Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.
With a new Mayor in place at the WMCA, we now have various opportunities arising within the Mayoral Team. We are currently seeking an Executive Assistant to provide exceptional diary management support to the Mayor and Chief of Staff.
Additionally, you'll be responsible for providing excellent customer service to a wide range of external stakeholders and ensure efficient communications and support for the Mayor’s Office.
Please note before applying that given the political nature of this role, this is a politically restricted post.
What you will be doing.
- Maintain a complex schedule and electronic diary, making informed judgements based on understanding competing demands, and prioritising appointments appropriately.
- Organise meetings, invite appropriate attendees, book meeting rooms and refreshments, and make travel and accommodation arrangements as required.
- Respond to meeting requests for the Mayor and Chief of Staff, liaising with external and internal members.
- Ensure officer briefings are available for the Mayor and Chief of Staff in a timely manner..
- Overall responsibility for managing incoming and outgoing invitations, managing a timely and effective service which promotes the reputation of WMCA as efficient and responsive, seeking advice from the Mayoral Support Manager where appropriate.
- Arrange, and provide papers and agendas, and follow up from the Mayor’s Diary Management meetings.
- Assist the Mayor and Chief of Staff in ensuring they are fully prepared and briefed for meetings, including the collation of briefing materials, reports and any other documentation required ensuring that the content is relevant and accurate and style and layout is appropriate.
- Help promote the WMCA’s image and reputation by ensuring that the Mayor’s office provides a professional, courteous and responsive service at all times.
- Undertake relevant research and development of information and initiatives, analysing information and producing expository notes, production of management data and information, and development of presentations, reports and other materials.
- Liaise on a regular basis with the Senior Managers, Management Team, other colleagues within WMCA, Members, and where necessary, Officers of District Councils and Operators to progress relevant issues ensuring known deadlines are met.
- Prepare and deliver any monthly reporting required and support the SLT member with drafting any correspondence as needed.
- Monitor expenses and credit management, order, monitor professional fees and aid with expense claims.
What's essential.
- Experience of providing administrative support to senior leaders in the corporate, public or voluntary sector.
- Experienced in complex diary management and the handling sensitive information.
- Demonstrable experience of operating in a busy, demanding and pressurised environment.
- Persuasive written and verbal communication skills; able to act with sensitivity and tact, to inform, advise and persuade and have the confidence and ability to deal with a wide range of people and situations.
- Exceptional organisational skills with a good eye for detail with the ability to work on own initiative, prioritise own work and manage a significant and varied workload, often with competing demands.
- Ability to deal diplomatically with difficult situations and individuals.
- Broad experience with Microsoft packages.
- Good interpersonal skills; able to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with people at all levels.
How to apply.
On clicking ‘apply for this job’, you will be prompted to register for an account, which you can do using your name and email address. You will have the opportunity to upload a CV when registering. Uploading your CV will auto-populate the employment and education sections of your profile. Please note, we do not see your CV once you have submitted your application. Our shortlisting decisions are based on what you tell us in your profile - and so it is important to check the information is correct and format your profile so that it really stands out. You will be asked to provide a supporting statement which should fully outline your suitability for the role, highlighting how your skills and experience match the essential job criteria. If you already have one that you have prepared earlier, you can simply copy and paste this into the application form. For more information on how to apply, please visit the FAQ page on our career site.
Reasonable adjustments.
If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process (for example, you might need to submit your application in a different format), please get in touch with our Recruitment Team (careers@wmca.org.uk). We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.
Salary and benefits.
We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes a Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK), 28 days paid annual leave (plus an option to purchase more!), ethical saving options and healthcare plans, paid volunteering days, free financing for the latest technology, discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.
Hybrid working and location.
We believe hybrid working is the best way for our organisation to fulfil our commitment to a modern, agile workplace while continuing to provide a great service to our customers. Hybrid working means having flexibility between working in the office and at home on agreed days, where a role allows.
The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD. Whilst a hybrid working policy is currently in place, this role does require someone to attend the office 5 days a week.
Creating an inclusive workplace.
We are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace that reflects the communities of the West Midlands region. We believe that building a team with varied backgrounds and experiences will benefit us as an employer and enhance our work.
WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We’re a Disability Confident Employer with ‘Leader’ status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.
We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.
We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying. If your values align with ours and you are dedicated to working towards a future that we can all be proud of, we would love to hear from you.
Right to Work in the UK
Applicants will need to evidence that they have the legal right to work in the UK, in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.
Thank you for considering joining our team at WMCA. We look forward to receiving your application and the opportunity to work together towards our shared goals.
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