Executive assistant to the leader of the council

Executive Assistant to the Leader of the Council

Location: Morden Civic Centre, accessible from Northern and District line and the tramline, both Morden South and South Merton Railway Stations.

Salary: £38,364 - £39,264 plus excellent benefits, including Local Government Pension Scheme.

The organisation

London Borough of Merton is committed to “Building a Better Merton Together” over the next 3 years. Key priorities are becoming London’s first Borough of sport, nurturing civic pride and building a sustainable future. This is a key role within the Leaders Office and offers an excellent opportunity to make a positive contribution not only across the Leaders office but with Cabinet Members, Councillors, and the Corporate Management Team.  

The role

We are looking for an experienced Executive Assistant to join the Leader's Office at Merton Council,

This a key role that sits at the heart of Merton Council, providing direct support to Cllr Ross Garrod, the Leader of the Council.

Working to the Head of the Leader’s Office you’ll provide direct support to the Leader of the Council in advising on scheduling, managing diaries and conflicts, commissioning timely high-quality briefings, agendas and papers for meetings, and drafting correspondence and emails on the Leader’s behalf.

You’ll be experienced at working for a senior leader, be confident in dealing with councillors/elected officials, senior officers and members of the public, both verbally and in writing
Be able to operate in a political environment where you need to protect confidential and sensitive information and demonstrate political awareness.
You will have good judgement, initiative and be a creative problem solver.  You will have excellent organisation and planning skills, with experience of managing somebody else’s diary as well as how you manage and organise your own time and tasks. 
What you need to succeed

The ideal candidate will have knowledge or work experience for elected officials/ senior leaders in councils/ politicians
A background of working within Councils or Government.
Someone who is confident in drafting correspondence, commissioning briefings and report writing, while working confidentially.
General office management such as budgets, stationary needs and post
Act as a gatekeeper for in regards to the diary management and the office.
Benefits include 26 days paid annual leave, rising to 31 days after five years of service; Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK), season ticket loan, staff discount schemes and lunch time yoga/exercise classes on site