Executive Officer in London

About Us

As executive support to the Executive Director of Growth & Place, you'll act as their trusted right hand, ensuring they are fully briefed, prepared and positioned to deliver on strategic priorities. This is a dual role, combining high-level executive assistance with hands-on coordination across projects, governance, policy, and directorate operations.

You’ll manage the detail behind the scenes: navigating complex diaries, managing inboxes, preparing briefings and presentations, and coordinating meetings across a broad and senior stakeholder landscape. Alongside this, you’ll play a central role in standing up a brand-new directorate, helping to build governance structures, establish directorate-wide processes, support key projects, and develop systems for reporting, decision-making, and approvals. You will help shape how the Executive Director engages with colleagues, partners, and elected Members.

This newly created role sits within a developing structure designed to support a high-performing, collaborative, fast-paced organisation and directorate. We’re building something from the ground up, so if you’re proactive, energetic, and thrive in an environment where no two days are the same, this is an opportunity to make a real, visible impact.

This role goes beyond traditional executive support. As a key member of the Growth & Place directorate, you’ll help create the systems, structures, and ways of working that enable effective leadership and strong governance. You’ll work closely with senior officers and partners, ensuring information flows smoothly, decisions are well-supported, and the Executive Director’s time is used where it has the most impact.

Apart from the day-to-day EA responsibilities, you’ll also contribute to early directorate priorities, supporting projects, coordinating policy or research tasks, and helping embed new processes as the directorate takes shape. This is a rare opportunity to be involved from the beginning and influence how a new function operates.

What The Role Involves

• Managing inboxes and complex diaries, using sound judgement to prioritise.
• Coordinating meetings, agendas, briefings, and presentations to support effective decision-making.
• Providing support to key projects and directorate set-up activities.
• Acting as a central point of contact for senior leaders, councillors, and stakeholders.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information with professionalism.
• Anticipating issues, resolving problems, and keeping work moving in a fast-paced environment.

Key criteria for success

• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing demands, and adapt quickly.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Resilience, tact, and sound judgement in handling sensitive matters.

Knowledge you’ll need

• Understanding of local government, its priorities, and the environment it operates in.
• Familiarity with administrative, governance, and business support processes.
• Confidence using IT tools for documents, presentations, scheduling, and data management.

Essential Qualifications, Skills And Experience

To thrive in this role, you’ll need to demonstrate:

• Significant experience providing high-level executive support, including complex diary and inbox management, coordination of governance processes, and preparation of agendas, forward plans, and action logs.
• Exceptional organisational skills, with the ability to create and maintain effective systems, manage competing priorities, and remain calm and solutions-focused in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities, both written and verbal. You’ll be confident drafting clear and professional correspondence, handling sensitive information with discretion, and working collaboratively with senior leaders, councillors, and a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• High proficiency in IT tools, particularly Microsoft Office, with the ability to produce accurate, well-presented documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to tight deadlines.
• A good understanding of local government, its operating context, and the challenges it faces - or a demonstrable ability to quickly develop this knowledge and apply it in practice.

Closing Date: Monday 23rd February 2026

Shortlisting Date: W/C 23rd February 2026

Interview Date: Week of 2nd or 9th March 2026

A short test will be provided at interview. We will shortlist based on your supporting statement, so please take the time to provide a strong and detailed submission, ensuring it fully reflects your skills and experience.

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high volume of applications, so early submission is advised.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.