Basis: Permanent, Full time 36 hours per week
A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually.
Location: Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast (Hybrid - minimum 2 days per week in office) or Remote (UK)
Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more.
About the Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is the UK's independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process.
As we enter a bold new chapter under our five-year Corporate Plan, we are increasing our workforce and transforming how we plan and deliver core services. This post plays a central role in that journey.
About the role
We are looking for organised, proactive and highly professional Executive Support Officers to provide executive support to Directors and the wider Senior Leadership Team
As part of our Corporate Support team, you will work alongside Directors and senior leaders at the heart of the organisation, helping them navigate competing priorities and make the best use of their time. You will be a trusted partner, coordinating activity, anticipating challenges and ensuring key commitments continue to move forward in a fast-paced environment. This is much more than diary management. You will develop a detailed understanding of organisational priorities, build relationships across the Commission and help senior leaders stay connected to the issues that matter most. Key responsibilities include:
- Acting as the primary contact for assigned Directors, coordinating meetings, travel, events and related support.
- Proactively managing complex diaries with competing priorities and changing commitments.
- Preparing agendas, briefing packs, correspondence and meeting documentation.
- Recording and tracking actions, ensuring commitments are completed and deadlines met.
About the team
The Corporate Support team provides professional executive and administrative support to the Commission's senior leaders, helping to ensure the organisation operates efficiently and effectively.
The team works at the heart of the organisation, supporting Directors, the Chief Executive and senior colleagues across a wide range of strategic and operational activities. We pride ourselves on being collaborative, responsive and solutions-focused, working together to deliver a high-quality service in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
Joining Corporate Support offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the Commission's priorities, work closely with senior decision-makers and develop relationships across every part of the organisation. It is an environment where professionalism, teamwork and continuous improvement are highly valued.
Who we’re looking for
This role would suit an experienced Executive Assistant, Executive Support Officer or administrative professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and building effective working relationships with senior leaders and colleagues across an organisation.
You will be someone who can confidently manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgement and maintain exceptional levels of professionalism and discretion..
We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Previous experience providing executive support to senior leaders, including diary and meeting management.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workloads effectively.
- Experience working to tight deadlines while maintaining high levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
- The ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- The confidence to anticipate problems, identify risks and propose solutions.
- A proactive, adaptable and customer-focused approach to work.
Why work for us?
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of an organisation that supports democracy across the UK. You'll gain exposure to senior leaders and strategic decision-making while developing your executive support, stakeholder management and organisational skills in a highly respected public body.
The role offers variety, responsibility and the opportunity to make a genuine contribution to the Commission's success. You'll work alongside supportive colleagues who are committed to delivering excellence and continuous improvement, while benefiting from an organisation that actively invests in employee wellbeing, development and career progression.
We offer a strong total reward package, including:
- Flexible working and hybrid model (40% office minimum)
- 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
- Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme - a valuable defined benefit pension providing a guaranteed, inflation-adjusted income in retirement, based on your pensionable earnings and years of membership
- Study support for professional qualifications
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities
- Ride2Work, eye care vouchers and more
How to apply
We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process.
When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information:
Do not include:
- Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details
- Your date of birth or age
- Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers
- A photo of yourself
- Remove educational dates as these are a clear indication of your age
- There is no requirement to include your primary education details.
Do include:
- Your employment history including employers and dates of employment
- Explanation for gaps in your history
- Your duties, responsibilities and achievements
If your CV contains personal details (such as your name or contact information), we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV.
Supporting disabled applicants
The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.
There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants.
If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.
Key dates
- Application deadline: 20th November (23:59)
- Interviews (1st stage): 7th December
- Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing TBC
- Anticipated start date: 1st February
For applicants in devolved nations, interviews may be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Executive Support Officer x2 in Cardiff employer: The Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission in London is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where transparency and integrity are at the forefront of our mission. We prioritise employee growth through continuous professional development opportunities and foster a collaborative culture that values diverse perspectives. Join us to make a meaningful impact in public affairs while enjoying the unique advantages of working in the heart of London.
