Job Description

PA to Global R&I Director & NPD and Supply Chain Innovation Director

Application Deadline: 25 May 2026

Department: New Product Development

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Andover

Andover

Great People Work Here


Are you searching for a career with bags of variety, in an environment that celebrates differences and empowers collaboration, which values people and will encourage you to make an impact? Do you want the freedom to explore, and the opportunities to find new ways and to innovate? If so, TwiningsOvo delivers.

We’re looking for people who don’t just come here to get the job done, but who have a genuine interest in the brand and the motivation to do the best job they can. In return, we offer an inspiring package of employee benefits - to show just how much we value you. This role will offer you the scope for growth and the tools to aim high.

Key Responsibilities

This is a pivotal role providing comprehensive, proactive, and high-quality organisational and administrative support to both the Global R&I Director and the NPD & Supply Chain Innovation Director. The role ensures the smooth running of two senior, globally connected leadership roles, supporting strategic delivery, enabling leadership effectiveness, and acting as a central point of coordination across Research & Innovation, NPD, and Supply Chain Innovation teams. One of the Directors is based in Poland, requiring confident and effective support across countries, cultures, and multiple time zones, and close coordination with global stakeholders.

This is an all-encompassing, fast-paced position that requires independent working, excellent judgement, and the ability to balance the priorities of two senior leaders operating in different locations. The role demands a high level of confidence in supporting international leadership, managing complex diaries across multiple time zones, and working flexibly to accommodate global ways of working. You will work autonomously, often making decisions in the absence of the Directors, and may occasionally travel within the UK or internationally.

Executive Support

• Effective and proactive diary management for both Directors, confidently navigating complex, ever-changing schedules across multiple time zones
• Long term planning through strategic calendar management. Structure calendar around long term priorities, business critical meetings and safeguard time for strategic work, preparation for critical meetings and people/team development.
• Communication Management: gatekeeper and liaison; handling emails including drafting responses, filtering enquiries, ensuring timely response to priority requests and propose delegates for diary clashes.
• Long term planning through strategic calendar management.
• Coordinating domestic and international travel itineraries.
• Acting as a key coordination point between UK-based and international stakeholders, including the NPD & Supply Chain Innovation Director based in Poland.
• Preparing, editing, and collating professional presentations, correspondence, and briefing materials.
• Management of document/record electronic filing (self and Directors) to facilitate ‘data/information at fingertips’ to maximise efficiency. Including handling sensitive information with a high level of trust and professionalism

Team Support

• Arrange and support meetings, ensuring agendas, attendance, and logistics are fully aligned.
• Attend relevant leadership team meetings to provide organisational and administrative support.
• Support the teams on strategy, KPIs, and progress tracking.

Project & Event Management

• Work closely with the PA to the Chief Brand Officer on whole team events.
• Lead planning and execution of R&I and NPD team events and away days.
• Build and maintain networks with internal teams, external agencies, suppliers, and partners.

Financial & Administrative Management

• Budget management including cost center oversight.
• Manage expenses for both Directors and relevant team activities.

Culture & Ways of Working

• Coordinate with the wider admin team to build engagement and effective ways of working.
• Proactively suggest ideas to strengthen communication and morale.
• Act as a trusted representative of both Directors with stakeholders and direct reports.

KPI & Budget Coordination.

• Coordinate the collection, upkeep and consolidation of KPIs and budget information across R&I, NPD and Supply Chain Innovation.
• Work closely with managers to ensure KPI and budget data is kept up to date and submitted in line with agreed timelines.
• Track spend against budgets, highlighting variances and incomplete information.
• Follow up with managers where updates are missing or unclear and escalate issues to the Directors as required.
• Support preparation of KPI reporting for leadership forums.

ContactsInternal

• Twinings Ovo International GMs, Marketing Directors, Managers and PAs, Twinings Group employees

External

• World-wide: ingredient and flavour houses, design agencies, travel agencies, airlines, hotels, meeting venues, catering suppliers, customers, suppliers, distributors, Universities, ABF

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience of working as a PA/EA within a commercial, high performing organisation.
• Proven experience of supporting senior leaders working across different countries and time zones within a global or matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication skills at all levels of the organisation, flexing style to suit the audience.
• Strong organisation and planning skills and record keeping.
• Computer literate in Microsoft packages and ideally experienced in using AI to drive efficiency.
• Able to multi-task, managing multiple priorities at any one time.
• Confident and resilient and pragmatic.
• Assertive and able to hold others to account.
• Flexible and enthusiastic.
• Happy to work on their own and with others.
• Confidential and discreet.
• Demonstrates excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work under own initiative.
• Strong creative flair advantageous.
• Experience of working as a PA at a senior level within a commercial, high performing organisation.
• Highly skilled in maximising effectiveness of Executives.
• Experience at creating highly engaging presentations.
• Experience of organising conferences/events/away days.
• Experience of working with an international client group.
• Experience of supporting a broader team, alongside managing a 1:1 PA relationship.
• Experience of working within a decentralised/matrix structure advantageous.
• Experience of using SAP advantageous

Benefits

• Yearly bonus based on personal contribution and financial performance
• Flexible working options
• 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays and the option to buy and sell holidays
• Onsite Gym and Wellbeing Centre
• Perkbox – employee discount scheme with discounts online, in high street stores, cinema, holidays, restaurants and many more
• Pension scheme with your contributions matched for up to 10% of your salary
• Cycle to work scheme
• SimplyHealth Cash plan
• Onsite Staff shop and online staff discounts
• Access to LinkedIn Learning
• Access to ABF Networking, connect, collaborate, and grow across the ABF Group.