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Job Details:
PA to Leader & Cabinet Members - Internal Only
Reference number:
1724
Group:
Democratic & Community Engagment
Salary:
Band 7 - £22,221 to £26,276 p.a / pro rata
Job Type:
Temporary
Job Hours:
Full-time
Job Hours/Type Notes:
Maternity Cover
Location:
Civic Offices
Description:
INTERNAL FOR PCC EMPLOYEES ONLY
Personal Assistant to the Leader and Cabinet Members
Ref no: 1724
Band: 7
Salary: £22,221 - £26,276pa
Secondment to cover Maternity Leave for up to a year
37 hours per week
What is the role?
You will be working at the political heart of the City Council, primarily with the Leader and Cabinet Members, but also assisting all councillors from the political spectrum. This high profile role requires you to liaise with all departments at the City Council, including regular contact with the PA’s to the Chief Executive, Strategic Directors and Lord Mayor, as well as external contacts.
You will provide the first point of contact between the Leader/Cabinet and internal/external links, including the media and residents. Occasionally you will be faced with upset and irate members of the public, with which you will remain calm, helpful and prepared to take comprehensive notes to allow the Members to respond effectively.
The role also requires you to manage the diaries, meetings, travel arrangements, agendas and correspondence of the Leader and Cabinet Members and to respond appropriately in a professional manner. This is a very demanding and reactive role, one of constantly juggling priorities.
You will also be required to ensure adequate cover for the office and that work submitted to the office is prioritised and completed on time.
Who is the person?
You need to:
• Have proven experience in a similar high profile P.A. role, which includes diary management and prioritising of other roles as above.
• Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times, as highly classified, controversial and sensitive information passes through the Members’ Section.
• Have the ability to remain politically neutral in a highly charged political arena.
• Have excellent communication skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure particularly when dealing with phone calls from irate members of the public.
• Be able to prioritise and decipher urgent messages and have the confidence to know when to interrupt the Leader and Cabinet.
• Be able to juggle priorities in a reactive environment. Sometimes certain issues become hot topics to members of the public and this impacts the workload.
• Have excellent interpersonal & Member / Officer relationship skills to be able to adapt to the needs of individual councillors who work in different ways. Previous experience of working with Members / Members' Services Section would be an advantage.
• Have excellent time management and organisational skills to ensure work is completed on time and to an excellent standard.
• Be confident in the use of Microsoft Office, particularly in the management of outlook diaries.
• Have excellent written skills, as you will be dealing with a workload of correspondence ranging from the general public to Members.
How to apply
There is NO application form, we will shortlist for interview / assessment based on the information you provide, so:
Send us your details including:
• Why you are the right person for this job – Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in ‘who is the person’ above. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you are submitting a C.V. please ensure it is tailored to meet this requirement and fully answer all the questions.
• Your full work history, explaining any gaps. Including employers name, address, dates from and to and reasons for leaving.
• The post you are applying for
• How we can contact you – by telephone and email
• If applying as a secondment will need permission from your current line manager releasing you for this secondment
• Please provide details for us to obtain two references. If you are currently working we will need a reference from your current employer and previous employer. If you are not currently working, we will need references from your two most recent employers.
• Where you saw the position advertised
• Please also complete the attached ethnic monitoring form
• Please ensure that you include in your application (either by cutting and pasting or copying) the following statement.
Disclosure of relationships please delete as applicable
i) I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief, I am not related to, or in a relationship with, any Councillor, or employee of Portsmouth City Council
ii) I declare that I am related to, or in a relationship with, the following Councillor or employee of Portsmouth City Council.
Name……………………… Position………………………. Relationship…………………
Name……………………… Position………………………. Relationship…………………
Signed…………………………………………... Date……………………………….
• Closing Date: 12 February 2010
• email to recruitment@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
• post to Recruitment, Portsmouth City Council, Floor 1, Core 5, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2EP.
Or, if you have any queries, please contact us on 023 9268 8536
The information you provide will be used for the recruitment of this post only and will be stored for 12 months.
Please note that providing false information is an offence and could result in the application being rejected, or summary dismissal if you are appointed to the post.
Closing Date:
12 Feb 2010