Description

From managing complex diaries and senior-level correspondence, to coordinating board and committee papers, taking minutes, maintaining action logs and supporting the governance calendar, the postholder will be highly organised, discreet and confident working with senior leaders, trustees and external stakeholders.

Governance & Executive

Working collaboratively across BAC’s staff team, the postholder will help create better systems for executive support, governance administration, record keeping, information flow and follow-up. They will be approachable, calm and proactive, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines across a busy organisation.

A detailed outline of the tasks and responsibilities for this role, contractual terms and conditions and a person specification is outlined below.

General

The person in this post will need to work flexibly and reactively around the needs of the organisation. The work can be varied and exciting, and requires a calm, organised and agile approach.

The culture at BAC is a collaborative and open one. We work in an open plan space with no closed private offices and frequently work across teams and roles. We are lucky to have an outdoor terrace adjoined to the office which is particularly nice in the summer months. There’s a good culture of people taking lunch breaks away from desks and two equipped kitchen and eating areas where the team tend to spend their down time. We organise regular social events and things can get competitive at our annual sports day and Christmas quiz. Though to be clear, spectating is respected as much as taking part here at BAC!

Role Responsibilities

Role focus

• Work across BAC’s organisational governance, executive support and leadership coordination functions, supporting the CEO/Artistic Director, Managing Director, Directors’ Team, Board of Trustees and relevant committees.

• Contribute to the smooth running of BAC’s governance and executive cycles by keeping meetings, papers, decisions and actions well organised and easy to follow.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across BAC projects, making sure information moves between senior leadership, project teams and governance bodies at the right time and in the right format.

Executive Support

• Provide proactive day-to-day executive support to the CEO/Artistic Director and Managing Director, and administrative coordination for the wider Directors’ Team as required.

• Manage complex diaries, meeting schedules and senior-level commitments, helping to prioritise time against organisational deadlines and strategic priorities.

• Monitor and support assigned inboxes and correspondence, responding or redirecting where appropriate and ensuring timely follow-up.

• Coordinate travel, accommodation, meeting logistics, briefings and preparation for external meetings, conferences, stakeholder meetings and speaking engagements.

• Prepare, format and proofread correspondence, reports, papers, presentations and briefing materials to a high standard of accuracy and presentation.

• Support the CEO/Artistic Director, Managing Director and Directors with ad hoc administration, research, information gathering and coordination as required.

Governance and Board Support

• Coordinate the annual calendar and forward plan for the Board of Trustees and relevant committees, ensuring key decisions, reporting requirements and paper deadlines are planned in advance.

• Prepare agendas, meeting papers, reports and supporting information for Board and committee meetings, working with senior colleagues to gather content and keep papers on schedule.

• Collate, format, circulate and securely store governance papers and records within agreed timeframes and in line with BAC’s systems and policies.

• Provide clear secretariat support to Board and committee meetings, including minute taking, action logging, decision tracking and follow-up.

• Maintain accurate records of governance meetings, signed minutes, action logs, decisions and key documents, making sure information is easy to access and appropriately confidential.

• Support trustee and committee member administration, including meeting logistics, onboarding materials, declarations of interest, contact records and other governance documentation as required.

Meeting Coordination and Secretariat

• Coordinate Directors’ Team meetings and other senior internal meetings, including scheduling, agenda planning, papers, notes, actions and follow-up.

• Liaise with staff, trustees, committee members and external stakeholders to arrange meetings, confirm attendance, book rooms or digital links, and ensure access, IT, catering and visitor arrangements are in place.

• Produce accurate minutes, notes and follow-up emails from meetings, capturing key points, decisions, owners and deadlines in a clear and accessible format.

• Maintain action logs arising from governance and senior leadership meetings, chasing updates and escalating overdue or unresolved actions where appropriate.

• Meet and greet trustees, external visitors and partners when meetings take place on site, ensuring a warm, professional and well-organised experience.

Planning, Systems and Records

• Maintain effective administrative systems for executive support and governance, helping BAC to use time, resources and information more efficiently.

• Manage electronic filing, document control and version management for governance and senior leadership documents, ensuring records are accurate, up to date and stored in the right place.

• Support the development and improvement of templates, forward plans, action logs, decision logs and governance trackers.

• Use Microsoft 365, shared calendars, Teams, SharePoint and other BAC systems confidently, and support colleagues to use agreed systems consistently.

• Identify opportunities to simplify administrative processes and improve the quality, timeliness and accessibility of governance and executive information.

Communication, Relationships and Stakeholders

• Act as a central point of contact between the CEO/Artistic Director, Managing Director, Directors’ Team, trustees, committee members and key external stakeholders.

• Communicate clearly and professionally with a wide range of people, including staff, freelancers, trustees, artists, funders, partners, public bodies and visitors.

• Support communication between senior leadership and internal teams, helping to ensure colleagues have the right information at the right time.

• Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, tact and sound judgement at all times.

• Maintain a calm, respectful and approachable manner in all interactions, representing BAC positively and professionally.

Risk, Compliance and Policy Support

• Support the coordination of governance-related compliance tasks, including declarations of interest, policy review cycles, key organisational records and reporting deadlines.

• Work with senior colleagues to maintain and update risk registers, assurance maps, governance trackers and related documents as required.

• Help ensure that governance documents, meeting records and decision logs support good organisational accountability and clear audit trails.

• Support the planning and administration of board recruitment, trustee induction, away days, governance reviews and other governance development work where required.

General Tasks

• In collaboration with the line manager, identify and attend professional development and training opportunities.

• Be an active participant in BAC’s wider creative life, attending performances and events, and supporting the venue’s public-facing activities.

• Contribute to staff meetings, cross-team collaborations, and organisational initiatives that support BAC’s mission and continuous improvement culture.

• Maintain professional development, staying informed of trends in hospitality, retail, and event services to bring fresh ideas and improvements.

• Ensure that BAC’s values of inclusivity, sustainability, and generosity are reflected in all aspects of your work and team leadership.

• Undertake any other duties as reasonably required by the leadership of BAC

Person Specification

When we shortlist, we use these criteria to select the best candidates.

This role requires someone with excellent organisational, communication and relationship skills, who can work with discretion and accuracy in a busy organisation. They will be confident supporting senior leaders and governance meetings, able to manage competing priorities, and comfortable working with trustees, staff and external stakeholders.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• At least 1 year of experience of providing executive support, PA support or senior administrative coordination in a busy organisation.

• Experience of secretariat duties, including agenda planning, minute taking, action logging and managing meeting papers.

• Experience of governance work within an organisation.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce timely, clear, accurate and well-presented documents.

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing demands, prioritise workload and meet deadlines.

• High attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records and follow agreed procedures.

• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion, tact and integrity.

• Confident interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, trustees, staff colleagues and external stakeholders.

• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, shared calendars and document management systems.

• Ability to work independently, use initiative and work collaboratively as part of a team.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Experience of supporting governance in a charity, arts, cultural, education, public sector or not-for-profit organisation.

• Understanding of board and committee cycles, charity governance, risk registers, policy review processes or decision/action tracking.

• Experience of supporting board recruitment, trustee induction, away days or governance development activity.

• Experience of using SharePoint or similar systems to manage papers, records and document version control.

• Interest in BAC’s artistic, community, heritage and commercial activity, and a commitment to inclusive working practices.

Values:
At BAC, we expect our staff to subscribe to the values inscribed on the building: “Not for me, not for you, but for us.” This means we strive for inclusion, equity and fairness in everything that we do.

Terms & Conditions

This role is 4 or 5 days a week Monday-Friday; usual office hours are 10am-6pm. We offer flexible working where possible.

Occasional evening and weekend work will be required. All staff at Battersea Arts Centre are expected to attend performances and events and be a part of the artistic life of the organisation.

Salary
£24,000 - £25,600 gross per annum, dependant on experience (£30,000 - £32,000 pro rata)

Hours
28 hours per week, excluding a daily one-hour lunch break

OvertimeNo overtime payments; we operate a Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) system, to be taken within two weeks of accrual.

Annual Leave4 weeks per year, pro rata (5 weeks following one full year of service)

Probation period

3 months

Notice period2 months

Contract PeriodPermanent

Pension SchemeBAC’s pension scheme provided by NEST

Staff BenefitsComplimentary tickets (subject to availability and staff ticket policy)

Employment Assistance Programme provided by Health Assured

Cycle to Work Scheme

Discount in the BAC cafe (subject to discount policy)

5 Development Days (pro rata)

Department

People

Locations

Battersea Arts Centre

Remote status

Hybrid

About Battersea Arts Centre

Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) is a home for radical artistic ideas. We support artists, young people and communities to spark positive change through their creativity in many different ways, and this social purpose is central to everything we do. Based in an iconic building at the heart of Battersea, our work revolves around an ambitious live and digital programme of performance, heritage, events, and creative and community projects. Projects developed at BAC can also be found in our communities and on tour across the UK and the world.