Personal Assistant in Local Operations - 31505

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Personal Assistant in Local Operations - 31505

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Job Description

Ever heard people say that Personal Assistants (PAs) are the backbone of an organisation? They manage relationships, solve problems, and make the impossible happen - all while keeping everything running smoothly. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

We have an exciting opportunity to join 2 of our dynamic Executive Office teams, supporting senior leaders within Incident Management and Resilience and our new Growth, Permitting & Monitoring departments as PAs.

Our PAs play a vital role in ensuring our Director and Deputy Directors can focus on delivering their work, providing high-quality administrative support in a fast-paced and rewarding environment.

We’re seeking proactive, highly organised team players who can think ahead and pay close attention to detail. You’ll need strong judgment and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively across the business and with other government departments. Excellent communication and administrative skills are essential, and discretion is a must when handling sensitive information.

You will:

Be part of a fast-moving, high-impact team tackling interesting and important challenges.
Gain exposure to a variety of work across the senior leadership team.

Work closely with other PAs, ensuring seamless support across Operations.

Develop your skills and experience, whether you're already a PA, a Business Administrator, or looking to broaden your expertise in a new area.

At the Environment Agency, we are committed to inclusion, diversity, and flexible working. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and encourage job-sharing and flexible working patterns.

The team

The roles are within Operations, and you will join a small friendly team in either Incident Management & Resilience or Growth, Permitting & Monitoring providing support to the Directors and Deputy Directors.

Experience/skills Required

Key skills for the role are:

Resilience and agility - the ability to remain flexible and think creatively to solve problems when plans change.
Confidentiality and discretion – handling sensitive information with professionalism and always ensuring confidentiality.
Relationship building – understanding customer needs and delivering high-quality support to foster strong, effective working relationships.
Judgment and prioritisation – effectively managing your workload, identifying priorities, and proactively highlighting potential issues.

Contact and additional information

For an informal chat about this role, please contact James.pritchard-evans@environment-agency.gov.uk

We are a national team so can welcome applicants from across England.

Colleagues will have a base location at one of our offices, and we work in a hybrid way splitting time between Office and home working, with some travel required.

Interviews will be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams during week commencing 8 September 2025. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the interview process, please let us know. All requests will be thoughtfully considered and accommodated wherever possible

You will be encouraged to consider an incident role which supports the Environment Agency’s response to incidents.

Top 3 capabilities for these roles are:

Achieves results

Focuses on customers and partners

Communicates Effectively

Competence 1

Achieves Results

Description

Description

Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.

Using an example, please explain how you have prioritised and organised your workload to deliver multiple tasks by strict deadlines. How did you decide what to do first and what could wait?

Competence 2

Focuses on Customers and Partners

Description

Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses

Can you share an example of a time when you had to manage competing priorities? How did you ensure each customer received the best possible outcome, and how did you handle situations where expectations couldn’t be fully met?

Competence 3

Communicates Effectively

Description

Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

Please tell us about a time when you had to listen and question to understand and engage. How did you then collate that information, share and communicate it to others?

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Seniority level

Seniority level
Associate

Employment type

Employment type
Full-time

Job function

Job function
Administrative

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Location:: Reading, England, United Kingdom
Salary:: £60,000 - £80,000
Job Type:: PartTime
Category:: Human Resources