Business Support Manager for Chief Scientific Officer

Business Support Manager to the Chief Scientific Officer

Job Title:
Business Support Manager to the Chief Scientific Officer
Location:
London (with travel to Stevenage)
Job Type: Permanent and full time

Please note that the closing date for this role is 20/02/206

Agencies:
We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity to have significant impact in a new role at Life Arc, working for our Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). The Business Support Manager, together with the CSO’s Executive/Personal Assistant, will provide a complete professional, administrative, and logistical support service to enable the CSO to perform their role as efficiently and effectively as possible. This involves proactive management of day-to-day business including drafting of all types of written communication;

meeting and event organisation; complex diary management and travel arrangements; project coordination and delivery.

Acting as a senior administrative aide to the CSO, the Business Support Manager will manage and coordinate the CSO’s agenda across the full range of their work, providing support for their time management, preparation, and planning. The role will take forward projects on the CSO’s behalf as well as overseeing communications, execution of key plans and decisions, and management of stakeholder liaison, including with the CSO's direct reports and other senior colleagues and stakeholders, whilst ensuring a high level of responsiveness to evolving priorities and demands.

The CSO office communicates and liaises often at the highest levels with external and internal stakeholders, including government departments, funding bodies, major donors and foundations, and sector bodies, both nationally and internationally. The role demands a high level of integrity and discretion, and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Life Arc.

About you:

You will:

• Provide structured and proactive management of all ongoing and upcoming CSO commitments, ensuring that they are organised effectively, that they are realistic and achievable and that the CSO is adequately prepared
• Cultivate strong working relationships with the CSO’s direct reports and senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, to champion the CSO’s priorities. Provide trusted guidance on approach and process, while ensuring critical matters are surfaced and presented in a clear, informed manner
• Manage and oversee email communications, including reviewing, triaging, and prioritising messages on behalf of the CSO, drafting responses where appropriate, and ensuring critical issues are addressed with urgency and discretion
• Compose professional and impactful communications on behalf of the CSO spanning emails, briefings, speeches, and formal committee documents
• Act as a delegate for the CSO at meetings as required and provide timely feedback and diligent follow-up on outcomes and action points as appropriate
• Lead the design, planning, and execution of business planning processes, CSO Team meetings and other strategic initiatives driven by the CSO
• Deliver strategic support to the CSO through expert advice and research, preparing concise briefings for key meetings and events, and ensuring timely and effective follow-through on action items
• Join the CSO in meetings where required, proactively managing post-meeting deliverables and follow-up responsibilities
• Coordinate recurring one-to-one meetings between the CSO and their direct reports, supporting the scheduling and preparation of materials, tracking follow-up actions, and assisting with documentation related to progress reviews, workload planning, and appraisal processes
• Build relationships with senior leadership team and other senior managers, collaborating directly with them on CSO requirements
• Engage in regular reviews with the CSO to evaluate joint initiatives, incorporating feedback and outcomes to drive continuous improvement and effectiveness

Essential experience…