities described below:

• Managing schedules efficiently and in a timely manner, with a client-focused approach.  The individual will be able to anticipate the needs and expectations of people who are meeting with the CAO and understand the urgency of issues as they arise so that meetings can be scheduled appropriately when they are requested. They will understand the importance of key business issues and be able to identify those items that are critical and need to be addressed immediately and those that can wait until a later time, or be dealt with by alternative means.

• Diary management – the individual is required to effectively manage the CAO’s diary and is responsible for ensuring clarity on the purpose of meetings scheduled and have any documentation relating to the meeting ready for review prior to the meeting.

• Meetings management.  The individual will need to prepare meeting papers well in advance of meetings and follow up on actions after meetings.  They will be responsible for producing regular reports and in particular co-ordinating staff meetings to ensure all participants are well informed and prepared for meetings and actions are followed up.

• Communication – the individual will need to review e-mail messages and take phone messages from colleagues and clients when the CAO is out of the office, and keep them informed of critical issues that need urgent attention.  They will need to liaise effectively and professionally with all contacts, both internally and externally.  This may involve disseminating or collating information, or co-ordinating events and meetings.  Given the International context, effective liaison between different offices across the geographical boundaries is essential.  The role holder will need to deal with often highly confidential information in a sensitive and appropriate manner. 

• Scheduling and booking travel and meeting itineraries.  The individual will need to take care to provide detailed instructions, covering every detail of the arrangements, including providing contingency contact numbers in case of unexpected changes or delays to plans.

• Planning events such as off-sites or departmental meetings.  The individual will need to take care of all logistical details.

• Preparing and reviewing documentation – the individual is required to prepare documents, including electronic expenses schedules for approval and processing, spreadsheets and presentations as well as to review the content of such documentation to ensure accuracy, suitability and relevance of the information being presented. In addition responsibilities include preparation of monthly reports, occasional board reports and annual reports.

• Organising documentation: the individual is also responsible for introducing an appropriate system for storing both hard copy and electronic documents and information so that they are easily to hand.

• Providing cover for absences in the locality for other PAs as required ensuring that the area is always manned. 

Your skills and experience

• Experience of working as a PA, supporting senior personnel, ideally in a complex, fast moving environment

• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously

• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with people at all levels displaying good judgement when interacting with employees, colleagues, managers, clients and third parties

• Ability to demonstrate initiative and flexibility and to prioritise work appropriately.

• Ability to quickly pick up knowledge of the business and use this knowledge to make appropriate judgements on key issues

• Strong software skills will be required, particularly advanced skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

• Good team skills are essential, the PA will work closely with other PAs across the organisation

• Diplomacy and sensitivity when dealing with colleagues and contacts

• The ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines is essential

• Process orientation – to achieve consistency and reliability where this is of value, adopting best practice processes at every opportunity

• Shorthand capabilities or speed-writing are also desirable.

• Experience of working for executive level individuals, ideally in a complex, fast moving environment

• Financial services background would be helpful, ideally within a global organisation.


• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with people at all levels displaying good judgement when interacting with employees, colleagues, managers, clients and third parties.

• Ability to demonstrate initiative and flexibility and to prioritise work appropriately; whilst the role will be London based, you will regularly be asked to spend the day in one of the other offices.

• Ability to quickly pick up knowledge of the business and use this knowledge to make appropriate judgements on key issues.

• Strong software skills will be required, particularly advanced skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

• Pleasant, professional manner.

• Good team skills are essential as the PA will work closely with other PAs across the organisation.

• Diplomacy and sensitivity when dealing with colleagues and contacts.

• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines is essential.

• Process orientation – to achieve consistency and reliability where this is of value, adopting best practice processes at every opportunity.

• Shorthand capabilities or speed-writing are also essential.

Experience Required

        • Experience of working for executive level individuals, ideally in a complex, fast moving  environment.

       • Financial services background would be helpful, ideally within a global organisation.

Reporting line

The position will report to the Chief Administrative Officer.