Could also be Personal Assistant (P.A.), although this is more commonly understood to mean a director or management level secretarial roleJob description
A personal assistant (PA), sometimes referred to as an executive secretary or executive assistant, works closely with a senior manager or director to provide administrative support. PAs help managers to make the best use of their time by dealing with secretarial and administrative tasks.

PAs need extensive knowledge of their organisation's set up: who the key personnel are (inside and outside the business); and what the organisation's aims and objectives are.

Managers often rely heavily on their PA, trusting that work will be handled efficiently in their absence. For this reason, discretion and confidentiality are essential attributes for a successful PA to possess.

» Typical work activities
Personal assistants (PAs) are often a manager's first point of contact with people from inside and outside the organisation. Typical work activities include:

screening telephone calls, enquiries and requests, and handling them when appropriate;
welcoming and looking after visitors;
organising and maintaining diaries and making appointments;
dealing with incoming email, faxes and post;
dealing with correspondence and writing letters, and taking dictation and minutes;
producing documents, briefing papers, reports and presentations;
carrying out background research and presenting findings into subjects the manager is dealing with;
organising and attending meetings, and ensuring the manager is well-prepared for meetings;
liaising with clients, suppliers and other staff;
standing in for the manager and making decisions and delegating work to others in their absence;
devising and maintaining office systems to deal efficiently with paper flow;
organising and storing paperwork, documents and computer-based information;
arranging travel and accommodation and, occasionally, travelling with the manager to take notes or dictation at meetings, or to provide general assistance during presentations.
In addition to supporting managers, their team and departments, many PAs also have their own workload and responsibilities. The scope of the PA's role can be extensive and additional duties may include:


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