Senior Executive Assistant
£44,111 per annum (pay award pending) - Grade 8
Leeds / Hybrid Full time - 37 hours per week
Closing date: Sunday 22 February 2026 at 11:55pm
Please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share. We currently have a vacancy for a Senior Executive Assistant to join our Senior Leadership Support team.
As Senior Executive Assistant, you will understand the strategic and political context in which the Chief Executive, Directors and Executive Directors operate, responding appropriately whilst maintaining a professional and politically neutral approach.
You will take a proactive approach to planning the workload of the function, anticipating requirements, identifying solutions and ensuring actions are completed. This includes preparing material that supports the Chief Executive in carrying out their duties.
Using a clear understanding of the Chief Executive’s role and priorities, you will manage enquiries from a wide range of internal and external stakeholders - including Leaders, Councillors, Chief Executives, Senior Civil Servants, Ministers and members of the press - ensuring all interactions are handled with professionalism, efficiency and good judgement. This role requires a Senior Executive Assistant with excellent communication skills and the confidence, discretion and strategic awareness to operate effectively when supporting at the highest levels of the organisation.
Our Offer
· Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a generous flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.
· Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.
· Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard (Zones 1–5).
· Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
· Investing in you – Take advantage of fully funded professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.
· Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.
· Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.
· Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
· Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.
The Role
Reporting into the Head of the Chief Executive’s Office your key responsibilities will include:
Act as the first point of contact for the Combined Authority’s Chief Executive, delivering a high-level, specialist and confidential executive support service.
Provide professional and discreet secretarial support for meetings involving the Chief Executive and other senior stakeholders, this includes agenda planning, collating and quality-checking papers, and producing accurate, timely minutes.
Supporting the Head of the Chief Executive’s Office in coordinating and leading the Office and the wider Senior Leadership Support Team, helping to drive performance and embed high standards across the function.
Please review the Role Profile for more information about the responsibilities. About You
You will have the following key skills, attributes, education and experience:
· Holds a degree or has equivalent relevant experience.
· Previous experience successfully performing within a similar political / government role.
· Experienced in forming and developing effective senior level working relationships with senior officers, members, Government, and partner organisations to achieve the best outcomes for the organisation.
· Comprehensive experience of providing leadership in a complex public-private sector partnership context.
· Proven ability to influence and persuade, using personal credibility.
To Apply
If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form on our website and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review
the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.
Further Information
The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.
Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met. Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis
