Executive Finance And Admin Assistant X2

About the role

We have a great opportunity to shape a new role within our Financial Services team and Group Finance and Performance team. We are looking for a highly organised Executive Assistant to support the Assistant Director’s and the team as a whole as it progresses through a period of exciting change.  

You will support the Assistant Director in time and task management and be an integral part of the team. As we progress, you will have opportunities to contribute to the development of a stronger financial management environment.  

In our busy team you will need to be flexible, self-motivated, and confident. You must be able to develop and maintain strong relationships across a wide range of stakeholders and work with Executive Assistants supporting other senior managers. You will remain calm under pressure and focus on delivery. 

We are recruiting for 2 positions to support the Assistant Director Financial Services and Assistant Director Group Finance and Performance.

To be considered for the role you must demonstrate how you meet the behavioural competencies below :

Further information on each can be found in the Job Description below:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Problem Solving
• Planning and Organising
• Organisational Awareness
• Research and Analysis

How to apply 

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Up to date CV
• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert and person specification below.

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. 

Please note, if you do not provide both a CV and a personal statement, you will not be considered for the role so please ensure the above has been submitted before the deadline. 

Assessment process 

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted you’ll be invited to an interview/assessment. The interview/assessment date is still to be confirmed.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening. 

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Principal Accountabilities

1. Provide a full range of high level personal assistant services to the Assistant Director, including the provision of a high-level gateway function, contributing to the effective and efficient operation of his or her role.
2. Establish effective relationships and engage in operational activities with staff at all levels within the GLA Group, other functional bodies and external stakeholders as necessary.  These include the Chief Finance Officers from the GLA Group, Government Bodies and Borough Councils and also external.  Develop a range of contacts; build effective working and operational relationships with these contacts; and represent their views to the Assistant Director, and vice versa, thus contributing to the achievement of GLA priorities.
3. Ensure the Assistant Director is briefed on, and is familiar with, the agenda and relevant papers in advance of meetings.  Accompany the Assistant Director as necessary, to meetings, to provide requisite assistance and ensure the incumbent is properly briefed beforehand, giving advice as required.
4. Assist the Assistant Director to manage budgets, including controlling spend against budget by managing and authorising invoices and purchase orders; and where so directed, by drafting budget forecasts.  Advise where appropriate on financial and budgetary matters.
5. Analyse, summarise, and advise on correspondence, submissions, briefings and speeches as necessary, on an appropriately wide range of topics.  Process, circulate and respond as appropriate to incoming correspondence, including researching and drafting replies and progress chasing as required.  Record and collect data and statistical information, producing analyses and reports as required, to help the Assistant Director to deliver priorities. 
6. Develop and maintain effective information systems, including information databases and other systems. Monitor system usage and effectiveness and update where necessary.
7. Provide support to the Assistant Director across a range of internal and external working parties, consultative bodies and project teams.
8. Coordinate, schedule, and attend meetings, produce and prepare and circulate agendas, reports, presentations, and associated papers; take formal minutes at senior management meetings and process these in accordance with the Authority’s standards and requirements and monitor actions taken on decisions made.
9. Undertake other duties and responsibilities commensurate with this post as required.
10. Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participating in multi-disciplinary cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams.
11. Manage any resources allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority’s policies and Code of Ethics and Standards.

Technical requirements/experience/skills:

• Experience of delivering a high level executive assistance and Senior PA service to senior staff in a high profile organisation.
• Experience of financial reconciliations
• Experience of writing to senior officials.
• A high level of competence in the operation of standard office information and communications technology applications with an emphasis on Microsoft Office packages including advanced MS Word and Outlook and intermediate Excel and PowerPoint.

Behavioural competencies

• Building and Managing Relationships
• Developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Develops new professional relationships
• Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals
• Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement
• Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict and takes action
• Fosters an environment where others feel respected
• Communicating and Influencing Presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Communicates openly and inclusively with internal and external stakeholders
• Clearly articulates the key points of an argument, both in verbal and written communication
• Persuades others, using evidence based knowledge, modifying approach to deliver message effectively
• Challenges the views of others in an open and constructive way
• Presents a credible and positive image both internally and externally
• Planning and Organising Thinking ahead; managing time, priorities and risk; and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Prioritises work in line with key team or project deliverables
• Makes contingency plans to account for changing work priorities, deadlines and milestones
• Identifies and consults with sponsors or stakeholders in planning work
• Pays close attention to detail, ensuring team’s work is delivered to a high standard
• Negotiates realistic timescales for work delivery, ensuring team deliverables can be met

Problem Solving

• Analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving
• Organisational Awareness Understanding and being sensitive to organisational dynamics, culture and politics across and beyond the GLA and shaping our approach accordingly.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Challenges unethical behaviour
• Uses understanding of the GLA’s complex partnership arrangements to deliver effectively
• Recognises how political changes and sensitivities impact on own and team’s work
• Is aware of the changing needs of Londoners, anticipating resulting changes for work agendas
• Follows the GLA’s position in the media and understands how it impacts on work
• Research and Analysis Gathering intelligence (information, opinion and data) from varied sources, making sense of it, testing its validity and drawing conclusions that can lead to practical benefits.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

• Proactively seeks new information sources to progress research agendas and address gaps in knowledge
• Grasps limitations of or assumptions behind data sources, disregarding those that lack quality
• Analyses and integrates qualitative and quantitative data to find new insights
• Translates research outcomes into concise, meaningful reports
• Identifies relevant and practical research questions for the future