WHAT IS INVOLVED? This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Executive Support function for Durham County Council, supporting the Chief Executive, Corporate Directors and their management teams. We are seeking a motivated and organised Executive Support Assistant who can provide high quality and comprehensive support. You should have strong organisational skills, a high level of attention to detail and be able to work discreetly and confidentially. You must also have excellent verbal and written communication skills. You will provide effective, flexible and responsive support and will be aligned to the Director of Integrated Community Services, the Director of the Children’s Mental Health/Learning Disabilities Integration, the Integration Programme Managers and the partners involved in the work of the County Durham Care Partnership. It will be important to demonstrate flexibility and have the ability to work innovatively and proactively to meet on-going demands and deadlines, as well as changing priorities, when required. The role requires you to have excellent knowledge and experience of using Office 365 packages and software. You will also be involved developing new and improved ways of working, using digital technology, to support continuous improvement. Key Duties will include: Act as the first point of contact for the Senior Manager and answer and deal with telephone and personal enquiries and correspondence on their behalf. The provision of high-quality diary support and meeting co-ordination; including circulating agendas, meeting papers and taking notes/actions at required meetings. You will effectively manage senior manager in boxes and will use effective judgement and interpersonal skills to delegate or respond to incoming emails as appropriate You will assist in the preparation of reports, briefing notes and presentations, as appropriate, and assist in resourcing for events and visits. Take actions and minutes for meetings as required. Provide support to projects and administrative tasks as directed by the Senior Manager/Executive Support Officer. Work collaboratively with other Executive Support Assistants to ensure consistent ways of working, where appropriate. A full training and development package will be tailored to your role to ensure you can provide a high quality service and we have a great progression opportunities available for those who may want to progress within the organisation. We encourage you to contact Sally Fothergill via email: Sally.Fothergilldurham.gov.uk or tel: 03000 262330 for an informal discussion about this role. WHAT WILL I NEED? You should have a NVQ Level 3 in Business Admin or equivalent relevant qualification. Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria. REWARDS AND BENEFITS We offer generous rewards and benefits that are designed to help you perform at your best: Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service. Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year. Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year). Hybrid working (home and office working). Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Plus, top up options - Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme and standard AVC scheme for members of the LGPS. Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme. Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring. Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across a host of major retailers). Discounted DCC gym membership. Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause. Trade Union membership. A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. Take a closer look: Rewards-and-benefits SOCIAL MEDIA Don’t see the perfect role for you right now? Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on new opportunities at Durham County Council Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook HYBRID WORKING (if applicable) Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services. We are committed to ensuring that our employment policies and processes are fair and equitable to all. We welcome job applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered only on their skills and ability to do the job. As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process. Take a closer look: Equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-our-workforce INTERVIEWS It is anticipated that interviews will be held week commencing 14th April 2025. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. HOW TO APPLY In line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal. Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed. If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact the Recruitment Team via email RecruitmentResourcesdurham.gov.uk or telephone 03000 26 27 27 selecting option 3 for Resources. 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