Personal Assistant at BDO in Cambridge, England, GB

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Playing an important support role at BDO, our Secretarial and Administration team contributes to our success by taking responsibility for planning and organisation. Their proactive approach to what we do ensures our projects operate seamlessly and co-operation remains strong across our firm. Whatever the challenge, they provide the foundations on which we can excel. Joining this team, you’ll enjoy a friendly and supportive environment – and plenty of variety to keep you on your toes. Want to play your part in our international operation?

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

This role provides comprehensive administrative, business and personal support to one or two Partners, including senior Partners, as well as a wider group of managers. Acting as an integral member of the support team, the successful candidate will manage complex diaries, coordinate meetings and events, arrange extensive business travel and serve as a key point of contact for both internal and external stakeholders. The role requires strong organisational skills, excellent time management and the ability to build effective relationships with senior leaders and clients.

A significant aspect of the position involves supporting client and business development activities. This includes liaising with clients regarding meetings, presentations and reports, maintaining accurate client information within internal systems, supporting tenders and bid documents, coordinating marketing events and seminar invitations, and delivering a consistently high standard of client service. The role also acts as a gatekeeper for Partners, handling correspondence, screening calls and managing confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

The individual will provide proactive support across a range of operational, financial and risk management activities. Responsibilities include monitoring emails and responding on behalf of Partners where appropriate, managing monthly billing processes, raising invoices, conducting conflict checks and client onboarding activities, maintaining risk databases and supporting finance management processes. They will also create and manage documentation, ensure materials are on brand, take meeting minutes and complete expense reporting in a timely manner.

In addition, the role requires close collaboration with internal teams including Recruitment, Marketing and the Business Support Hub. The successful candidate will assist with interview coordination, provide cover and support for colleagues during periods of absence, respond to routine enquiries and undertake a variety of general administrative tasks. The position demands a proactive, flexible and highly professional individual who can confidently manage multiple priorities while delivering exceptional support to Partners, managers and clients alike.

You'll be someone with:

• Strong Microsoft Office and administrative skills
• Excellent organisation, communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Proactive, adaptable and able to manage multiple priorities effectively
• High attention to detail and strong problem-solving capability
• Confident working independently and within a team in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Experience with business systems such as Outlook, Concur, Workday, CMS and Intapp (desirable)

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to our business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.

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