Waltham Forest is a place people want to live, raise a family and start a business. We are fundamentally changing the way we work, building relationships, connecting people, harnessing our unique opportunities and the power of new technology to create strong, sustainable and self-reliant communities – we currently have a vacancy for an Executive Assistant to a Strategic Director.

We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic applicants to work as an Executive Assistant to a Strategic Director. The ideal candidate will be a quick-thinker, a willing team member and able to adapt to changing priorities on a daily basis. They should be able to work with the utmost discretion and with a good awareness of political sensitivities.

As part of this team you will also help multiple directors across a range of services and cover different areas when required. A flexible approach to workload with the ability to work under your own initiative, forward thinking and have the ability to demonstrate a really solid administrative experience is required.  Knowledge of the public service and policies are desirable but not essential.

We are looking for applicants who can prioritise competing workloads and remain flexible with a level head when under pressure. You must be a confident communicator, able to liaise with senior stakeholders – have the ability to draft reports and correspondence, be able to produce excellent, accurate minutes.  You will need to be familiar with a range of IT packages.

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Experience of complex inbox management and developing systems for prioritisation on behalf of senior leaders
• Experience of working with senior officers, ideally in a political environment
• Excellent organisational skills with experience of organising meetings and events with internal or external stakeholders
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, particularly writing letters, briefings and presentations on behalf of Strategic Directors
• Ability to work independently and take initiative, as well as work effectively as part of a team to deliver strategic objective
• Ability to work confidentially and deal with sensitive information

You will report to a Business Manager within the Leadership Office and will support the relevant Strategic Director in parallel. You will work as part of a dynamic team who support the Council’s top tier of management. 

Previous experience is desirable.

Equal Opportunities

Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy