Job Introduction
We have a great new opportunity for an experienced Executive Assistant to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, supporting our Assistant Directors within Adult Services.
Our Assistant Directors are key to the success of Adult Services, and you’ll support them to deliver their priorities for vulnerable adults to live inspiring lives and achieve their goals.
You’ll be comfortable with managing complex diaries, minute taking and communicating effectively with people at all levels. You’ll have excellent interpersonal, organisational and planning skills as well as a positive ‘can do’ attitude to help contribute to a busy service.
Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. We offer an excellent benefits package including an enhanced pension, generous holiday allowance starting at 28 days as well as a great range of training and development opportunities to help you in your career.
This is a site-based role.
Main Responsibility
- Provide and manage a comprehensive, confidential executive support service to the Adult Services Assistant Directors which enhances the reputation of the Directorate. The role holder will prioritise and manage all contacts on behalf of the Assistant Directors, presenting a professional image to visitors and callers.
- Manage the Assistant Directors’ diaries and undertake forward planning for all meetings, conferences, visits, engagements, events and other activities. This will include all appropriate preparations for future events. The role holder will be required to take complex minutes, this may include highly confidential or emotional content for areas such as disciplinary, dismissal or hight level complaints.
- Progress issues, complaints and actions on behalf of the Assistant Directors directing them to appropriate colleagues and/or relevant stakeholders within agreed timescales.
- Act as first point of contact for the Assistant Directors, taking and filtering incoming telephone calls, correspondence and personal visitors from a wide range of sectors. The role holder will prioritise issues, by dealing with as much as possible themselves or commissioning response where it is not necessary to refer the matter to the Assistant Directors.
- Originate calls and draft correspondence, emails, reports and presentations for use by the Assistant Directors, ensuring that all written communications are accurate, in plain English and tailored to the audience for whom they are intended.
- Regularly monitor the Assistant Directors’ email inboxes, progressing emails and responses and flagging items, dealing with as much as possible and making judgements where appropriate.
- Ensure a consistent professional level of service is delivered and to the highest customer care standards. This will include forward planning for the Assistant Directors’ teams and the management of workflow. In addition, provide the Assistant Directors with administrative support where required in the delivery of HR activities such as recruitment.
- Apply and manage corporate executive support standards, seeking to continuously improve and refine these to ensure that executive support in the Council operates to the highest standards, enhancing the reputation of the Council.
- Plan, Co-ordinate and manage the forward plan and provide full administrative.
The Ideal Candidate
- Level 4 Business Administration qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
- Significant Executive Assistant experience working to Assistant Director/Board level, including proven success in working within complex, fast paced environments.
- Excellent verbal and written communication with expertise in taking complex minutes, report writing and data analysis and presentations.
- Excellent IT skills, with demonstrable high level of competence in the full MS Office suite and MS Teams and ability to quickly and confidently learn and utilise a variety of different IT systems.
- Ability to independently identify and implement solutions, including the ability to conduct complex and extensive research and assemble information in an accessible way to a variety of audiences.
- Ability to effectively manage a team to perform to high standards and continuously evolve and improve.
- Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential issues involving councillors, colleagues at all levels, national and regional and local partners and external agencies, building positive relationships and networks to get the job done.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, excellent pension scheme widely regarded as one of the best available.
- 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
