Assistant Private Secretary

We are looking for an Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to join our Executive Office team to provide support to our Chair. 

The PHSO has embarked upon a three year strategy to become an exemplary ombudsman service by providing an independent, impartial and fair complaints resolution service to help raise standards and improve public services. The organisation’s Chair and Chief Executive are central to delivering this transformation by providing effective leadership to the Board and the Executive Team.

The Chair and Chief Executive are supported in their roles by the Executive Office which ensures that they are able to deliver on their corporate priorities. The office is managed by the Chief of Staff, who provides high-level strategic and policy support to the organisation’s senior leaders.

The post-holder will have three broad areas of responsibility:

Delivering the Chair’s priorities

The APS will need to develop an understanding of the key corporate priorities of the Chair, and work with the Chief of Staff to progress them both internally and externally. This will require initiative, the capacity to influence people at all levels, and an ability to make decisions in a fast-paced and complex environment.

Providing personal support

The APS will need to ensure that the Chair is provided with a high level of comprehensive administrative support. This will involve complex diary management, commissioning briefings, preparing papers for meetings, note taking, monitoring and producing correspondence, arranging travel and accommodation, and managing expenses.

Managing a small team

The APS manages a small team within the Executive Office, including one Executive Assistant and one Business Support Officer. The team is based across the London and Manchester offices, so regular travel to Manchester will be required in order to carry out the relevant line management responsibilities.