Senior Executive Assistant Internal Applicants Only

***Internal Applicants Only***

Organisation: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Salary:PO2 42771- 45750

Contract Type: Full time - Fixed term (12 Months Maternity Cover)

Working hours per week:36

Application Deadline: 03/07/2026

Proposed Interview Date(s):07/07/2026

Reference:2189

About Us:

Bursting with culture energy and opportunity the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work.

We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused insight-led digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of Londons Good Work Standardemployers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions workplace well-being skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.

About the role:

We are looking for a motivated and experienced individual to take on the role of Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive on a12-month fixed-term maternity cover.

The successful candidate will be confident proactive and able to think ahead working in a fast-paced and high-profile environment. You will need to handle sensitive information with discretion and have a good understanding of political awareness.

Working closely with the Chief Executive you will provide high-level support and help ensure the smooth running of day-to-day activities. You will also work with Directors and other senior colleagues offering flexible support across a range of priorities and stepping in where needed.

You will need a flexible approach to your workload be able to work on your own initiative and manage changing priorities calmly and effectively. Strong organisational skills and solid administrative experience are essential.

We are looking for someone who can manage competing demands stay calm under pressure and keep things moving. You will need to be a confident communicator able to work with Elected Members senior officers and external partners. You should be comfortable drafting reports and correspondence producing clear and accurate minutes and putting together presentations. You will also need to be confident using a range of IT systems and managing busy inboxes and diaries.

This is a fixed-term position to provide maternity cover anticipated to last for 12 months. However applicants should be aware that the duration of the contract may be subject to the event that the employee currently on maternity leave decides to return to work earlier than originally indicated the contract may be terminated with appropriate notice in accordance with the terms of employment.

>> Click here to download the Role Profile <<

Key Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Providing high-level proactive executive support to the Chief Executive
• Managing a complex and demanding diary and high-volume inbox effectively
• Coordinating meetings including preparing agendas briefings and papers
• Ensuring actions are tracked and followed up in a timely manner
• Acting as a key point of contact for Elected Members senior officers and external stakeholders
• Managing communication professionally and with appropriate sensitivity
• Drafting correspondence reports and presentations to a high standard
• Producing clear accurate minutes at a senior level
• Supporting the smooth running of senior leadership activity
• Anticipating needs prioritising competing demands and ensuring the Chief Executive is fully briefed at all times
• Working flexibly to meet the needs of the Chief Executive and service demands
• Attending the office on a predominantly office-based basis in line with the Councils hybrid working policy to support effective in-person working collaboration and responsiveness with some flexibility agreed in line with service requirements

You will report to the Leadership Office in the Resources Directorate. You will work as part of a dynamic team who support the Councils top tier of management.

Previous Senior Executive Assistant experience is not essential but the ability to work in a fast paced environment is desirable.

Qualifications and Requirements:

To be considered for this position you should meet the following requirements:

• Numeracy and literacy qualification e.g. GCSE English and Maths or equivalent.
• Relevant professional qualifications are encouraged but not essential.

Terms and conditions:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications online by pressing the Apply button below. This includes a supporting statement that outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore if you are interested please submit your application as early as possible.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

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.

We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore wherever possible we will consider working arrangements that suit an individuals personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role please contact the person named below or feel free to discuss this during your interview.

For more information on the benefits of working for the Council please visit Information:

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process please contact Lisa Shukla Business Manager .

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post please contact our Recruitment Team via email at .

The Councils preference is for online application. However if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application please email so we can arrange an alternative application method.

Click here for further information on the Human Resources recruitment privacy notice.

Fraud Awareness Notice
The London Borough of Waltham Forest only advertises vacancies via our official website and approved recruitment platforms (e.g. Jobsgopublic).

We will never ask for payment or request sensitive personal or financial information as part of our recruitment process.

If you are contacted by a third party claiming to represent the Council please verify the vacancy via our official careers website before sharing any information.

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