- Future Suffolk / Suffolk County Council
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Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX, Hybrid working
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Salary: £34,434 - £40,777 per annum
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Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
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Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment until 31 March 2028
Suffolk's councils are working together on one of the most ambitious change programmes the county has ever seen. Through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we're creating three new unitary councils and building the foundations for the future of local services across Suffolk.
We're looking for talented people to join our programme team and play a key role in making that happen.
As the Executive Assistant and Project Support, you'll be at the centre of the LGR Programme, helping coordinate priorities, connect people and support the effective delivery of objectives. Working closely with the Programme Director, you'll play an important role in helping the programme operate efficiently across multiple organisations.
Your role and responsibilities
You'll be a trusted point of support for the LGR Programme Director, providing proactive, high-quality executive and project support. You'll help coordinate the day-to-day running of the programme, enabling the Programme Director to operate effectively and deliver priorities in a complex, fast-paced and multi-organisational environment.
You will:
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Manage complex diaries, priorities, correspondence and competing demands on behalf of the Programme Director.
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Coordinate meetings, boards and events, preparing agendas and other documentation while ensuring actions, deadlines and logistics are effectively managed.
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Coordinate information, reporting and updates from across multiple workstreams and organisations.
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Lead delegated pieces of work and support delivery of programme priorities.
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Provide high-quality project and administrative support to help keep the programme organised, connected and on track.
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Manage enquiries and escalations, ensuring timely responses and follow-up activity.
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Build effective relationships with senior leaders, partners and stakeholders across Suffolk’s councils.
You will need
We’re looking for a highly organised and proactive professional who can manage competing priorities and provide high-quality support in a complex, multi-organisational environment.
We hope you’ll bring:
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Experience providing executive, secretarial or administrative support at a senior level.
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Experience supporting complex programmes or projects, ideally involving multiple organisations or partners.
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Excellent planning, organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing demands and changing priorities.
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Strong communication, relationship-building and influencing skills, with the confidence to work effectively with senior leaders, elected members and stakeholders.
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The ability to work independently, use initiative, solve problems and operate effectively in ambiguity.
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Political awareness and sensitivity, ideally gained within local government or the wider public sector
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A collaborative, flexible and solutions-focused approach, with a commitment to supporting successful outcomes for Suffolk's residents, communities and public services.
You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.
If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The team
Although hosted by Suffolk County Council, this is a genuinely system-wide role working across the full LGR system, bringing together multiple councils, disciplines and partners behind a single shared objective. The team act on behalf of all Suffolk councils and are accountable to the Future Suffolk Implementation Board.
You’ll join a newly established programme team, united by a shared commitment to delivering change that protects services for residents and creates strong, sustainable new councils.
For more information on LGR in Suffolk, please visit the Three Councils for Suffolk and the Future Suffolk websites.
Applications from Suffolk's five councils
Colleagues currently working for one of Suffolk's five councils are encouraged to apply. Where possible, appointments will be made on a secondment basis, allowing you to retain your substantive role.
Empowering Everyone
We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
Please contact Lysanne Eddy, Programme Director for LGR, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by emailing [email protected].
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Please upload the following to your application:
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An up-to-date copy of your CV
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Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question).
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Question 1: Describe an example where your executive support enabled a senior leader to manage significant complexity, competing demands or organisational pressure effectively.
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Question 2: Describe an example where you made a significant contribution to the successful delivery of a complex programme, project or piece of work involving multiple teams, organisations or stakeholders.
For each example, please explain the scale and complexity involved, your personal role and responsibilities, the action you took and the outcome achieved. We are interested in what you specifically did and the difference your contribution made. General statements without specific supporting evidence will not be scored as highly.
Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.
Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at [email protected] or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 31 August 2026
Provisional interview date: Week commencing 7 September 2026
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid #FutureSuffolk
