Senior Assistant to the Leader

Royal Borough of Greenwich; Woolwich; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Employee assistance programme

Discounts at local businesses

Interest-free season ticket loans

Loans for bikes and cycling equipment

Job summary

Royal Borough of Greenwich in Woolwich seeks a Senior Assistant to the Leader on maternity cover (PO1). You will provide direct administrative and PA support to the Leader and allocated Councillors, coordinating diaries, meetings and papers while liaising with senior officers, residents and external organisations.

Prospectively you will manage sensitive information with discretion, meet tight deadlines, and contribute to the smooth running of the Leader’s Office as part of a proactive team.

Qualifications

• Experience in a senior secretarial role.
• Strong MS Office and electronic diary skills.
• Knowledge of how local councils operate (desirable).

Responsibilities

• Coordinate diaries, meetings, papers and briefings for the Leader and Councillors.
• Manage correspondence and enquiries with residents and external organisations.
• Provide direct administrative and PA support to the Leader and allocated Councillors.
• Support the Office Manager with the smooth running of the Leader’s Office.
• Handle sensitive information with discretion and tight deadlines; work well in a team.

Skills

Diary management

PA support

MS Office

Written communication

Education

Experience in senior secretarial role

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Electronic diary system

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Woolwich

Job Reference royalgreenwich/TP/35125/1230

Number of Roles:

1

Type of Role:

Fixed-term

12 months

35

Main Location:

Closing Date:

10/11/2026

Job Category:

Region / Division:

Woolwich Town Hall

Directorate:

Corporate management / Chief Executives

Job Introduction

Senior Assistant to the Leader – Maternity Cover | PO1

Would you enjoy working at the heart of a busy Leader’s Office, where no two days are quite the same?

We are looking for an organised, adaptable and proactive Senior Assistant to the Leader to join the Leader’s Office on maternity cover.

You will provide direct administrative and PA support to the Leader and allocated Councillors while supporting the Leader’s Office Manager with the smooth running of the office. Your work will range from coordinating diaries, meetings, papers and briefings to managing correspondence and enquiries and liaising with senior Council officers, residents and external organisations.

The role requires discretion and good judgement. You will frequently be working with sensitive information, changing priorities and tight deadlines, so being able to stay organised and maintain a high standard of work under pressure is essential.

You will bring recent senior secretarial or comparable experience, strong Microsoft Office and electronic diary skills, excellent written communication and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Knowledge of how local councils operate is desirable, alongside an understanding of the complexities of working within a political environment.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys variety, responsibility and working with people across an organisation.

We offer a number of employee benefits, including up to 31 days annual leave, an employee assistance programme, discounts at local businesses, interest free season ticket loans or loans for bikes and cycling equipment.

Diversity Statement: Royal Borough of Greenwich values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Advert Close: All vacancies close at midnight unless otherwise stated.

Early Advert Close: Royal Borough of Greenwich reserves the right to close any job advert earlier than the advertised closing date where there is reason to do so (for example high volume of applications).

How Applications are Scored: Each application is scored according to how well the supporting statements addresses each point on the Person Specification for the role. Candidates will be short-listed for interview on the extent to which they meet the specific points within the Person Specification. The Person Specification is supplied with the job advert. When completing your application, please use the supporting statements section to tell us how you meet each of the points on the Person Specification . We need to have this information in order to consider your application.

Salary: Salaries advertised are for a standard working week of 35 hours unless otherwise stated. Please use this 'Salary Calculator to help you calculate a pro rata salary.

Our Staff Values: Our Staff Values are important to us. Candidates will be continuously assessed against our staff values throughout the recruitment process. Where candidates demonstrate views and behaviours that do not meet the standards of our staff values, we reserve the right to reject their application/ registration.