Executive Assistant to the Board

Job description

Something new and exciting is happening at HSBC. We are separating our retail bank from our investment bank and creating HSBC UK (HBUK) , with a brand new state-of-the-art head office in Birmingham. The move is a big step, and will take us one step closer to achieving our ambition to be the bank of choice in the UK. However, the move to Birmingham doesn't just represent a new dawn for our business. It's also an exciting opportunity for ambitious professionals who are keen to get involved in a unique challenge and progress their careers. We're looking for individuals who are motivated to grow and shape the UK bank, and who will thrive in a flexible working culture within a dynamic and diverse office environment, making the most of what Birmingham has to offer.

The Support Assistant role is based within HSBC Holdings plc is listed on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges. By market capitalisation, it is one of the largest listed companies in the world. Shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by about 204,000 shareholders in over 130 countries and territories.

There is intense regulatory and political pressure overseeing the successful creation of HBUK and requiring it be operated with a management team and board commensurate with its domestic SIFI profile in the UK.

The Company Secretarial global function (of 160+ Full time employees (FTEs) is led by the Group Company Secretary and reports directly to the Group Chairman. The HBUK Company Secretarial function (a total team of [7]) is led by the Company Secretary. The HBUK Company Secretarial function is responsible for all aspects of governance and board support, its statutory and regulatory reporting and its obligations under its stock exchange debt listings.

It is essential that the role holder has a very good working relationship with, and is trusted by, the Company Secretary, HBUK who he/she supports; and the Board of Directors and senior management of HBUK. He/she must also have respect and co-operation from his/her colleagues.
The role holder reports to the Board Support Manager and is responsible for providing a high standard of support to the board and committees of HSBC Bank plc - UK Bank / Retail bank (HBEU) and will liaise closely with the Directors, Executive, and other senior members in the Global functions and businesses.

The role of the Support Assistant is to provide board support to HBUK board and committee meetings and senior management meetings as follows:
· Board
· Chairman's Nominations and Remuneration Committee
· Audit Committee
· Risk Committee
· Executive Committee
· Risk Management Meeting
· Financial Crime Risk Management Meeting
· Executive Conduct and Values Committee
These responsibilities cover all aspects of corporate governance related board support to the Board, Non- Executive Directors, Committees and senior management (including initial agenda planning, scheduling, maintenance of meeting planners, review of relevant materials submitted to board/committees and all associated governance).

The role holder is the Personal Assistant to the Company Secretary.

The role involves close liaison at a senior level with the HBUK executive, Finance, Risk, Financial Crime Compliance, Regulatory Compliance, Legal and Reward functions.

The role holder must role model the HSBC values and business principles to create an inclusive and engaging culture where people are valued for who they are and what they contribute.

The role holder will need to continually review and reassess priorities in response to such frequently changing situations and deadlines. In addition, new projects/assignments may be allocated at short notice. The role holder must always deliver tasks accurately, reliably and to a high standard.

The HBUK board will have a membership comprising 8 Non Executive Directors (NEDs) and 3 executive directors.

The role holder will interact directly with Senior HBUK Executives including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The role holder will typically seek guidance from the Board Support Manager to whom they report and Company Secretary on significant matters that arise which have implications for HBUK.

Your responsibilities will include:
· Provision of support to the Board of Directors, its committees and senior management of HBEU to manage board and committee meetings.
· Assisting the Company Secretary with corporate governance and statutory, regulatory and governmental requirements as well as best practice requirements and standards."
· Assisting to the Board of Directors and senior management of HBUK.
· Building relationships with colleagues in other key functional departments such as Finance, Legal, Compliance, Risk and Human Resources.
· Being a part of the HBUK Company Secretary
· Maintaining and developing positive professional working relationships with directors and managers within the businesses.
· Contributing to discussions on how to improve engagement.
· Contributing to a cooperative and flexible working environment.
· Assisting in monitoring the effectiveness of the corporate governance framework for HBEU.
· Helping to reduce the costs and expenses of the department.
· Considering whether any existing processes should be re-engineered to deliver efficiencies within the Department.
· Undertaking ad hoc projects as and when required.

Desired profile

Qualifications :

The ideal candidate for this role will have:
·  Past working experience in a relevant role, i.e. excellent written and organisational skills. Good communication and inter-personal skills including the ability to maintain and develop relationships across the organisation as well as within the team
·  Past working experience on relevant systems, i.e. Proficient in the use of Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
·  Past working experience in a relevant role, i.e. within company secretariat of a large organisation and with boards and committees is desirable but not essential
·  Experience of using relevant software packages, i.e. Some practical experience of using Blueprint/other corporate databases and board portals is desirable but not essential
·  Flexible and adaptable approach to change and will support others to respond in a similar way
·  Experience of supporting others' performance, enabling them to achieve by providing clear direction, motivation and support
·  Worked collaboratively with other colleagues, supporting them when possible
·  Comprehensive understanding of risk management and proven experience of ensuring own/others' compliance with relevant regulatory processes
·  Experience of building effective customer relationships which create customer advocacy
The base location for this role is 120 Edmund Street, Birmingham.

We are required by the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 to create a ring-fenced bank in the UK by 1 January 2019. Entirely new from the ground up, HSBC UK's head office is opening in Birmingham. The location of this role will move to our new state of the art offices at 2 Arena Central during 2018.

At HSBC we look to enable our employees to better balance their work / life priorities and have the flexibility required to meet challenging needs as they progress through different life stages. Where possible we will consider the following flexible working options: part-time working, job sharing, term-time working, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with HSBC you have a need for some flexibility in your working arrangements please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.

HSBC is committed to building a culture where all employees are valued, respected and opinions count. We take pride in providing a workplace that fosters continuous professional development, flexible working and opportunities to grow within an inclusive and diverse environment.

Key search words: Global Company Secretaries, Assistant Secretary, HBUK, Birmingham, Personal Assistant, Board, Committee, Governance, Regulatory, Statutory, Company Secretary, Risk, Financial Crime Compliance, Audit