Executive Assistant

Location: Exeter HQ Met Office

Reference number: 517

Contract: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Salary: £26,954 - £29,531

Apply Now

We’re looking for an exceptional Executive Assistant to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Executive Assistant, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share.  Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone.

World changing work

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.

  • We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
  • We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
  • We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
  • We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
  • We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Your world of expertise

The overall requirement of the post is to provide administrative support to Met Office Executive Directors. Much of the work will be required to meet tight deadlines; it will involve careful planning, managing competing priorities and require utmost discretion.

You will liaise with colleagues of all levels, both internally and externally, including key customers, stakeholders and our Owner to support the Executive. The EAs of the Executive work as a team, providing support and cover for each other as necessary.

Your key duties

  • Developing and managing relationships with Directors to understand their motivations, needs and priorities.
  • Managing the Directors’ diaries to ensure that their time is focused and prioritised.
  • Liaising with others to ensure the Directors have the appropriate briefing and documentation for meetings, visits, and events.
  • Organising and co-ordinating travel and accommodation, ensuring it adheres to relevant policies.
  • Handling communication and correspondence on behalf of your Director when appropriate.
  • Managing the flow of emails in a Director’s inbox to ensure they can focus on the highest priorities.
  • Undertaking specific individual tasks and projects for your Director.
  • Providing support to other members of the Executive when their EAs are absent or have a high workload.
  • First point of contact for some key customers and stakeholders, both internal and external.

Why join us

Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Executive Assistant, your total reward package will be up to £38,280 annually, which includes:

  • £26,954 base pay
  • An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 27%
  • Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

  1. Demonstrable experience managing a busy diary, working with senior executives and stakeholders, to prioritise competing demands and optimise use of time (Expert by nature).
  2. Proven ability to collaborate with colleagues to collate documentation, papers, and briefings, ensuring the Executive are fully prepared for meetings and engagements (Better together).
  3. Strong ability to organise effective and efficient UK and international business travel (Force for good).
  4. Demonstrable experience of organising high-level meetings to ensure they happen in a successful and effective way (We live and breathe it).
  5. Proven ability to work well independently and as part of a team to ensure continuity of cover for all Executive Directors (Better together).
  6. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, especially Outlook, Word and SharePoint.

How to apply

If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills.

Closing date 15/12/2024 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 06/01/2025. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

How we can help

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk.

If you’re considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.

We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.

Rewards and benefits

Our rewards and benefits are as varied as our customers and our people, depending on your role, and which part of the business you join. The one thing they have in common is that they’re designed to recognise your contribution to our success.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Holiday Icon.png

Generous holiday allowance

Starting at 27.5 days and rising to 32.5 days after five years of service (both figures exclude bank holidays). As well as the flexibility to buy or sell annual leave annually.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Pension Icon.png

Civil Service pension

You’ll automatically qualify to join our alpha pension scheme, part of the Civil Service Pension arrangements. The scheme is recognised as one of the most generous occupational pensions.

TLA - Icons SET 2 V2-5.png

Continuous career development

We’ll invest in your training and personal development throughout your career to help you reach your potential. We provide you with the space and freedom to think, innovate and try new things and have professional frameworks aligned to each area. We encourage and support professional memberships, have an array of internal apprenticeship and qualification opportunities and a comprehensive mentoring and coaching programme to name just a few initiatives to create your world of development at the Met Office!

TLA - Icons SET 2 V2-8.png

Cycle to work scheme

We can help towards the purchase of bicycles and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel via a salary sacrifice scheme.

Picture 8.png

Lifestyle support

Whether you wish to utilise our excellent family-friendly schemes, be paid up to 3 days for volunteering with your chosen organisation, have the reassurance of a generous sickness pay scheme or be part of an organisation that is happy to pro-actively talk about flexible working the Met Office wants you to have a great work and lifestyle balance.

TLA - Icons SET 2 V2-4.png

Established hybrid working

We have bases all over the UK and some roles allow for you to work abroad so there is the option to travel for work also, we have established amazing hybrid working practices across all of our offices and have enhanced technology to enable office and home-based meetings. We work with employees to agree on a suitable working pattern that works for us both and have various working patterns in place.

Picture 9.png

Onsite parking and EV charging

We offer onsite free parking at our main offices with disabled parking spots also available. We are ever expanding our eCharging stations and have these available for use at most sites.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Buy Sell Holiday Icon.png

Benefits platform

We offer an enhanced discount shopping portal and schemes for employees to make everyday savings including retail shopping such as your weekly food shops, technology products, DIY projects, travel and trips as well as active lifestyle options. We also have an instant recognition scheme with the potential for you to receive vouchers for when you have gone the extra mile to demonstrate our Met Office Values.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Assessment Icon.png

Employee wellbeing

Across our offices we have an array of different options to support your wellbeing including 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with phone and app provisions, lots of EDI initiatives to empower our diverse workforce and a dedicated wellbeing network with regular events to help you thrive!

TLA - Icons SET 2 V2-7.png

Commitment to our environment and biodiversity

Our force for good value aligns perfectly with our support for environmental impact improvements. We were the first public sector body to be awarded the prestigious Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark Award and have different initiatives across our sites from our beautiful biodiversity butterfly garden, toilet water provided from the cooling of our epic supercomputer, car share schemes, team beach clean events and extensive recycling facilities for our everyday use.

Picture 13.png

It’s good to talk

We have a fantastic group of employee volunteers who form our Mental Health First Aiders as well as Dignity & Respect at Work groups. Alongside our EAP they are in the office or a remote call away to support with a listening ear and can signpost you to helpful resources and support.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Offer Icon.png

ED&I staff networks

We recognise the benefits that networks can offer to our employees not only in terms of better together peer support but also in raising awareness of the challenges some of our employees may experience, and we know that people perform better when they can be themselves.

Investing in your development

The world around us is constantly changing. New technologies, shifting climate patterns, artificial intelligence. These factors and more shape the need for us to develop our skills and knowledge as a business and as individuals. Our investment in learning and development is testament to this and we have partnered with external bodies in each profession to help shape the way we develop the incredible talent right across the Met Office. We help everyone to understand their strengths and opportunities and tailor learning programmes that match their career. For us, this is world-leading learning and development.

More about what we can offer you
CB5A2538.jpg

Our typical recruitment process

Met Office Jobs - Eligibility Icon.png

1. Eligibility

For those living outside of the UK, there are some roles where we can sponsor Skilled Worker visas. However, you will still need to pass security clearance which requires you to have resided in the UK for 30 months in the last three years.

Met Office Jobs - Application Icon.png

2. Application

Apply through our careers website. Each application will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the job advert. We recommend that you use the CARL or STAR method to answer the key questions. Evidence your answers and reference our values to bring your application to life.

Met Office Jobs - Screening Icon.png

3. Screening

The sift panel will assess all applications against our essential criteria. Our screening process usually takes one to two weeks following the closing date of the advert. After which, we'll be in touch to let you know whether your application has progressed to the next stage.

Met Office Jobs - Interview Icon.png

4. Interview

Most recruitment processes will include a single-stage interview, some of which are virtual interviews and some may be in-person. Our interviews tend to blend competency questions, which focus on the essential criteria, with values-based questions.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Assessment Icon.png

5. Assessment

Some roles may require you to attend an assessment day. Any job-specific assessments will be outlined in the job advert and more details will be provided at the interview stage.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Offer Icon.png

6. Offer

If you are successful following the interview, the hiring manager will contact you to offer the role. The Resourcing Team will then follow up with an offer letter and start your onboarding.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Onboarding Icon.png

7. Onboarding

Before we can confirm a start date, we will first need to complete security clearance and reference checks. These usually take between eight to ten weeks to complete. We'll also discuss any workplace adjustments that you may need. So they are in place on your first day.

Met Office Jobs - Careers Website - Assessment Icon.png

8. Your first day

On your first day your new manager will introduce you to the team and you’ll start our online corporate induction. You’ll also be asked to update your details in our People Hub system including bank details ready for your first pay day.

Ready to apply?

Executive Assistant

Location: Exeter HQ Met Office

Reference number: 517

CB5A2161.jpg

Can’t find the job
you’re looking for?

If you can't see a job that interests you, why not register for our job alerts by email service? And we’ll email you when a job that matches what you're looking for is uploaded onto the site.

Register for job alerts