Senior Executive Assistant - Internal Applicants Only

***Internal Applicants Only***

Organisation: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Salary:PO2£42,771- 45,750

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 London’s Good Work Standard employers. 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 a 12-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 (insert number) months. However, applicants should be aware that the duration of the contract may be subject to change. In 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.

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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 Council’s 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 dy…