Specialist PA to Service Directors
Stockport Council
Specialist PA to Service Directors Application Deadline: 17th May 2026, 11:59pm Join us at Stockport Council MJ Local Authority of the Year 2025 Your Role It is an exciting time to join our ambitious council. Our Senior Leadership Team sits at the heart of our ongoing transformation and plays a critical role in delivering our priorities for residents, communities and partners. To support this, we are seeking a highly skilled and professional Specialist Personal Assistant to provide dedicated support to our Service Directors. Working as part of a team of Personal Assistants, you will develop strong, trusted relationships with your Service Directors, acting as a key enabler in the effective management of their time, priorities and responsibilities. You will provide highquality, proactive and confidential support in a fastpaced, politically sensitive environment, ensuring that senior leaders are able to focus on strategic delivery and decisionmaking. This role requires excellent organisational skills, sound judgement and the confidence to work autonomously, anticipating issues before they arise and resolving them efficiently. You will play a vital role in coordinating complex diaries, meetings and communications, supporting governance processes, and ensuring the smooth flow of information across services and partner organisations. About You Will ideally have PA experience in the public or private sector supporting Senior Officers of a similar level. With the ability to work independently and pro-actively you will be responsible for providing comprehensive and confidential personal support. You will also work collaboratively with other PAs across the Council. The successful candidate will work closely with management at all levels within the organisation and partner agencies so the successful candidate must have the ability to build strong effective working relationships and have exceptional interpersonal skills. Some of the key activities include: About Us At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions. If you would like to find out more about the role please contact Kristina Makowska via email kristina.makowska@stockport.gov.uk or telephone 07732252054 for an informal discussion about the role. This post is politically restricted under the terms of the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act. This dictates that you must seek the council’s permission before taking up any additional appointments or positions. Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify. Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria. Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme Eligible at-risk employees are entitled to have their applications considered ahead of internal employees in line with the Council’s Recruitment and Selection Policy. At risk employees are either employees in the last three months of their fixed term contract, or those who have been notified in writing that they are at risk by Human Resources following an employee consultation meeting. Employees wishing to be considered as an at-risk applicant are requested to email recruitment@stockport.gov.uk to inform Human Resources. At risk applications are only permitted for opportunities at the employees’ current grade or grades below. Follow our recruitment team on X, Instagram and Facebook for updates on our vacancies and recruitment events. Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce. We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.
Scale 4 (£26,403 £28,142)
37 Hours, Full-Time
Temporary (December 2027)
Hybrid: Stopford House, Stockport and homeworking (minimum three days in the office, sometimes more when necessary)
Please be aware that we may close this vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Shortlisting Date: 18th May 2026
Interview Date: 20th May 2026
Interview Type: In personSupporting Documents
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Location
Piccadilly, , Stockport, SK1 3XE, United Kingdom
Job ID
12144
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice
Stay Safe When Applying
To protect yourself from recruitment scams, please only apply for roles through the official greater.jobs website and associated recruitment systems. We will never ask for your personal information outside of this process.
Employee Benefits
Annual Leave
A generous annual leave allowance, up to 30 days annual leave dependent on grade and length of service, plus bank holidays with the option to purchase additional annual leave
Work Life Balance
Work and personal life balance. Many jobs include part time working, flexi-time and homeworking
Employee engagement
Employee engagement networks to support colleagues and create opportunities to feed into both workforce and borough strategies
Volunteering
Support for volunteering by allowing up to 4 hours per month (pro rata) to carry out any duties associated with this
Learning and Development
A suite of learning and development opportunities, from important data protection training to all level apprenticeships
Discounts
A huge range of discounts via an easy to use portal, including: Gym memberships, restaurants, events, travel, cycle to work scheme, home electronics and more.
Wellbeing
Access to an employee support hotline, available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Pension Scheme
Option to join the Local Government Pension Scheme and give your pension a boost by enrolling into a salary sacrifice scheme.
Our Recruitment Journey
Seen a job you’re interested in but want to understand more about our recruitment process?
Application stage
When you have seen a job, you are interested in you can submit your application online by clicking ‘Apply Now’, some vacancies will ask you to complete a supporting statement where you should address the About You section of the Job Profile for the role. Other vacancies will ask you to upload a CV.
Shortlisting
In keeping with our commitment to inclusion, recruiting managers take an anonymised approach to recruiting when shortlisting your application form. They will use the supporting information section of your application and your work history to assess your suitability for the job. You'll be notified of the outcome of your application form via email and if successful you'll be invited to book an interview slot.
Interviews
When preparing for the interview, you should familiarise yourself with the job profile. The About You section of the job profile contains the criteria that will be assessed at interview stage. You can prepare for interview by ensuring that you have clear examples relating to how you have met these criteria. If you require any reasonable adjustments because of a disability under the Equality Act, to assist you during the selection process we would be pleased to discuss them with you on recruitment@stockport.gov.uk
Offer stage and pre-employment checks
Offer stage and pre-employment checks If you're offered the job after interviewing, you'll be sent a conditional offer detailing your new role. Along with the conditional contract and offer letter, our team will be in touch regarding your pre-employment checks.
The pre-employment checks that you will need to undertake will depend on the role that you've applied for. These checks may include:
right to work in the UK
Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
The information provided will be dealt with in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice
gaps in employment
reference checks. We will request references prior to issuing your conditional contract
pre-employment health declaration
qualification checks
