Business Support Manager; EA Manager

Position: Business Support Manager (EA Manager)
Reference: 4811944

Job d:
Closing date:

Location:

Birmingham Salary: 50,000–60,000 (per annum)
Job type:
Permanent Working pattern:
Full time Industry: Business or Management Consultancy / Office and Administration Management Company:
Hays Consultant:
Zoe Quinn Hays office:
Birmingham — 3rd Floor, One Colmore Square,Phone:
Email: zoe.quinn

Your new company

Join a leading professional services firm with a collaborative, people-focused culture and a strong commitment to innovation. Operating across the UK as part of a national business support function, the organisation is continually evolving the way it works, embracing technology while maintaining the vital human connections that underpin exceptional client service.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-performing national team and play a key role in supporting business operations, people leadership and strategic decision-making within a complex, fast-paced environment.

Your new role

As Business Support Manager, you will take responsibility for the operational leadership of a large Executive Assistant population, managing a team of approximately 30–35 EAs who support senior stakeholders across the business.

This is a highly visible role requiring a strategic mindset, strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance the needs of partners, EAs and the wider business. You will oversee partner allocations, resource planning and workstream management, ensuring support services are delivered effectively across a national operational structure.

This is a hybrid role with a designated base office. Whilst offering flexibility, the position requires regular travel to other UK offices to build and maintain strong relationships with the Executive Assistants you manage and the partners they support. This is not a fully remote role, and a visible presence across the business will be key to success.

Key responsibilities will include:

Leading and developing a team of 30–35 Executive Assistants across multiple UK locations.

Managing performance, conducting annual reviews and addressing underperformance where required.

Overseeing partner-to-EA allocations and resource deployment to ensure effective support across the business.

Taking ownership of budget management and resource-related financial decisions.

Understanding and applying firmwide policies, processes and operational priorities.

Building strong relationships with partners and senior stakeholders, confidently influencing and challenging where necessary.

Developing and maintaining a strong internal network across the EA community and wider leadership teams.

Supporting the continued adoption of technology and digital tools while preserving the high-quality personal support expected from Executive Assistants.

Working closely with a peer group of Business Support Managers across the UK to share best practice and drive continuous improvement.

What you'll need to succeed

To be successful in this role, you will be a confident and credible people leader with the ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels.

You'll ideally bring:

Previous experience leading large business support, EA, PA or administrative teams.

Strong operational management skills with the ability to understand the wider business landscape and think strategically.

Experience managing budgets, resources and workforce planning decisions.

Confidence communicating with and influencing senior stakeholders, including partner-level leaders.

A track record of managing performance, coaching teams and dealing with challenging people situations.

Excellent organisational and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritise in a fast-paced environment.

A strong understanding of the Executive Assistant profession and the unique…