Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

The closing date is 06 May 2025

Job summary

Are you an experienced and highly motivated executive assistant looking for a fast-paced, high-profile role where you can truly make an impact? We're looking for a Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO to provide professional, comprehensive, and high-quality support to our CEO and senior leadership team.

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of the organisation, acting as the CEO's first point of contact and liaising with key internal and external stakeholders--including MPs' offices. You'll thrive in a fast-moving, high-pressure environment, managing competing priorities with agility and discretion.

Your role will be pivotal in ensuring the smooth running of the CEO's office, handling sensitive and complex enquiries, managing the CEO's diary and inbox, organising high-level meetings and events, and overseeing Committee/Board-level administration. You'll also play a key role in emergency planning and business continuity, including managing on-call rotas and acting as a Loggist when required.

Collaboration is at the heart of this role, and you'll work closely with colleagues across the Trust to maintain seamless administrative oversight and ensure the effective coordination of key documents and processes. You'll also administer a range of Trust systems while maintaining the highest standards of Information Governance and IT Security compliance.

Main duties of the job

  • Serve as the first port of call for enquiries addressed to the CEO, handling complex enquiries and managing sensitive information with discretion.
  • Proactively manage the CEO's diary and inbox, ensuring efficient scheduling and timely responses.
  • Prepare agendas and take minutes at Executive Director level meetings, ensuring all papers are available and follow-up actions are monitored.
  • Support the CEO in managing their budget, including raising and following up queries and coding invoices.
  • Supervise and coordinate administrators within the Trust Secretariat as required.
  • Comply with and promote the Equal Opportunities policy and handle all materials and information confidentially.
  • Contribute to the review and development of information management systems and project management approaches.
  • Maintain personal professional competency and engage in continuous learning and development.

About us

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you'll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We're an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Date posted

23 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year gross per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7147384

Job locations

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2EH


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or demonstrable equivalent experience.
  • NVQ L4 business and administration

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of administering Board level committees, including agenda setting, Board pack paper preparation and minute taking
  • Experience in communications and stakeholder management
  • Comprehensive knowledge of project management and/or health information systems development
  • Previous experience of working in the NHS or public sector

Desirable

  • Experience of working within or alongside a mental health service provider
Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or demonstrable equivalent experience.
  • NVQ L4 business and administration

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of administering Board level committees, including agenda setting, Board pack paper preparation and minute taking
  • Experience in communications and stakeholder management
  • Comprehensive knowledge of project management and/or health information systems development
  • Previous experience of working in the NHS or public sector

Desirable

  • Experience of working within or alongside a mental health service provider

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2EH


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2EH


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Chair and Chief Executive's Office

Robyn Ward

robyn.ward@nsft.nhs.uk

Date posted

23 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year gross per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7147384

Job locations

County Hall

Norwich

NR1 2EH


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)