Personal Assistant to Head of Education and Service Support Assistant

Are you a highly organised and proactive professional who can provide trusted support in a busy senior leadership environment?

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of the Education Division, helping senior leaders to coordinate priorities, communicate effectively and deliver high-quality services for children, young people and schools across East Sussex.

As Personal Assistant to a Head of Education and Service Support Assistant, you will provide efficient, comprehensive and confidential personal assistant and administrative support to the Head of Education, the Senior Leadership Team and the wider SLT Support team. You will manage diaries and meetings, prepare accurate reports, correspondence and presentations, monitor actions and timescales, and respond appropriately to colleagues, elected members, customers and external partners. You will also undertake high-level administrative work, support projects and help the Division manage important information and statutory requests. You will also:

• Provide trusted PA and administrative support in a complex, fast-moving environment
• Coordinate meetings, actions, correspondence, data and project activity accurately and on time
• Build effective working relationships with senior leaders, colleagues, elected members and external partners

The role works as part of the SLT Support team, providing support to the Head of Education and their Senior Leadership Team, and cover across the team where required.

We are looking for candidates who:

• Have previous secretarial or Personal Assistant experience and strong Microsoft Office skills
• Communicate confidently and professionally with people at all levels, including those raising concerns or complaints
• Organise and prioritise a varied workload, meet deadlines and maintain confidentiality
• Use initiative, sound judgement and political awareness to solve problems and assess priorities
• Collate and interpret numerical data, produce accurate written work and adapt flexibly to changing demands

You will be proactive, dependable and comfortable working with sensitive information. You will bring excellent attention to detail, a collaborative approach and the ability to remain organised when priorities change.

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are working towards a workforce that reflects the communities we serve because we recognise the value of different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences.

Please download the Job Description and Person Specification for more information.

To apply for this role, please follow the ‘Apply Now’ button above and upload your CV and a Supporting Statement. We will be using your Supporting Statement to shortlist so please be sure to address how you meet all the criteria in the person specification, drawing on any relevant work/life experience, education, or personal interests.

For guidance on how to write an application see our how to apply page and our statement on the use of AI.

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams. Interviews will be taking place on Thursday 5 November 2026. If you are unavailable on this date let us know and we may be able to schedule an alternative date to interview you.

Candidates who meet certain criteria are given priority when we shortlist. See our priority status page for details.

This is an opportunity to play a central role in the effective running of the Education Division. Your work will help senior leaders stay focused on priorities, ensure decisions and actions are followed through, and support clear, timely communication across a large and complex organisation.

You will join a collaborative support team with a varied workload and the opportunity to develop your experience of senior-level administration, data and project support while contributing to services that make a difference for children and young people.

We offer a diverse range of benefits to help and support you during your employment. More information can be found on our benefits page.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Katie Ridgway, Head of Education: Inclusion and Partnerships, via katie.ridgway@eastsussex.gov.uk to arrange a Microsoft Teams call or telephone conversation.

For work that makes a difference choose East Sussex.