We’re Hiring: Personal Assistant to the Artistic Director

3 Nov 2025

Complicité is seeking a Personal Assistant to Artistic Director, Simon McBurney, to provide high-level administrative and logistical support across his wide-ranging artistic work. Working closely with Simon, you’ll help coordinate his schedule, travel and communications across multiple artistic projects, ensuring the smooth running of a fast-paced and creatively rich workload. This is a rare opportunity to work alongside one of the world’s most visionary theatre-makers, supporting the conditions that allow exceptional artistic work to happen.

Roles and Responsibilities

To act as the first point of contact for all enquiries related to Simon McBurney’s professional engagements, ensuring prioritisation and information sharing.
To manage Simon’s diary, keeping accurate records and maintaining systems, informing all relevant parties of changes which affect arrangements.
To work with the team at Complicité to arrange Simon’s time, travel and logistics including workshops, rehearsals, performances, company and board meetings, PR appearances and other commitments.
To keep a record of expenditure and receipts and liaise with the Finance and Operations Manager and Administrator to make sure that all payments are made and recorded accurately.
To work with external agents and producers to manage meetings, auditions, filming and other travel and logistical arrangements related to Simon’s freelance projects, ensuring smooth communication and minimising clashes.
To hold a weekly meeting and planning session with Simon and follow up on actions that come out of this; emails, logistics and arrangements. To liaise with the Senior Creative Producer as necessary to exchange information and assist with planning.
Email management, in liaison with Simon, the Executive Director and the Senior Creative Producer.
Preparation of weekly schedules and travel itineraries for Simon McBurney.
Arranging visas for international work.
Preparing invoices on behalf of Simon and liaising with the Finance and Operations Manager on matters related to pay, VAT and pensions.
Working with the team at Complicité to ensure Simon is well prepared and briefed ahead of meetings and PR appearances.

Person Specification

The role calls for patience, tact and adaptability; you’ll be supporting a highly creative artist whose work spans many disciplines and can shift quickly as projects evolve. You will have:

Proven experience working as a Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant at a senior level.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in person, online and on the phone.
Strong time-management skills and an ability to organise and coordinate multiple concurrent projects.
A high level of integrity and discretion.
Flexibility and open mindedness, with an ability to adapt to changing priorities and logistics in a fast-paced environment.
An interest in arts, culture and the work of the company is desirable.

Location: Hybrid (Jolt Studios in Gloucester / working from home / Stroud). Candidates will be based in the UK, or willing to relocate.

Hours: 24.5 hours per week (excluding breaks) to be worked flexibly in conversation with the right candidate. This is a permanent position with a 6-month probationary period.

Salary: £28,000 per annum (equivalent £40,000 pro rata).

How to apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter, about 1 side of A4, to Lizzie Grashion Hewitt (she/her), Company Administrator at: jobs@complicite.org.

Please tell us why you are interested in becoming the Personal Assistant to Complicité’s Artistic Director and refer to the key characteristics above to tell us about your experience and qualities.

Please also ensure that you complete our anonymous Equality Monitoring Form.

Any travel expenses incurred to attend an interview will be reimbursed.

We prefer for interviews to be held in person, but we will work with you to ensure access needs will be met at every stage of the process.

If you would like an informal chat about the role prior to applying, please contact susie@complicite.org.

We actively encourage applications from people who are under-represented in the arts, including people from the Global Majority, people with a disability, D/deaf people, neurodivergent people, people from working-class backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ people. We are committed to ensuring our team reflects the diversity of the society we live in and to removing barriers to participation.

The deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 1st December 2025.

First interviews will be held during the week of 8th December 2025 (online or in-person).

Second interviews will be held during the week of 15th December 2025, in person.

Start date: early January 2026, or as soon as possible.

A full job description and information on how to apply for this role is available in the job pack, which can be downloaded in the following formats:

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