Senior executive assistant

Band 5 · Executive assistant · 346 job evaluation points

Provides executive support to the chief executive, chair, or an executive director, and coordinates the business of their office.

Responsibilities

Manage the diary and priorities of the chief executive or an executive director.
Handle sensitive correspondence, including complaints and enquiries from partners and regulators.
Coordinate executive team meetings, papers, and action logs.
Take formal minutes for executive and committee meetings.
Track commitments and deadlines across the executive office and chase progress.
Supervise other assistants and cover across the executive office.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Diary and meeting managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: manage a senior leader's diary, setting priorities with them decide what needs their time and what others can handle plan the annual cycle of meetings for a board or leadership team
Correspondence and enquiry handlingThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: manage correspondence for a senior leader, including sensitive and complaint letters draft replies that need tact, accuracy, and judgement make sure replies meet deadlines
Minute-taking and meeting recordsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: take formal minutes of board and committee meetings, including complex or contentious discussion keep formal meeting records that stand up to audit and inquiry advise chairs on what the record should show
Digital office toolsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: build templates, trackers, and simple automated workflows make documents accessible to everyone help colleagues get the most from office tools
Corporate governance and complianceThis reference	Working (2)	You can: support committee meetings, papers, and minutes keep governance registers up to date
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply data protection principles to your work contribute to data protection impact assessments handle information requests and records correctly
Communicating informationUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work collaboratively in a group and build relationships with others identify issues through Agile 'health checks' and work with others to address them manage stakeholder expectations be flexible and capable of proactive and reactive communication host or moderate difficult discussions within the team or with senior stakeholders
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships while meeting user needs build and reach consensus with stakeholders work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions

Typical qualifications and experience

Extensive experience of executive support, at a level equivalent to a degree.

Band 5 outline

Knowledge: Professional or technical knowledge, typically from a degree or equivalent experience.
Autonomy: Works to broad objectives within professional standards; plans own work.
Scope: Own professional work within a team or product.
Leadership: May guide and check the work of support staff and apprentices.
Accountability: Quality of own professional work.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	4	Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.	32
Knowledge, training, and experience	5	Expertise in a specialism, underpinned by theory or practical experience (degree level or equivalent).	120
Analytical and judgemental skills	3	Judgements on a range of facts or situations needing analysis or comparison of options.	27
Planning and organisational skills	3	Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.	27
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	2	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes to its practices.	12
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	2	Handles cash or valuables, looks after equipment used by others, controls stock, or authorises small payments.	12
Responsibility for people	2	Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.	12
Responsibility for information resources	3	Takes formal minutes, regularly writes reports or queries, or maintains information systems as a significant duty.	16
Responsibility for research and development	1	Carries out surveys or audits for own work; occasionally takes part in research or testing.	5
Freedom to act	3	Follows defined policies and procedures; work is managed rather than supervised.	21
Physical effort	2	Frequent sitting or standing in a restricted position, or occasional light to moderate effort.	7
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 5: 326 to 395)			346