Job Description
At AAT it’s our mission to make it possible for more people to experience the opportunities a career in finance brings, through our accessible qualifications and supportive community.
At AAT it’s our mission to make it possible for more people to experience the opportunities a career in finance brings, through our accessible qualifications and supportive community.We are the UK’s leading qualification and professional membership body for vocational accountants. We pride ourselves on providing practical qualifications that meet the needs of both employers and employees, as well as products and services to support our members and customers throughout their careers.
Contractual hours
35
Term:
12 months FTC (maternity cover)
Shape the work. Connect the people. Make the difference.
This is more than a traditional EA role. As a trusted partner to an Executive Director, you will be at the heart of AAT’s Customer, Partnerships and Innovation (CPI) portfolio at AAT, helping turn senior decisions into action, improving how work happens and keeping ambitious priorities moving. No two days will look the same. You might be preparing the Executive Director for a critical conversation, bringing teams together around a shared goal, or taking an idea through to impact. You will connect the dots, create momentum and help important work succeed.
Why this role?
- Trusted access: work closely with an Executive Director and gain exposure to senior decision-making.
- Real ownership: lead work from idea through to tangible impact.
- Portfolio-wide influence: help shape strategy, governance, collaboration and improvement across CPI.
- Visible results: build broad experience and make a meaningful difference in a varied 12-month role.
Where you’ll make an impact
As Business Manager, you will help the CPI leadership team translate strategy and decisions into clear plans and outcomes. You will keep sight of priorities, dependencies, risks and emerging pressures, support business planning and performance reporting, and act as a central point of coordination across CPI and wider AAT.You will take work from concept to delivery, shaping the approach, bringing the right people together and maintaining momentum. This includes coordinating cross-organisational initiatives, tracking decisions and actions, and designing purposeful leadership meetings, workshops and portfolio-wide events. You will also lead improvements, using Microsoft 365 and automation tools to simplify processes, strengthen controls and make better use of people’s time.Alongside the Business Manager remit, you will be the Executive Director’s trusted EA partner, providing proactive diary, inbox, task and correspondence management, anticipating what is needed and preparing them for key meetings and decisions. You will build strong senior relationships, represent the Executive Director and CPI when appropriate, handle sensitive matters with discretion, and line-manage and develop the Business Administrator. This hands-on role suits someone who moves confidently between the bigger picture and the detail, brings calm to complexity and enjoys enabling others to succeed.
What You’ll Own
- Provide portfolio-wide business management oversight, turning priorities and leadership decisions into coordinated plans.
- Support planning, performance reporting and cross-organisational initiatives, bringing structure, pace and practical problem-solving.
- Lead effective governance and leadership processes, with strong agendas, clear decisions and purposeful action tracking.
- Keep the portfolio connected through clear communication and productive collaboration across teams and stakeholders.
- Work as part of AAT’s wider Business Manager community, sharing insight, good practice and joined-up approaches.
- Lead operational improvements, using Microsoft 365 and automation tools to simplify processes and improve efficiency.
- Act as a trusted EA partner to the Executive Director, protecting their time and providing proactive executive support.
- Lead, coach and develop the Business Administrator, creating clarity, confidence and opportunities to grow.
- Handle sensitive and confidential matters with sound judgement, discretion and professionalism.
What You’ll Bring
- Experience in a Business Manager, senior EA or comparable role, with confidence working across organisational boundaries.
- Strong planning, coordination and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and keep work moving.
- Experience supporting senior executives and leadership teams, including diary management, prioritisation and decision support.
- Sound judgement, discretion and the confidence to challenge constructively, resolve issues and influence others.
- Strong written communication skills, with the ability to turn complex information into concise, accurate messages.
- A proactive approach to continuous improvement and confidence using Microsoft 365; interest in automation would be an advantage.
- A warm, credible relationship-builder who communicates well with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience of line management, coaching or developing others.
You do not need to arrive knowing everything about CPI. What matters is curiosity, collaboration and the energy to immerse yourself in a portfolio that brings together customers, partnerships, innovation and organisational change. If you like being at the centre of things, making connections and helping ambitious work happen, there is plenty to get excited about.
What You’ll Gain In Return
You will also receive AAT’s wide-ranging benefits:
- Hybrid working, with 1-2 days per week in our Canary Wharf office, and opportunities for further flexible working.
- 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays.
- A great pension scheme, life assurance and critical illness cover.
- Health cash plan and regular wellbeing initiatives.
- Enhanced maternity and shared parental leave contributions of up to six months’ full pay, depending on length of service.
- Cycle2Work scheme and much more.
Closing date
The planned closing date for this role is 25 October 2026; however, we reserve the right to close the role earlier than planned.
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