We’re Hiring: Personal Assistant to the Artistic Director

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).

Applications for this position are now closed.

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.