Business Support Manager – Maternity Cover

Business Support Manager – 12 Month Maternity Cover

Job Title:
Business Support Manager (Maternity Cover)
Location:
London
Job Type: Full-time, 12 month rolling contract

Preference will be given to candidates who are available to start immediately.

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 role will provide high-level business support to the Chief Communications Officer (CCO), ensuring priorities are clear, decisions are well prepared, and actions are progressed effectively across the Communications, Marketing and Corporate Affairs function.

The role brings structure, pace, judgement and follow-through to a broad and fast-moving portfolio, enabling the CCO and wider leadership team to operate efficiently and with confidence.

Working closely with the CCO, the CCO’s Executive Assistant, and senior colleagues across Life Arc, the postholder coordinates priorities, prepares and drafts high-quality materials, supports planning and governance rhythms, and ensures communications, sponsorship, reporting, budget and leadership matters are handled in a timely and organised way.

The role includes oversight and line management responsibility for the CCO’s Executive Assistant, ensuring a joined-up, high-quality and responsive support model for the CCO office.

The role also supports the effective running of the CCO office and Communications & Marketing function through improved ways of working, process improvement, stronger governance and proactive coordination across teams.

About you:

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide structured and proactive support to the CCO, managing priorities, preparing for key meetings and ensuring clear follow-through on actions and decisions.
• Drafting and coordinating high-quality written materials on behalf of the CCO, including briefings, emails, presentations, committee papers and strategic communications.
• Managing and coordinating the flow of work through the CCO office, ensuring visibility of priorities, effective sequencing, and timely escalation of key issues.
• Provide oversight and line management to the CCO’s Executive Assistant, setting clear expectations, supporting workload planning and development, and ensuring consistently high standards of executive support.
• Leading and supporting core planning and governance processes for the function, including teamwork planning, executive updates, committee reporting and risk/escalation inputs.
• Preparing concise, decision-ready briefings for the CCO across projects, sponsor ships, events and senior stakeholder engagements.
• Coordinate and improve key operational processes including sponsor ships, memberships, approvals, budget tracking, record keeping and reporting.
• Building effective working relationships across Life Arc including Finance, HR, Policy, Corporate Affairs and Events to progress work and resolve issues quickly and constructively.

Essential experience required:

• Experience in providing senior-level business or executive support in a complex environment, ideally supporting C-suite or senior leadership.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise and audience-appropriate materials.
• Proven ability to bring structure and follow-through to high-volume, fast-moving work, including tracking actions and managing competing priorities.
• Experience of working across multiple stakeholders and functions, building trusted relationships and handling sensitive matters with discretion.
• Experience of supporting planning, governance, reporting or committee processes.
• Experience of working with budgets, approvals, sponsor ships or similar administrative/governance processes.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to maintain accuracy and pace under pressure.
• Experience supporting a Communications, Marketing or Corporate Affairs function.
• Experience of improving processes, templates or ways of working.
• Experience working closely with an Executive Assistant in a shared support model.

Education:…