Senior Business Officer

Connect2Luton; Caddington; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment managed service is seeking an experienced Administrator to provide comprehensive support to senior leaders within the Council. This role requires strong organizational skills, the ability to draft correspondence, and experience in professional communication. The ideal candidate must have RSA III or equivalent and be able to work flexible hours for commitments outside regular office hours.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in providing administrative support to senior management.
• Ability to work with diverse groups with patience and assertiveness.
• Strong writing skills for documents and correspondence.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Experience in mentoring others.

Responsibilities

• Organize diaries and appointments for senior leaders.
• Provide hospitality for meetings.
• Draft correspondence for the Leader of the Council.
• Filter calls and visitors for senior leaders.
• Gather research for projects as required.

Skills

Administrative support experience

Tact and diplomacy

Document drafting

Workload organization

Mentoring and coaching

IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets)

Discrimination identification

Understanding corporate context

Education

RSA III in word processing or equivalent

Job description

Main purpose of position

To provide a full administrative and secretarial support service to the Executive Leader of the Council, the Leader of the opposition and occasionally the Mayor. This role also provides a high level of practical and support to the Councillors to enhance the smooth running of the council.

Responsibilities

• Organise and maintain the diaries, including assisting in planning, through prioritisation, allocation and organisation of appointments within a scheduled work programme. Liaise with a wide range of people to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made for meetings, seminars and conferences, organising travel and accommodation as necessary ensuring the Executive Leader is fully briefed on all relevant issues.
• Organise and provide hospitality for internal meetings. Liaising and co‑working with the other Senior Business Officer is vital to ensure seamless cover is provided for the Leader of the Council, the Leader of the opposition and occasionally the Mayor.
• Draft and originate correspondence and reports (including committee reports) on behalf of the Leader of the Council. Liaise with Officers and Members to provide draft responses and briefings to complex correspondence.
• Exercise personal judgement in ensuring that written communications are comprehensive, unambiguous, fluent, accurate and presented in a variety of appropriate styles dependent on the circumstances. Investigate and resolve where possible or refer complaints made to the Executive Leader and/or other Group Leaders.
• Receive and filter incoming telephone calls for and personal visitors to the Leader/Deputy Leader and Mayor, from a wide range of sources including senior management, other elected Members, VIPs, other statutory agencies and the public.
• Exercise judgement in prioritising, dealing with matters within own remit and/or referring to the Leader/Deputy Council or elsewhere as necessary to ensure continuity. Initiate own calls where necessary exercising tact, discretion and courtesy. Ensure the Leader/Deputy can deliver digital and social media responses when necessary and as appropriate.
• Gather research intelligence and undertake specific time‑limited projects on behalf of the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council, and as instructed by the Business & Member Support Manager.
• Co‑ordinate input from across the Council and its partners, and source external data and analysis (for example, from the internet) as necessary to ensure a detailed response and successful outcomes.

Skills and Experience

• In depth experience of providing administrative and secretarial organisational support to senior politicians and/or senior management.
• Able to deal effectively with a wide range of people in a courteous but assertive manner and able to exercise high levels of tact and diplomacy.
• Able to compile well‑written and grammatically correct documents and letters.
• Able to plan and organise workload to meet organisational priorities and deadlines and to facilitate the progression of important events and issues.
• Able to motivate, manage and develop junior colleagues through mentoring and coaching.
• Able to use word processing, spreadsheet, e‑mail and internet and social media applications.
• Able to identify when discrimination is taking place in service delivery or in the workplace and take appropriate action where this is identified.
• Understanding of the corporate context of Councillor and Officer roles, or in the operation of a large organisation at corporate level.
• RSA III word processing or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience.
• Ability to attend occasional evening and weekend events, meetings or engagements at or around the Borough. Attendance to 2 civic functions per annum.

About Us

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council. Our heritage and local government ownership means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or supplied services to the Council for several years.

We are an equal‑opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates. Connect2Luton is a trading style of Luton & Kent Commercial Services LLP – a joint venture between Luton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Luton remains an equal‑opportunities employment agency & business. It encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates.