Executive Assistant
FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
32,500 per year
London
Full-time
24th April 2026
Listed today
Executive Assistant Salary £32,500 Duration Hours of work: Location: Reports to: 18 months fixed term 21 hours Hybrid Executive Director About Us FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development) is a pioneering led by and for African women’s organisation working to end multiple forms of violence against women and girls VAWG). From child marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, faith-based abuse & related harms. Our vision is for African women and girls everywhere to have equality, live in dignity, be healthy and thrive free of violence. Our mission is-to transform responses to VAWG through delivery of specialist support services, strategic partnership and leadership development and community interventions. FORWARD marked our 40th Milestone in 2025 and is committed to scale up our campaigns and advocacy work. As the Partnerships & Advocacy Officer, you will be working alongside the Executive Director to support our unfinished policy agenda on tackling FGM, child motherhood and faith and culture. You will be self-motivated, proactive and passionate about increasing our influencing capacity to promote dignity, equality and wellbeing of to supporting FORWARD to live our approach to fundraising through trusts and foundations. You will identify new opportunities, write compelling proposals and drive ongoing engagement to increase our income. What’s it like working at FORWARD? We have a culture of encouraging creativity. Bringing ideas and solutions to complex problems is welcomed as part of the role. We believe in connectivity, and ensure that we connect as a team by being together in our London office as much as we can. We are committed to building a truly diverse team and have a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity as part of who we are and everything we do. We are a values-driven organisation and expect all our staff to exhibit a commitment to these through their working practice. As an organisation that tackles multiple forms of abuse, staff are supported to embrace a culture of well-being and continuous improvement, feedback and feeling able to challenge each other to succeed. About the Role We’re recruiting an Executive Assistant to provide high-level support to our Executive Director and Board of Trustees at an exciting point in the organisation’s development. This is a new role, offering the opportunity to shape ways of working and play a central part in supporting senior leadership and good governance. You’ll be a trusted partner to the Executive Director, providing diary and travel management, coordinating priorities, and offering reliable day-to-day support. You’ll also be a key coordinator for Board meetings, managing schedules, papers, actions, and communication to ensure effective governance and organisational efficiency. We’re looking for an experienced Executive Assistant, ideally with experience of supporting a Board and senior executives. You’ll be highly organised, detail-focused, and able to work with discretion, tact, and confidence. If you enjoy enabling others to do their best work and thrive in a mission-driven environment, we’d love to hear from you. Our Benefits We offer a wide range of employee benefits including: • Excellent annual leave entitlement • Pension scheme • Employee Assistance Programme • Flexible working • Opportunities for training and professional development How Will You Make a Difference? Executive Office Support • Provide high-level executive support to the Executive Director, including diary and inbox management, scheduling, travel arrangements, and meeting coordination. Prepare and manage briefing packs, presentations, reports, and correspondence for internal and external engagements. Support the tracking of strategic priorities, deadlines, and follow-up actions. Coordinate logistics for high-level meetings, conferences, and stakeholder engagements. Arrange travel and process expenses for the Executive Director and Board members, ensuring compliance with organisational policies. Act as a professional and discreet first point of contact for leadership-related enquiries and communications. • • • • • Board & Governance Support • • Act as the primary liaison between the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees. Coordinate all Board and leadership meetings, including scheduling, agenda planning, preparation and circulation of papers, and minute-taking. • Work closely with the Executive Directors and Chair to ensure meetings are well planned, timely, and • • effective. Coordinate the preparation of Board papers, ensuring information is accurate, timely, and well presented. Compile and format high-quality meeting packs, liaising with paper authors to meet agreed standards and deadlines. • Maintain accurate governance records, including Board decisions, action logs, policies, trustee records, and compliance documentation. Ensure timely follow-up on Board actions, supporting the Executive Director in tracking progress and strengthening governance practice. Support trustee onboarding, training, and annual governance reviews. Provide practical support during meetings, including troubleshooting technical issues where required. • • • Organisational Coordination • Work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to support effective cross-team communication and • • organisational planning. Support internal communications, staff meetings, and organisational events. Assist the Executive Director with monitoring organisational workflows, strategic plans, and risk management. External Relations & Representation • Support the Executive Director in managing relationships with partners, donors, policymakers, and community stakeholders. • Draft and coordinate correspondence, briefing notes, and speeches for external engagements. • Coordinate logistics for high-profile events, advocacy activities, and public-facing engagements. Professional Standards & General Responsibilities • Handle all information with a high level of discretion and integrity, maintaining confidentiality and • • • • • • • • • • • managing records in line with data protection requirements. Take responsibility for your own learning and development, keeping knowledge up to date in relation to governance, compliance and best practice. Participate in training, meetings and organisational activities relevant to the role. Carry out other reasonable duties aligned with the purpose and seniority of the role, as requested by the Chief Executive. Adhere to and promote the organisation’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and data protection. Abide by organisational policies, code of conduct and practices Participate and oversee in supervision sessions and annual staff appraisals Attend relevant training in order to fulfil the requirements of the job Participate in FORWARD staff team meetings and related operational meetings Attend meetings internally and externally as and when requested Be proactive in keeping up to date with developments affecting your work by improving personal competence through professional development This job description is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties, and the role may develop in line with the evolving needs of the organisation. PERSONS SPECIFICATION When completing your application, you will be required to address (using examples) some of the points below Knowledge & Experience - Essential Knowledge & Experience - Desirable It would be an advantage if you can also show evidence of: • Experience working in the charity or voluntary sector, particularly in women’s rights, safeguarding, or social justice. • Knowledge of, or willingness to learn about, issues affecting African women and girls, including violence against women and girls (VAWG), FGM, and migration. • Experience supporting senior leaders in advocacy, influencing, or policy-related contexts. • Experience providing high-level administrative or executive support to senior leaders (e.g. as an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, or similar role). • Understanding of governance processes, Board administration, and/or working within regulated or compliance-focused environments. Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines. • • Clear and communication skills. effective written and verbal • High levels of discretion, professionalism, and emotional intelligence. • Confidence using digital tools, including Microsoft Office, Zoom/Teams, and document management systems. • Ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt in a fast-paced environment. Values & Commitment • • • A strong commitment to FORWARD’s mission and values, including gender justice, dignity, and the rights of African women and girls. Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work respectfully and effectively with diverse communities and stakeholders. Commitment to confidentiality, safeguarding, and ethical practice. • Application deadline: 24 April 2026 Interviews: Week commencing 18th May 2026 Please email your CV and a separate short cover recruitment@forwarduk.org.uk by the application deadline. letter specific to this position to In your cover letter, please don’t repeat the information covered in your CV, but do include how you meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person for this role. Your covering letter should include: • Why you would like to work for FORWARD? • Why this particular role interests you? Please use the job description and person specification information in this application pack to detail your suitability. If you would like to submit your application in a different format, please get in touch via email or phone (020 8960 4000) and we can discuss how best to facilitate your request. CVs submitted on their own, without a supporting covering letter, will not be considered. If this opportunity sounds exciting to you but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t match every requirement exactly, we would still encourage you to apply - you may just be the perfect fit. FORWARD is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. Applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity. This post is restricted to women applicants only, as a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the role or the application process please email recruitment@forwarduk.org.uk and we would be delighted to answer any queries you may have.