Executive Assistant to the Deputy Private Secretary to The King

Job summary

It’s the pride in supporting The King’s work across the UK and Commonwealth.

And it’s being trusted to deliver at the highest level. This is what makes working at the Royal Household so rewarding.

The Private Secretary’s Office sits at the heart of the Royal Household, advising His Majesty The King on constitutional, governmental, and political matters across the UK, Realms, and Commonwealth. It is here that Their Majesties’ official programmes are devised, coordinated, and delivered with precision.

In this role you will provide comprehensive and strategic Executive Assistant support to the Deputy Private Secretary, ensuring their time and work are focused and highly effective, while also playing a central role in the administration of government duty.

This is a rare opportunity to advance your career in a role defined by pace, impact, and meaningful contribution.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality executive support to the Deputy Private Secretary, including complex diary management, meeting co-ordination, arranging travel, and managing stakeholder relationships.
• Act as a trusted liaison and representative of the Private Office, handling communications, inboxes, and enquiries with discretion and efficiency.
• Support government duty work by preparing official papers, and managing incoming constitutional documents, correspondence, and invitations from Heads of State and other dignitaries.
• Draft, proof-read, and prepare documents, briefings, reports, and correspondence for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure the smooth flow of information across the team and wider Household departments, distributing agendas, minutes, and reports, and tracking actions from meetings and boards.
• Maintain and improve office systems, processes, and filing conventions, proactively identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency and workflow.
• Contribute to wider administrative duties, including visitor clearances, departmental meetings and team-wide activities and events.

No two days will be alike. This fast-moving remit offers rewarding challenges, demanding initiative, adaptability, and collaboration, ensuring your contribution makes a tangible impact. The role will involve ad hoc travel and spending time working from other UK Royal residences.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• With relevant Executive Assistant experience, you are used to providing high-quality support to senior leaders in complex environments where confidentiality and discretion is required.
• Experienced in complex diary and inbox management, you take a proactive approach, pre-empting situations and using sound judgement to resolve issues.
• Highly organised, you can manage a varied workload and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines, all whilst remaining accurate even under pressure.
• Exceptional administrative skills to confidently manage and deliver the administration of Government Duty.
• You will be confident creating a range of documents, from agendas and reports to correspondence and briefing notes.
• With excellent communication skills, you can liaise confidently and diplomatically with a diverse range of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Able to work collaboratively as part of a team, you also thrive independently and can work with minimal direction.
• Possess strong IT skills, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, and the ability to produce detailed papers and presentations.
• First-class attention to detail, excellent communications skills and confidence in drafting that’s going to allow you to thrive in this role.

Benefits

• We know that to deliver our best work we need to feel at our best. That’s why at the Royal Household we offer a generous benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and life priorities.
• Enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days (plus bank holidays) dependent on the length of time you have worked for us.
• Our excellent non-contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 15% and you can contribute more if you wish) is highly valued by our employees, as is complimentary lunch on-site to keep you fuelled throughout the day.
• We also offer a range of leave options to support your life priorities, such as parental pay and leave and volunteering days, as well as benefits to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Other perks include 20% off at our Royal Collection Trust Shops and complimentary admission tickets across all our locations, along with many more employee discounts.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Interviews will be held W/C 30th November

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Career - The Royal Household
• Email : careers@royal.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@royal.uk

Further information

https://www.royal.uk/working-for-us