Job Specification

X2 Executive Assistant roles

• Executive Assistant - Private Office of the Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales

• Executive Assistant - General Regulatory Chamber

Private Offices Directorate, Judicial Office

Organisation:

The Judicial Office (JO) is a unique branch of the civil service, independent from the machinery which supports the Government and dedicated to supporting the judiciary as the third arm of the state. We promote and safeguard judicial independence to maintain confidence in the rule of law. We are answerable not to Ministers but instead, through our Chief Executive, to the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales (LCJ) and the Senior President of Tribunals as we help them to fulfil their responsibilities to the judiciary.

We support c.22,000 judicial office holders, providing policy, legal and handling advice, and operational support. This includes advice on judicial leadership, support with relationships with Government and Parliament, assistance with justice sector reform, judicial education and training, communications, and HR.

Directorate:

The postholder will join the Judicial Private Offices directorate. The business units include operational private offices; jurisdiction and policy private offices; and the Judicial Executive Board Secretariat.

Overview:

Executive Assistant - Private Office of the Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Private Office of the Lady Chief Justice as an Executive Assistant. Based at the Royal Courts of Justice, the postholder will play a key role in the smooth running of a busy, cross-jurisdictional office supporting the most senior members of the judiciary in England and Wales. The Lady Chief Justice, The Right Honourable Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, is the Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales and the President of the Courts of England and Wales.

Working closely with colleagues within the Private Office and across the Judicial Office and wider government, the Executive Assistant will provide high-quality administrative and organisational support to the Lady Chief Justice and her team. The role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the delivery of the LCJ’s strategic priorities, including through the coordination of meetings, correspondence, circuit visits and travel, and wider office functions.

Executive Assistant - General Regulatory Chamber

This is an exciting opportunity to work with and support some of the most senior Tribunal’s judiciary in the country. The successful candidate will be an Executive Assistant to the President of the General Regulatory Chamber.

The Chamber Presidents’ Private Offices are a series of small jurisdictional teams focused on supporting each Chamber and Tribunal President across all their leadership functions. Each Private Office works collaboratively with expert teams across the Judicial Office and HMCTS to provide policy and legal advice, as well as general secretariat and administrative support, to the Chamber and Tribunal Presidents.

Role Summary:

Postholders will be responsible for ensuring that their principals are provided with high quality administrative, diary and inbox support, and will assist with day-to-day queries and requests for support from the Private Office team.

Main Activities / Responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the posts include, but are not limited to:

• Organising and prioritising routine work.

• Managing the Principal’s diary and/or daily pack of meeting papers.

• Processing hotel and travel bookings.

• Processing, triaging and drafting some personal correspondence (incoming and outgoing).

• Distributing local communications.

• Supporting the resolution of judicial accommodation and/or IT issues for, and on behalf of, the principal.

• Arranging meetings, booking rooms and setting up IT as necessary, including the issuing of calendar invites through Outlook, Teams and e-Judiciary.

• Gathering and circulating papers ahead of meetings, minute-taking, and recording/tracking and chasing actions where directed.

• Managing a shared mailbox in addition to a personal inbox, responding to and/or redirecting messages as appropriate.

• Processing stationary orders and managing post and deliveries.

• Answering phone calls to the Private Office and triaging as appropriate.

Person specification: 
 

The successful candidate must: 

• be able to manage conflicting priorities and use their initiative to re-prioritise work at short notice.

• be willing and able to support the team in other jurisdictions as/when required.

• be able to communicate clearly, both in writing and orally.

• have excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong relationships with a range of peers and stakeholders working across the justice system.

• be open to changes to ways of working and support the team in driving these changes forward.

• embrace constructive feedback and be comfortable reflecting on how tasks could be done better.

Desirable Knowledge and Skills: 
 

• experience of working closely with the judiciary, and an interest in the workings of the courts and tribunals more widely. 
   

The support provided by judicial Private Offices necessarily involves working before and after court, in keeping with the judge’s diary commitments and sitting patterns. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary. This role is not suitable for reduced hours working. 

Location: 

Based in London within the Royal Courts of Justice estate (combining the Royal Courts of Justice (Strand), and Field House (Breams Buildings). 

Whilst these posts are eligible for hybrid working and attract a minimum attendance of 60% of working hours to be spent in the office, there is a general expectation that the EA to the LCJ will be present when the LCJ is in the Royal Courts of Justice. Visibility is important. There is greater opportunity for flexibility during judicial vacation.

How to apply: 

This is a Success Profiles based recruitment and Civil Service Behaviours will be considered at application stage along with a candidate CV. 

How to apply 

This is a Success Profiles based recruitment and Civil Service Behaviours will be considered at application stage along with a candidate CV. 

Behaviours to be assessed at application stage:  

Delivering at Pace, Communicating & Influencing, Working Together, Managing a Quality Service

In the event of a high volume of applications, we will sift on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing. 

Candidates invited to interview will be assessed on these behaviours and on Civil Service Strengths. 

We anticipate that interviews for candidates successful at sift will be held during w/c 15^th September 2025. 

If you wish to discuss the role before applying, please contact:

• EA to Lady Chief Justice: Aysha Smith (Aysha.Smith@judiciary.uk/Richard.Hunt@judiciary.uk)

• EA to GRC Chamber President: Nicola Brown (Nicola.Brown@judiciary.uk)