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Director's Assistant (Maternity Cover)

SOMERSET HOUSE TRUST
35,397 per month
London
Full-time
2nd April 2026
Listed today

Director's Assistant (Maternity Cover)

At the heart of the organisation, the Director’s Assistant will provide efficient and effective administrative support to leadership at Somerset House Trust, contributing to the delivery of wider organisational objectives. Reporting into the Director of Somerset House, you will be the primary point of contact and coordination for the Director’s daily operations. This role is suited for someone highly organised, detail-oriented, who enjoys multi-tasking and contributing to the smooth running of a busy cultural organisation.

What we are looking for:

  • Management of the Director’s diary, ensuring all appointments are accurate and up to date.
  • Supporting the Director in other ways such as email management and travel.
  • Where required supporting requests from trustees and other key stakeholder.
  • Managing the use of the Executive meeting room and coordinating room bookings for other Directors and leadership activity to ensure the team has appropriate space for each requirement.
  • Processing expenses for the Director’s office for effective reporting and budgeting.
  • Maintaining key stakeholder contact information and activity within databases (such as Tessitura, Raiser’s Edge and Asana). with accuracy and care.
  • Assisting in the logistics for staff-wide, Executive and other leadership meetings, ensuring agendas are collated and circulated in a timely manner.
  • Attend Executive and other leadership meetings, as required, to capture clear notes and record key actions.
  • Supporting the Governance Manager with the logistics for Trustee Board meetings, including the preparation and circulation of board papers.
  • Supporting other teams (such as Development, Exhibitions and Studios) by gathering and organising guest lists and administrating RSVPs for key events such as Private Views and cultivation events.
  • Supporting the Senior Stakeholder Manager and working with the Development Coordinator to provide administrative support for other external facing events or initiatives.

Skills, knowledge & expertise required for the role:

  • Strong experience providing high-quality administrative support for senior leadership, including complex diary management and expense processing.
  • Knowledge of, or a strong interest in, the Arts, Culture or Heritage sectors.
  • Experience managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines.
  • A track-record of working in a role that requires high levels of confidentiality and integrity.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with ability to interact warmly and professionally with internal contacts and external stakeholders at all levels (including Trustees and sector leaders).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear correspondence and take accurate meeting notes.
  • Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
  • Ability to work accurately within databases and project management systems (such as Tessitura, Raiser’s Edge and Asana).
  • Ability to work with tact and discretion and respect for handling sensitive and confidential information.

Benefits to working at Somerset House

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed
  • Mental health support and guidance from our in-house trained Mental Health First Aiders
  • Hybrid working based on having 3 days in the office per week (pro rata if part-time)*
  • Contribution towards eye tests and glasses
  • Trust life insurance scheme
  • We offer winter flu vaccination vouchers

Holiday

  • Enhanced annual leave - 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)
  • Birthday leave - additional day leave
  • Celebration day  - to celebrate anything of your choice

Other Leave

  • Sick leave - 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro rata & following 3 months service)
  • Emergency dependent care - option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro rata & following 3 months of service)
  • Enhanced maternity pay

Benefits

  • 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required*
  • Option for salary sacrifice
  • Season ticket loan
  • Cycle to Work scheme

Discounts, offers and free stuff

  • The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other museums, galleries and heritage sites in London
  • Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants
  • Discounts with various high street retailers and restaurants
  • Discounts to local leisure centres

About Somerset House Trust

Somerset House is actively anti-racist and you can read about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging

here. We are working hard to ensure our people, our onsite community and our sector reflect, represent and include all of society.

Our Commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging:

discrimination

in the initial screening stage of our recruitment process. This reinforces our commitment to focusing on the skills and qualifications of all applications from the start.

We're committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help you perform at your best. We're open to adjusting our process to accommodate your needs please email people.team@somersethouse.org.uk.

The Trust reserves the right to close a job before its application deadline.

Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK; the Trust cannot currently offer sponsorships.

Somerset House Trust operates a hybrid working model which does not allow employees from working outside the United Kingdom

Documents

Our Hiring Process

Don't worry if you don't see any roles you want to apply for now. Register your interest to allow us to contact you when a suitable role meeting your criteria comes along. Unfortunately, the Trust cannot sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

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