Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant
Company Description
MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES UK
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) provides life-saving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. As an independent medical humanitarian organisation, we deliver care based only on need, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation. MSF relies on donations from private individuals and organisations for the majority of its income. This private funding gives MSF the freedom to respond where needs are greatest and to speak out publicly, free from any political interference.
MSF has around 67,000 local and international staff working in over 70 countries, in some of the most challenging places in the world. Our medical humanitarian projects are supported by offices in 44 countries, including the UK and Ireland. These teams recruit staff, organise fundraising, and raise awareness on the humanitarian crises our colleagues are witnessing, as well as running different and diverse support activities. MSF offices are spread across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.
At MSF UK/IE, we support MSF's operations by building relationships with our supporters, increasing awareness of our work, raising funds, providing specialist medical expertise, ensuring MSF staff have access to relevant higher education programmes, catalysing change on medical humanitarian issues, and recruiting field staff.
MSF UK/IE personnel are dynamic, hard-working, enthusiastic and committed to MSF's values and aims. In addition MSF continues to build upon its presence in Ireland to become a widely recognised, accepted and respected humanitarian organisation among Irish audiences, and within the Irish humanitarian and political sector.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING -
If you are applying for a role and have applied for us before in the last 12 months, please email recruitment.uk@london.msf.org before applying so that we can re-set your applicant account. Please title your email “Reapplication request”. If this is your first application, there is no action to take – Thank you – The recruitment team
Position
Are you looking for a role that is both challenging and meaningful? Step into an Executive Assistant role where your skills directly support critical care in humanitarian settings.
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri
Duration: Permanent
Location: London – hybrid, 3 days per week in London Office including Wednesdays (may require additional in office days when needed) and occasional international travel
Salary: £46,784.49 - £57,181.04 per annum | Salary is offered in line with our pay framework and typically starts at the entry point of the band. Salary increases are considered annually and are subject to our appraisal and performance review process.
Job Purpose:
The Director Executive Assistant supports far beyond administrative coordination - they act as a strategic partner, anticipating needs, streamlining decision making, and ensuring the Executive and or Director’s time is focused on the highest impact priorities.
The postholder will pre-emptively maintain and refine internal processes while coordinating internal and external resources to expedite workflows, and to plan and orchestrate work to ensure priorities are met, organisational goals are achieved, and best practices are upheld.
Please download the full job and person specification below for further details.
Requirements
Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
- Extensive experience working as an Executive Assistant to Director / CEO level.
- Demonstrable experience of managing complex, dynamic calendars with an emphasis on strategic time allocation.
- Comfortable coordinating cross functional teams and liaising with stakeholders at all levels, including external partners and senior executives.
- Experience preparing briefings, reports, presentations, and meeting materials with a high level of accuracy.
- Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to anticipate needs and plan.
- Strong time-management skills and an ability to coordinate multiple concurrent projects.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, able to draft clear, concise, and professional correspondence.
- High level of discretion, judgement, and emotional intelligence.
- Confident decision‑making and the ability to act autonomously when required.
- Skilled at filtering information, prioritising tasks, and maintaining momentum across multiple workstreams.
- Flexible team player, willing to adapt to changes, and confident tackling unfamiliar challenges across multiple domains of knowledge/experience.
- Ability to work in a disciplined and organised fashion, under pressure, with conflicting priorities and across time zones.
- Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite.The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Viva Engage. An aptitude for quickly learning new software and systems.
Other information
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply on our website by submitting a copy of your CV together with a letter of motivation by the closing date.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close applications before the advertised closing date, or if a suitable candidate is found.
Recruitment timetable:
- Closing date for applications: 6 April 2026, 12pm (BST)
- First round interviews: w/c 13 April 2026
- Second round interviews: w/c 27 April 2026
- Projected Start Date: May 2026
Accessibility
We are committed to removing barriers for people with specific accessibility needs. If you need an adjustment to the recruitment process to be considered for the role, please let us know by contacting recruitment.UK@london.msf.org
Examples of adjustments we can make:
- offering you an alternative if you are unable to use our online application system
- providing necessary information, such as the job description or assessment materials, in an alternate format
- allowing you to have someone with you during an interview for example, a Sign Language interpreter.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive organisation. MSF UK thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Please read our Equality & Diversity policy for more information.
MSF UK is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from all sections of our diverse community.
Safeguarding
MSF UK/IE is dedicated to safeguarding everyone who comes into contact with the organisation, for whatever reason and however brief. All posts are subject to safer recruitment process which include robust reference requests, scrutiny of employment history and where applicable criminal record and barring checks.
Our safeguarding commitment is underpinned by policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation. On joining MSF UK/IE you will be required to attend safeguarding training to ensure responsibility for and maintaining safe working practice and to safeguard our teams, beneficiaries, and communities.
Right to work in the UK
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK. Employment sponsorship will NOT be offered by MSF UK for this role. Please
click hereto check whether you have the right to work in the UK.
For questions, issues or further information, please contact Recruitment.UK@london.msf.org.
We look forward to receiving your application!