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Executive Assistant

Fair Work Agency
Edinburgh

Job details

Permanent | Part-time | Full-time
£29,699 - £31,891 a year

Benefits

Annual leave
Company pension
Sick pay

Qualifications

Administrative experience
Presentation skills
Organisational skills
Communication skills
Time management

Full job description

Details

Reference number

462670

Salary

£29,699 - £31,891

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

FWA - Executive

Type of role

Other

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information

Location

Belfast, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Salford

This advert reflects the current FWA locations. However, there may be some flexibility to include additional sites as the FWA location strategy evolves. Regular travel to London, Nottingham, and other FWA locations will be required.

About the job

Job summary

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) launched in April 2026 with a clear and ambitious mission: to make work fairer for everyone. We bring together key powers to protect workers, support responsible businesses, and take decisive action against exploitation. Today, we regulate employment agencies, license gangmasters in the agricultural and horticultural sectors, tackle serious labour abuse and modern slavery, and enable enforcement of the National Minimum Wage.

But this is just the start.

With new powers under the Employment Rights Act 2025, we are expanding our role even further. We are building the capability to ensure workers receive what they are entitled to, from holiday pay to statutory sick pay, and strengthening the system so that rights are not just set out in law, but actively upheld in practice.

Our approach is bold and practical:

We empower workers, ensuring they understand their rights and can easily access support and raise concerns
We make it easier for businesses to comply, simplifying processes and helping responsible employers do the right thing
We take firm action against those who exploit workers and undercut fair competition

This is a unique opportunity to join an organisation at the very beginning of its journey. You will help shape how we operate, influence our culture, and play a direct role in improving outcomes for millions of workers and employers across the UK.

We are looking for people who are curious, collaborative and driven by making a real difference, people who want to build something that matters

Job description

This is an exciting and fast-paced role at the heart of the Fair Work Agency, offering a unique opportunity to support senior leadership in driving forward fair, effective, and modern workplace practices. As a key member of the Executive support team, you will play a pivotal role in enabling the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Directors to operate at their very best.

Working in a dynamic and high-profile environment, you will:

Act as a trusted partner, ensuring the smooth coordination of priorities, people, and processes. Your ability to anticipate needs, manage competing demands, and build strong relationships will directly contribute to the Agencys impact and success.
Expertly manage the CEO and Directors diaries, coordinating briefings, meetings, and logistics with precision.
Optimise senior leaders time by balancing competing priorities and responding quickly to changing demands.
Play a central role in ensuring the CEO is effectively engaged with internal teams and external stakeholders at the right time and in the right way.
Provide a full range of organisational and administrative support, ensuring the smooth and efficient running of workflows, travel, and scheduling.
Build strong, trusted working relationships with the CEO and Directors, understanding their working styles, anticipating needs, and responding to feedback.
Through excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you will develop and maintain networks that enable senior leaders to deliver effectively.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the role is responsible for:

Providing professional and confidential dedicated administrative assistance and support to the Chief Executive and Directors
Managing the Chief Executive and Directors email inboxes to ensure the smooth functioning of the Executives office and supporting their day-to-day activities
Providing diary support for three Directors

Person specification

When giving details in your employment history and demonstration of behaviours you should highlight your experience in line with key responsibilities below:

Providing professional and confidential dedicated administrative assistance and support to the Chief Executive and Directors, including dealing with correspondence, diary management, handling travel arrangements and scheduling meetings to ensure their time is managed effectively.
Inbox management for the Chief Executive and Directors, including responding to mail/emails where information is known and prioritising correspondence where responses are required of the Chief Executive, to support timely and professional responses.
Acting on behalf of the Chief Executive and Directors as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders and ensuring all enquiries are dealt with as appropriate, a highly professional service is provided, and all deadlines are met.
Meeting and greeting visitors on behalf of Chief Executive ensuring a positive and professional image of the FWA is given at all times. Ensuring adequate and appropriate facilities are available including meeting rooms, refreshments and any necessary IT equipment such as video conferencing and audio equipment.
Maintaining all relevant filing systems (including electronic systems), registers etc., to ensure all material is accurately logged, updated, secured and can be readily accessed as and when necessary, in line with organisational information management standards.
Attending meetings as required by the Chief Executive and Directors, providing a full secretarial service from completion of minutes to ensuring that actions are undertaken and reported back on at the next opportunity.
Acting as support to the Secretariat Officer when required in relation to activity for Board Committees or Executive Leadership meetings.
Coordinate with colleagues, as required, to ensure all information/papers are received by the set deadlines, to the required standard, and the Chief Executive and Directors are appropriately briefed ahead of upcoming meetings.
Any other reasonable duties commensurate with the post.

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria

Essential criteria:

Strong organisational and prioritisation skills - Proven ability to manage complex diaries, balance competing demands, and ensure senior leaders time is used effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Experience of providing high-quality administrative support - Demonstrable experience supporting senior leaders, including managing correspondence, arranging meetings and travel, and handling sensitive information with discretion.
Experience in sound judgment and discretion, with the ability to handle confidential information with sensitivity and professionalism.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels, both verbally and in writing.
Highly organised and self-motivated, with excellent time management skills and an ability to think proactively.
Ability to prioritise, attention to detail and a pride in managing things well and seeing opportunities for continuous improvement.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,699, Fair Work Agency contributes £8,603 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application Information

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete:

A CV detailing your career history, and skills/experience
250 word examples for each of the following behaviours
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will also be assessed against the essential criteria.

Sift Information

At sift you will be assessed on your CV and your behaviour examples. In the event of a high number of applications a pre sift will take place on the following behaviour.

Making Effective Decisions

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift will take place during w/c 15th June.

Interview Information

The following behaviours will be assessed at interview

Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing

Interviews will be conducted w/c 22nd June. Interviews may be conducted either in person or virtually (via video conferencing). Candidates will be advised of the format in advance.

Please note that dependent on numbers of applications received, these dates could be subject to change.

Important information

No applications will be accepted after the closing date and time.

Further information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.

The Agency will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Terms and Conditions are attached.

Please note the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : [email protected]
Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

Email : [email protected]

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact Fair Work Agency (FWA) recruitment team by email at [email protected]

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/document/a-guide-for-civil-servants-bringing-a-civil-service-code-complaint-to-the-civil-service-commission/

Details

Reference number

Salary

Job grade

Contract type

Business area

Type of role

Working pattern

Number of jobs available

Contents

Location

About the job

Job summary

Job description

Person specification

Behaviours

Benefits

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Selection process details

Security

Nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

Diversity and Inclusion

Apply and further information

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Recruitment team

Further information

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