The Opportunity
We're looking for an Executive Assistant who can combine high-level executive support with the coordination of complex business reporting and senior leadership governance – this is a role with broad visibility across the business, working closely with the CEO and leadership team to make sure the right information is in the right hands, decisions are captured and actions keep moving.
This role would suit an experienced Executive Assistant who understands how businesses operate and what senior leaders need to make good decisions. You'll be comfortable working across complex data and information from different areas of the business, spotting gaps or inconsistencies and turning it into clear, accurate and well-presented information for senior audiences.
You'll need experience supporting senior leadership teams, strong commercial awareness and the confidence to work with senior stakeholders across the business. It's a role for someone who enjoys pace, variety and responsibility and who can move easily between executive support, business reporting and wider company priorities.
Who We Are
OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.
Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.
We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.
The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.
Security Vetting Information
OpenWorks Engineering operates within the defence sector. As part of our recruitment and onboarding processes, we collect information that may be required to support future security vetting and clearance requirements, should these become necessary during employment.
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do.
Here’s what our benefits have to offer:
Rewarding Success - Competitive salary, starting from £45,000, plus a discretionary annual bonus of up to 25% of salary alongside a structured pay progression framework.
Enhanced Pension – Up to 8% employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.
More Time to Recharge – 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, long-service rewards, and the option to buy up to 5 extra days.
Breakfast & Lunch on Us – Enjoy team breakfasts and freshly prepared lunches every day courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.
Health & Wellbeing – Private healthcare and life assurance for added peace of mind.
Sustainable Travel – Salary sacrifice schemes, including EV car and Cycle to Work options.
Team Socials – Regular events, from quiz nights and football to board games and more.
Learning & Growth – A culture that empowers you to challenge, grow and make an impact, plus a £250 annual learning budget to invest in the development that matters most to you.
What you’ll be doing:
- Executive Support: Manage the CEO's diary, travel, meetings, expenses and day-to-day administrative requirements.
- Board Reporting: Coordinate the monthly Board reporting cycle, bringing together complex information from across the business and ensuring submissions are complete, accurate, timely and presented to the expected standard.
- Data & Insight: Review reports and management information, identifying gaps, inconsistencies or areas requiring clarification before information reaches senior stakeholders.
- Senior Meetings: Coordinate the monthly Technical, Commercial, Operations and Finance Working Group meetings, including agendas, papers and attendee information.
- Meeting Management: Attend Board and senior management meetings as required, producing clear minutes and maintaining accurate action logs.
- Action Tracking: Follow up with action owners to ensure agreed commitments are progressed and closed.
- Executive Materials: Support the CEO with briefing notes, correspondence, presentations and other executive materials.
- Business Support: Coordinate CEO meetings, visits and customer engagements, while providing ad-hoc support on wider business projects and priorities.
What we’re looking for:
- Executive Support Experience: Proven experience supporting senior leadership teams, ideally within a fast-paced, growing or complex organisation.
- Business Acumen: A strong understanding of how businesses operate, with the commercial awareness to understand information from different functions and how it connects.
- Data & Reporting: Experience working with complex data sets, management information or business reporting, with the ability to identify inconsistencies and communicate information clearly.
- Organisation & Detail: Excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines across senior stakeholders.
- Communication: Excellent written English, with strong skills in producing professional documents, presentations, agendas and meeting minutes.
- Judgement: Confidence to identify gaps, ask questions and challenge incomplete or sub-standard information constructively.
- Stakeholder Management: Professional and confident when working with senior stakeholders across different areas of a business.
- Microsoft Office: Strong skills in Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. Experience with Power BI or other reporting and data visualisation tools would be advantageous.
More about us:
Vision
Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.
Mission
Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence
Values
Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest
Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done
Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility
We are one team: Look out for each other and the team
Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on
Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people
We Get It Done: Focus on what matters and work with energy to bring ideas to life
Skills Required
- Proven experience supporting senior leadership teams, ideally in a fast-paced, growing, or complex organization
- Strong understanding of business operations and commercial awareness
- Experience working with complex data sets, management information, or business reporting
- Ability to identify inconsistencies and communicate information clearly
- Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines across senior stakeholders
- Excellent written English
- Strong skills producing professional documents, presentations, agendas, and meeting minutes
- Confidence to identify gaps, ask questions, and challenge incomplete or substandard information constructively
- Professional and confident stakeholder management skills
- Strong Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook skills
- Experience with Power BI or other reporting and data visualization tools
What We Do
OpenWorks Engineering is a UK-based technology company that develops advanced autonomous optical systems and counter-UAS (uncrewed air systems) solutions. Their mission is to provide world-leading technology for surveillance, air defense, and the protection of high-profile assets, facilities, and individuals from aerial threats. They focus on delivering innovative, modular, and high-performance hardware, including the SkyWall drone capture system, to support defense and security forces globally.
