Executive Officer

All variations of full-time, part-time and term-time only will be considered.

Salus Head Office near Ashford (flexible/hybrid working)

Are you exceptionally organised, curious and capable, with the ability to think clearly, make sense of complex information and get things done? If the answer is ‘yes!’, then this is an exciting opportunity for you.

Salus is seeking an Executive Officer to work closely with the CEOs and senior team, providing a combination of executive support, research, analysis and organisational coordination across Salus. This is a broad and varied role for someone who can move confidently between managing priorities, preparing briefings, researching new areas and coordinating important pieces of work.

You will be expected to understand the work you are supporting, use your judgement, ask intelligent questions and increasingly take ownership. You will support senior meetings, bids and tenders, commissioner and contract reporting, performance information, governance and cross-organisational projects, ensuring actions and deadlines keep moving.

We are looking for someone with excellent written, analytical and organisational skills who is proactive, resourceful and comfortable working with people at all levels. You will be able to research unfamiliar subjects quickly, identify what matters and turn complex information into clear, useful briefings and actions.

Closing date: 5 October

Interview date: 13 October

Any appointment will be made subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required.

For more information, please contact Sally Williamson on 07725 595722 or Peter Heckel on 07725 595719.

Organisation Summary

Salus works to improve the lives of children, young people and families across Kent and beyond. We work in partnership with commissioners, schools, health services, local authorities, voluntary organisations and communities to deliver responsive, evidence-informed services that make a practical difference.

Our work is collaborative, outcomes-focused and shaped by the needs of the children, young people, families and communities we support. As Salus continues to develop, strong executive coordination, high-quality information and effective organisational systems are essential to helping us deliver well and respond to new opportunities.

Job purpose

The Executive Officer will work closely with the CEOs and senior team, providing a combination of executive support, research, analysis and organisational coordination.

This is a broad and varied role for someone who is highly capable, curious and exceptionally organised. We are interested in what you can do: your ability to think clearly, learn quickly, write well, make sense of complex information and get things done.

The postholder will manage and coordinate meetings and priorities, prepare briefings, undertake research, support bids and tenders, coordinate contract and commissioner returns, review and present performance information, and ensure important actions and pieces of work move forward.

They will be equally comfortable organising a complex diary, reading a lengthy commissioning specification, producing a concise briefing for the CEO, interrogating a spreadsheet, chairing or facilitating a meeting, and coordinating contributions from colleagues against a deadline.

This is not a traditional administrative role. The successful candidate will be expected to understand the work they are supporting, use their judgement, ask intelligent questions and increasingly take ownership of work on behalf of the CEO.

Principal Accountabilities

Executive Support & Coordination

1.1 Provide proactive executive support to the CEO, including complex diary management, meeting coordination, forward planning and prioritisation.

1.2 Anticipate what the CEO needs for key meetings, decisions and external engagements and ensure relevant information, papers and briefings are available in good time.

1.3 Help manage competing priorities and protect time for the issues that matter most, using sound judgement about what needs immediate attention.

1.4 Monitor key correspondence and designated inboxes, identify urgent or significant issues, draft responses where appropriate and ensure actions are followed through.

1.5 Act as a professional and trusted point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, exercising discretion, diplomacy and good judgement.

1.6 Maintain clear action trackers and ensure commitments, decisions and deadlines are not lost.

Research, Briefings & Bids

2.1 Research unfamiliar or complex subjects and turn the findings into concise, accurate and useful briefings for the CEO and senior colleagues.

2.2 Research commissioning, funding, policy and partnership developments relevant to Salus and identify issues, opportunities and implications.

2.3 Review tender and commissioning documentation, identify key requirements, deadlines, risks and decisions, and prepare clear summaries for colleagues.

2.4 Support and coordinate bids, tenders and funding applications, including developing submission plans, coordinating contributions, researching evidence and drafting or editing content.

2.5 Produce and quality assure high-quality reports, briefing papers, presentations, correspondence and other written material for internal and external audiences.

2.6 Undertake research and analysis to support strategic planning, service development and organisational decision-making.

Meetings & Organisational Coordination

3.1 Plan and coordinate senior management, Board, partnership, commissioner and other key meetings, ensuring agendas, papers and actions are well managed.

3.2 Attend, chair or facilitate meetings where appropriate, ensuring discussions are purposeful, decisions are clear and actions are allocated and followed through.

3.3 Prepare accurate minutes, action notes or decision records where required and maintain oversight of progress between meetings.

3.4 Coordinate cross-organisational pieces of work and small projects on behalf of the CEO, bringing together colleagues and external partners to deliver agreed outcomes.

3.5 Build effective working relationships across Salus and with commissioners, partners, schools, health services, local authorities and other stakeholders.

Contracts, Performance & Data

4.1 Contribute to contract monitoring returns, commissioner reports and other scheduled submissions, ensuring contributions are complete, accurate and delivered on time.

4.2 Maintain an overview of key contractual requirements, reporting cycles, deadlines and evidence requirements and work with colleagues to secure the information needed.

4.3 Review and interrogate performance and service data, identify trends, anomalies, gaps and areas requiring attention, and present findings clearly.

4.4 Support the production and improvement of management information, dashboards and reports that enable senior leaders to understand performance and make informed decisions.

4.5 Quality assure data, reports and returns for accuracy, consistency, clarity and compliance with commissioner or funder requirements.

Governance, Systems & Continuous Improvement

5.1 Support effective organisational governance through the coordination of policies, key documents, approvals, records and actions.

5.2 Maintain organised and accessible corporate information, including relevant SharePoint areas, contracts, governance documents and key records.

5.3 Identify where administrative, reporting or coordination processes could work better and implement practical improvements.

5.4 Handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately and maintain high standards of data protection and information governance.

5.5 Work flexibly across organisational priorities, taking ownership of tasks and resolving problems wherever possible rather than simply escalating them.

5.6 Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the level and purpose of the role.

Professional Responsibilities

6.1 Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive organisational and personal information appropriately.

6.2 Work in accordance with Salus policies, safeguarding responsibilities, data protection requirements and organisational values.

6.3 Participate in supervision, performance review and continuing professional development.

6.4 Maintain high standards of professional conduct, accuracy and integrity.

6.5 Contribute positively to a collaborative, inclusive and improvement-focused organisational culture.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

	ESSENTIAL	DESIRABLE
QUALIFICATIONS	Degree-level education. Evidence of strong written, research and analytical capability.	Further qualification or relevant professional development.
EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES	Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise and persuasive briefings, reports and correspondence. Ability to research unfamiliar subjects quickly, evaluate information critically and identify what matters. Strong analytical and numerical skills, including confidence working with spreadsheets and performance information. Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple deadlines, meetings and workstreams. Ability to read and understand complex documents and translate them into clear actions or recommendations. Ability to work autonomously, use initiative, exercise sound judgement and take ownership of work through to completion. Confidence communicating with senior colleagues and external stakeholders and facilitating meetings when required. Ability to coordinate contributions from others, follow up actions and maintain momentum against deadlines. Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy and quality. Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft 365 including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and SharePoint.	Experience of supporting bids, tenders, grants or commissioning processes. Experience of contract monitoring or commissioner reporting. Experience of analysing service or performance data. Experience of project or programme coordination. Experience of supporting senior leaders or governance arrangements.
KNOWLEDGE	Ability to understand organisational, contractual and performance information and apply it in a practical way. Understanding of confidentiality, data protection and the importance of accurate information management.	Knowledge of commissioning and funding environments. Knowledge of the Kent and Medway system. Knowledge of the children, young people, education, health, public or voluntary sectors.
ATTRIBUTES	Intellectually curious and quick to understand new subjects. Highly organised, resourceful and dependable. Calm and effective when priorities change or deadlines are tight. Proactive: notices what needs doing and gets it moving. Comfortable moving between detailed administrative work and more complex analytical work. Confident asking questions and constructively challenging where something does not make sense. Credible and professional with people at all levels. Collaborative, pragmatic and solutions-focused.	A strong interest in the work of Salus and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
Other	Commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion. Willingness to undertake appropriate pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check where required for the role.	Ability to travel within Kent where required.

This job description is provided to assist the post holder to know their principal duties. It may be amended from time to time in consultation with you without change to the level of responsibilities appropriate to the grading of the post.

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