Personal Assistant

Provide professional organisational support to corporate leadership through the delivery of executive personal assistant services.

Be the point of contact for the Leadership Team, acting as an ambassador for the Council by providing an excellent customer service.

• Answer telephone calls and deal with initial enquiries from members of the public, Senior Managers, people who use services, MPs and Elected Members etc. Filtering and directing incoming telephone queries where they cannot be resolved at first contact, identifying urgent/sensitive matters.
• Collate, disseminate and control the distribution of mail and other documentation and information received or originated by the Leadership Team member.
• Proactively screen the Leadership Team members emails for meeting requests/ meeting papers etc and ensure that these are either electronically filed or a hard copy produced as per individual needs.
• Maintain the electronic diary on behalf of the Leadership Team member, arranging meetings and events, booking venues, issuing invitations, preparing and obtaining background papers, briefing notes and speeches as directed.
• Manage correspondence, seek responses from relevant sources and draft responses as necessary.
• Ensure that systems operate for all correspondence to be correctly directed and responded to in a timely manner.
• Provide a progress chasing function to ensure speedy, accurate and effective follow up actions to maintain organisational standards.
• Actively pursue matters arising from meetings and ensure they are acted upon in a timely manner.
• Collate agendas and take minutes for meetings as required and be responsible for the distribution of relevant papers.
• Prepare and produce documentation including reports and presentations to a high standard and quality.
• Set up and maintain systems for the management of confidential papers etc.
• Anticipate and co-ordinate courses / conferences, travel and accommodation requirements through Business Support.
• Provide hospitality including meeting and greeting visitors, providing refreshments, direction and information and responding to enquiries ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Contribute to the achievement of corporate statistical and qualitative performance targets.
• Work as part of a Corporate Support Hub to provide an effective personal assistant support service to the Leadership Team.
• Work as part of the Corporate Support Hub providing cover for Leadership Team as required.
• Work in a Corporate Support Hub, working closely with the other hubs in various locations. Required to adapt and work flexibly across the hubs as directed by the Executive Assistant.
• Promote and demonstrate effective hub working. Contributing to knowledge sharing and constant development of skills and expertise.
• Manage and prioritise high volumes of work, providing full personal assistant support to more than one member of the Leadership Team.
• Deputise for the Chief Executives Personal Assistant when necessary.

No supervision of staff.

Provide advice and support to colleagues and act as a point of escalation for more complex and sensitive issues.

Deliver professional executive personal assistant services and organisational support, liaising directly with Members of the Council and the Management Teams of other Council Services.

Provide and promote a customer focussed service. Giving advice and guidance and exchanging information with customers, stakeholders and others on business processes and operational service issues and outcomes. Adapting style of communication to suit audience.

Wherever possible resolve or allocate initial enquiries and complaints. Liaising with appropriate officers in responses to members of the public, Councillors, MPs, redirecting as appropriate and tracking/monitoring outcomes.

Develop and maintain good working relationships at all levels, considering alternative ways of working and communicating in order to form effective and strong relations.

Ensure relevant expenditure has been through the Councils appropriate financial approval mechanisms prior to action.

Maintain an in-depth knowledge of all the Councils services, plans, policies and…