Basildon Executive Liaison Officer

Location: Essex Council (hybrid, 3 days per week in the office)

Role: temporary

Start: ASAP

Closing Date: 9th February 2025

We are delighted to be supporting a local authority to recruit an Executive Liaison Officer on a temporary basis.

This is a key role which will help to form the interface between senior management of the Council and political leaders. The postholder will promote strong working relationships, seeking to align senior officers and members where appropriate to support delivery of the Council's objectives. Working in a hybrid/agile working environment to provide a high level of confidential administrative and planning support directly to the most senior level of the organisation - through planning and organising the work of the senior team and members and ensuring alignment of this work.

Post holders are expected to prioritise the workload using judgement and initiative keeping the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors informed where appropriate of any decisions made or actions taken in their absence. Post holders are expected to recognise the high profile nature of the work of the Corporate Leadership Team and key Members and to ensure that all work emanating from these sources is of the highest standard. This includes having a good awareness of local government challenges and the main issues facing the Council and recognising the need to be aware of any particularly sensitive issues and bringing these to the attention of the respective senior leader.

Duties:

• Provide effective, proactive, reactive and comprehensive Executive Business Support to the Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members.
• Daily Management and co-ordination of activities of the Chief Executive, Leader and Strategic Directors responding to daily changes in priorities, and political sensitivities.
• Manage the Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members calendar, ensuring that appointments and meetings are arranged as appropriate, and all are briefed and prepared for all meetings in advance.
• To be responsible for managing all casework on behalf of the Leader of the Council including liaison with all internal and external stakeholders which includes interaction with Government Ministers.
• Organising meetings and quality assuring documents required for meetings.
• To be responsible for the planning, organising and facilitation of a number of corporate events, conferences and away days as required.
• To maintain a forward planning system to progress reports, papers, correspondence and enquiries together with monitoring and chasing actions.
• To be the contact, on behalf of the Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members, for all internal and external enquiries.
• Exercising excellent judgement and political awareness in the role as gate keeper to the Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members office.
• Take ownership of all issues that come into the Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members and lead on the preparation of appropriate responses.
• Co-ordinate all meetings, forward plans, and associated paperwork for meetings, such as Directorate Leadership Team and Directorate Management Team meetings, Cabinet Members Briefings, and meetings with political Group Leaders.
• Book and service meetings, dispatching papers; minute taking, recording of decisions and following up actions.
• To deal sensitively and confidentially with complaints from a wide variety of people across and outside the Borough and make appropriate arrangements for these to be resolved.
• Log and process enquiries for Members, MPs and the public for the attention of the Chief Executive, Leader and Strategic Directors within appropriate policy timelines.
• Relationship management between Chief Executive, Leader, Strategic Directors and Cabinet Members, ensuring all matters are aligned to the corporate plan objectives and timeline and the implementation of new initiatives as directed by the Chief Executive.
• Work collaboratively with Corporate Leadership Team and the Cabinet Members, ensuring the highest standards of performance and reporting.
• Keep abreast of policy and operational issues in order to brief the Chief Executive, Leader, and Strategic Directors about opportunities and challenges facing the Council.
• Be responsible for the production of reports, documents and other relevant business cases as required to support the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors.
• Lead on supporting the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors to deliver the transformation agenda, and ways of working, taking responsibility for aspects of programme delivery as required.
• Keep abreast of local and national development which may have a bearing on the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors roles, providing advice as appropriate.
• To work collaboratively with the Programme Management Office and Democratic Services and provide support to webcasting of meetings where required.
• May be required to work out of core hours to ensure objectives are met.

Skills, knowledge and experience:

• Previous experience supporting Executive level (C suite) managers and Members.
• Ability to assimilate information quickly and accurately, and distil the key issues from long and complex documents.
• Experience of building relationships with a variety of stakeholders at different levels which may include Government Ministers, politicians and MPs.
• Experience in managing own time with the ability to work under pressure, solve problems and achieve pre-determined and conflicting deadlines.
• Experience of interpreting information, with a flexible and creative problems solving approach.
• Making rational, realistic and sound decisions.
• Extensive experience of working in an Executive Assistant role in a similarly complex operating environment.
• Dealing with sensitive and confidential information and promoting team working, efficient practice and timely decision making.
• Ability to think creatively and innovatively to achieve a satisfactory outcome.
• Ability to use initiative to seek solutions to simple and complex problems.
• Methodical approach with the ability to conduct research, accurately analyse, evaluate and review information.

Working for this Council means making a practical and positive difference to the lives of people living and working in the Borough and provides a fulfilling career. Each of our employees - whatever job role they are undertaking - can feel motivated by having a unique opportunity to use their skills to make the community a better place to live. Whether it is conserving our countryside, by regenerating our Borough, by housing our residents or by collecting the refuse on time. The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure. We are looking forward to your applications.