Senior Executive Officer

Job id: 085013. Salary: £51,974 – £61,021 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 22 February 2024. Closing date: 14 March 2024.

Business unit: Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sci. Department: NMES Faculty Office.

Contact details:Paul Jarvis. [email protected]

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Executive Officer to provide quality strategic support to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences (NMES) and to take forward high profile, high impact, and time-critical issues on behalf of the Executive Dean and NMES leadership team.  You will also lead the executive support function and directly manage a small team of Executive Officers who support the wider faculty leadership. 

As Senior Executive Officer, you will be a self-starter and operate with a high degree of personal autonomy, credibility, and integrity, forging positive and effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Through effective exchange of information and the establishment and maintenance of a network of key contacts, you will work proactively to influence outcomes, act as an ambassador for the Faculty, and provide a trusted sounding board to the Executive Dean, acknowledging the need for both sensitivity and confidentiality.

We are looking for a professional and high performing individual with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to operate in a complex, evolving and expanding Faculty.  You will manage a varied workload – including managing a complex diary and inbox – in a calm and methodical manner and deliver against multiple competing priorities to challenging deadlines.

You will need to ensure that the Executive Dean has all the information and materials required to undertake their role effectively and to enable engagement with key groups and a variety of audiences. This will often involve intelligence gathering and the analysis of complex issues as well as the preparation of briefings, reports, and presentations.

You will identify effective solutions, addressing and mitigating any potential areas of risk, as part of the support you provide to the Executive Dean to help deliver the Faculty’s operational and strategic objectives. You will lead and manage activities that directly impact the strategic priorities of the University and Faculty – including Vision 2029. 

Information about the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences and our Executive Dean, Rachel Bearon can be found at the following links:

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/nmes

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/rachel-bearon

The role will be principally located on the Strand Campus in the heart of central London. The role holder’s working arrangements will be hybrid and they will spend part of their working week on campus and part of the week working remotely.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post.

Key responsibilities

• Leading and managing activities on behalf of the Executive Dean.  The outcomes of which will have a direct impact on the achievement of the faculty’s strategic priorities.
• Manage and lead a team of Executive Officers, providing direction, guidance, and support to ensure that the daily operations of the Executive Dean and faculty leadership such as inbox and diary management and associated preparatory activities are managed effectively.
• In working closely with the Executive Dean and the NMES senior leadership team, use initiative and work proactively to anticipate their requirements.
• Provide advice and guidance for the Executive Dean and undertake a range of value-added activity that provides them with strategic support and assists with decision making.  Such as: forward planning; inbox horizon scanning; drafting correspondence; report writing; drafting and preparing briefings and materials; preparing presentations; and presenting management information.
• Undertake research and analyse information to produce succinct, evidence-based reports on a variety of issues, providing options, and proposing actions and recommendations.
• Work collaboratively with the NMES Executive Board and the Faculty Leadership team to ensure that Faculty priorities are delivered, and Executive decisions are recorded and implemented.
• Proactively establish, build, and maintain networks and represent the Executive Dean internally and externally – acting as an ambassador and communicating with impact to influence outcomes
• Support the development and evolution of the Faculty, in actively seeking opportunities for building long-term relationships with stakeholders.
• Provide secretariat support to for the monthly Executive Board meetings, Committees and meetings as required, ensuring that appropriate governance arrangements are in place.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

Significant experience of working with senior executives and their management teams and operating at a strategic level, with minimal supervision

Experience of working with senior executives to anticipate their need and provide proactive, initiative-based thinking and solutions that enhances their work

Experience of managing and minuting Boards and Committees and ensuring excellent attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy

Experience of diary management / diary oversight and inbox management and the ability to forward plan effectively

Excellent communication skills both verbal and in writing, with a high standard of English and an excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Proven experience of building and nurturing relationships at all levels and establishing and maintaining networks, internally and externally

Strong customer service skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a wide variety of people in a professional and assured manner with an approachable attitude that builds credibility and ensures integrity.

Proven experience of using emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and negotiation skills to influence outcomes whilst maintaining confidentiality and understanding sensitivities.

Experience of undertaking desk-based research and analysis to inform work and the ability to understand complex concepts.

Experience of report writing, preparing briefings, drafting materials, and making informed recommendations based on sound judgements and analysis.

Ability to work with a high degree of flexibility to balance a varied workload and manage competing priorities to deliver against sometimes challenging deadlines.

Desirable criteria

Experience of leading high performing teams and providing direction, guidance, and support

Evidence of continued professional training or development.