Senior Secretary

Surrey and Sussex Police; London; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional police force in London is seeking a Senior Secretary to support senior management in the Public Protection department. This role requires strong organisational skills, excellent communication abilities, and experience in a secretarial position. The ideal candidate will work independently and collaboratively to ensure smooth operations within the team. The position offers a chance to contribute significantly to critical policing outcomes while enjoying flexible working options.

Benefits

Career progression

Contributory pension scheme

Generous annual leave allowance

Discounts for everyday spending

On-site gyms

Financial and mental wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Experience in a secretarial role, including operational support.
• Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Capable of handling sensitive information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex calendars and liaise with stakeholders.
• Draft and prepare professional correspondence.
• Organise and facilitate meetings and events.
• Anticipate needs of the management team.
• Maintain confidentiality in all interactions.

Skills

Advanced Microsoft Office skills

Organisational excellence

Proactive problem-solving

Excellent verbal and written communication

Collaboration

Tools

SharePoint

Outlook

Job description

Vacancy Information

Division / Department - Public Protection

Grade - Grade 8

Status - Full Time or Happy to Talk Flexible Working

Contract Type - Secondment

Salary Grade Range - £27,747 - £29,649

Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week

Shift Allowance - No

Politically Restricted - No

Location - Haywards Heath

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

The Role & Key Responsibilities

We are seeking a highly organised and experienced Senior Secretary to join the Public Protection department, providing critical support to the Senior Management Team in delivering strategic and operational objectives.

Public Protection is a dynamic and high-impact area of policing, encompassing complex safeguarding investigations and multi-agency collaboration. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth running of senior leadership functions, contributing to the departments commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and delivering high-quality policing outcomes.

About The Role

This is a varied and demanding position requiring discretion, initiative, and excellent communication skills. You will be part of a small, dedicated team of secretaries within Public Protection, and a wider professional network across Sussex Police. You will work closely with senior leaders—both police officers and police staff—who are committed to delivering on the forces priorities with integrity and purpose.

Key Responsibilities

• Diary and Time Management: Proactively manage complex calendars, liaising with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective use of time and prioritisation of commitments.
• Correspondence and Communication: Draft and prepare professional correspondence, monitor and triage emails, and ensure timely delegation and follow-up where appropriate.
• Meeting and Event Coordination: Organise and facilitate meetings and events, maintaining accurate records and documentation to support decision-making and accountability.
• Anticipatory Support: Understand the priorities of the management team and anticipate needs, ensuring relevant information and personnel are available for key engagements.
• Professional Conduct: Represent the department with professionalism and discretion, maintaining confidentiality and demonstrating sound judgement in all interactions.
• Independent Working: Operate with autonomy, building effective networks across the organisation to support delivery and problem-solving.

Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will:

• Possess advanced Microsoft Office skills and demonstrate strong general IT literacy, including experience with SharePoint, Outlook inbox management, and complex diary coordination.
• Have a proven track record of organisational excellence, with the ability to manage competing priorities under pressure and with minimal supervision.
• Take a proactive and solution-focused approach to problem-solving, anticipating needs and responding effectively to changing demands.
• Have experience in a secretarial role, including operational support as a Loggist and/or Secretary.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to format documents professionally and concisely.
• Ideally have experience in coaching or mentoring others, contributing to the development of team capability.
• Be a collaborative team player, capable of identifying service improvements and working constructively with colleagues across all levels.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Exhibit a high degree of integrity, confidence in decision-making, and a willingness to undertake training in additional IT and multimedia systems as required.

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we encourage flexible working. We are open to conversations about job shares and part time working. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police or Sussex Police

Further Information

Please contact DS Donna Lonsdale DL007 - or Annalise King - for any further details.

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people. It\'s important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we\'ll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement. We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.

Attachments

• Senior Secretary role final.docx

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