Diary Officer in Sheffield

Application Deadline: 12 April 2026

Department: Mayor's Office

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Sheffield Head Office

Reporting To: Head of Mayors Office

Compensation: £35,929 - £38,737 / year

Hours: 37 hours

Contract: Permanent - Full Time

Salary: Grade 7 £35,929 - £38,737

This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office.

Play a vital role in supporting the Mayor of South Yorkshire by managing a fast‑paced diary, coordinating high‑profile engagements, and representing the Mayor’s Office with professionalism and integrity. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is looking for an exceptionally organised, proactive and confident Diary Officer to support the smooth and efficient running of the Mayor’s Office. This is a key role working at the heart of a high‑profile public office, ensuring the Mayor’s time, relationships and commitments are managed effectively.

As a Diary Officer, you will work closely with the Head of Mayor’s Office, Portfolio Officers and colleagues across the organisation to manage the Mayor’s diary, respond to enquiries, coordinate engagements and support administrative activities. You will be a trusted representative of the office, engaging with residents, partners and stakeholders professionally and with care. This role would suit someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, enjoys solving problems, and takes pride in delivering exceptional service in a politically sensitive context.

Applications must be accompanied by a cover letter to detail how you meet the criteria as detailed within the role profile. Please note, all applications should be made directly via our careers portal. The hiring team are planning to work to the following dates:

• Shortlisting - Week commencing 13 April
• Interviews - Week commencing 20 April onwards

About the role

You will provide comprehensive diary, administrative and coordination support to ensure the Mayor is fully prepared for meetings, events and public engagements. You will be responsible for maintaining accurate records, managing correspondence, and supporting the wider Mayor’s Office with a calm, organised and proactive approach.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working collaboratively to manage the Mayor’s diary, prioritising commitments, coordinating with stakeholders, and adjusting to emerging priorities to ensure the Mayor’s time is used effectively.
• Representing the Mayor’s Office professionally through phone, email, in‑person and social media interactions, ensuring confidentiality and high standards of communication.
• Managing all correspondence channels — including email inboxes and Microsoft Teams — ensuring timely, accurate and sensitive responses.
• Developing and improving administrative systems and processes to enhance efficiency, compliance and coordination within the Mayor’s Office.
• Supporting the organisation of events, including venue research, guest lists, supplier coordination and on‑the‑day assistance.
• Arranging domestic and international travel and accommodation for the Mayor.

About you

We are looking for an organised, confident and proactive individual who can manage competing priorities, communicate effectively and work with professionalism in a politically sensitive environment. You will bring strong administrative experience, excellent people skills, and the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.

You will bring:

• Experience in a support role such as Executive Assistant, PA or Senior Administrator, ideally within government, the public sector or another high‑profile environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work proactively, use initiative and deliver effectively under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and MS Teams, including advanced functionality in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Professionalism, discretion and integrity within political and governance frameworks.

For further detail on the requirements for this role, please see the criteria listed within the attached role profile.

Benefits

All colleagues have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well-placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.

In addition to the above, some of benefits include:

• Continuous Employment – If you are currently employed by a Local Government employer, or any other employer under the Redundancy Modification Scheme, and do not have a break in service, your length of service can be transferred upon starting. This will apply to entitlement calculations including annual leave, maternity leave and enhanced sick pay.
• Enhanced Holiday Entitlement – From 28 to 36 days annual leave entitlement (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays. Pro-rata for part time colleagues.
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme – The ability to purchase up to a further 15 days per year in addition to your normal annual leave.
• Hybrid working – Our offices are a space where we come together and collaborate. Most of our roles are offered on a hybrid basis with the exception of some support roles being onsite full time. Please note, unless specified within the job advert, we cannot accommodate remote working contracts.
• Flexible Hours Scheme – Most roles within SYMCA work under the Flexi‑Scheme which allows office‑based employees’ flexibility and discretion over their working hours. Under the scheme employees can accrue a defined amount of credit or debit of working hours, and to take time‑off in the form of Flexi‑Leave or banked Annual Leave.
• Rewarding You – Reducing everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more with Reward Gateway and Cycle‑to‑Work schemes.
• Training on the job – Support with upskilling skills through on‑job training and qualifications.
• Professional Membership Fees – Where membership to Professional bodies is applicable to your role, SYMCA will reimburse your membership fees where applicable and following approval by Line Management.

Diversity at South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority

Our workforce is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief. All employees are eligible to request Flexible Working arrangements from day one of employment as such all requests will be considered subject to operation requirements. Where candidates share disabilities within the application process, if they demonstrate that they meet all essential criteria from the Role Profile within their application, they will automatically be invited to interview. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the process, please contact recruitment@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk or include within your application form detailing the adjustment and how it will assist in managing any barriers.