Personal Assistant, Buying and Merchandising

Job Introduction

With exclusive luxury goods and world-class customer service, Selfridges delivers an experience that’s second to none. Maintaining such magnificence takes real dedication. So needless to say, our Directors of Department are under considerable pressure. As their Personal Assistant, you’ll play a key part in the smooth running of the business – providing unparalleled support that will help to reinforce our reputation for excellence. 

A bit about the role

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Joining our Buying and Merchandising team and supporting two Directors you will take charge of all day-to-day operations in the office.

You will ensure that all key administrative tasks are executed to the highest of standards. Tasks include coordinating presentations, scheduling meetings, arranging travel and dairies as well as sorting the mail and filing.

Due to the high profile nature of this opportunity, it is essential that you have excellent communication and organisation skills as you will be the first point of contact for the Directors.

You will be proactive in identifying and resolving all health and safety risks and IT issues in the office. Along with this, you will play a key role in supporting the control of expenditure and will liaise with board level members and key stakeholders on a regular basis. As PA to our Buying Directors, you will helps to ensure Selfridges maintains its world-class reputation and environment by ensuring each of our directors have the highest level of support to perform their key roles within the business. 

• Effectively manages the diary for two Directors
• Acts as a gatekeeper in terms of access to the directors
• Monitors the mailbox for each director, sifting, sorting and actioning mail as required
• Produces typed work that is consistent in its standard and accuracy
• Provides a shorthand or speed note taking service as required
• Coordinates and organises meetings
• Compiles travel itineraries and arranges travel and accommodation requirements
• Provides filing and administrative support
• Collates together PowerPoint presentations’

• Provides a point of contact for the Directors and all key stakeholders
• Orders consumables in line with budget allowances and ensuring no shortages occur
• Identifies any health & safety risks in the office and contacts the relevant department to resolve
• Works with IS support to resolve any IT issues efficiently when required
• Opens, sorts and actions all incoming mail
• Organises catering as required from lunch for a director to a group lunch or event
• Supports on team initiatives

• Produce visual presentations
• Ad hoc involvement and support for projects
• Supports and co-ordinates roll out of ad hoc initiatives
• Preparing weekly financial reports for trade meetings and business reviews
• Co-ordinates sundry expense spends by referring requests to the relevant budget holders

• Codes invoices upon receipt to the correct expense lines
• Actions directors expenses through correct process to ensure speedy payment
• Tracks spends against budget – is aware of YTD spend levels

A bit about you

• Highly organised
• Strong problem solving skills
• Resilient and able to manage a heavy workload
• Operates proactively
• Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing
• Ability to multi-task and manage time effectively
• Flexible
• High attention to detail
• Highly confidential and discrete
• Numerate and PC literate (Word and Excel)

A bit about us

We are a shop run on imagination: a place where the world’s most covetable brands combine with the most extraordinary spectacles, events and ideas for an experience like no other.

We have challenged the rules of retail from day one, whilst demonstrating our unwavering commitment to sustainability.  In 2016, we were the first to be awarded with recognition for the ‘World’s Best Sustainability Campaign by a Department Store’ at the IGDS Global Department Store Summit, in-line with its focus on buying better and inspiring change. We are also recognised as the Best Department Store in the World (2010, 2012, 2014 & 2018) underlining our place at the forefront of retail. In 2018 we were recognised as a LinkedIn Top Company to work for.

Our vision is to be the destination for the most extraordinary customer experience, and our people are central to us achieving this.  As an employer we are committed to making Selfridges an exciting, inspiring and fun place to work