Executive Support Administrator – Maternity Cover – Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Hours: Part Time – 30 hours per week – working pattern to be agreed with the successful postholder but to include a minimum of 3 days per week

Location: The service encourages flexible working and is open to flexible working options. The role will be based at Service Headquarters, Salisbury with the flexibility to work from home / DWFRS Stations / Support Offices and we would welcome a conversation with the successful candidate on what type of flexible working arrangement will work best for you. There will be a requirement to attend your base location approximately 3 days a week for key activities and meetings

Appointment Type: Temporary – 12 month fixed term contract (or until return of substantive postholder)

Contact: For a chat about this post, please contact Samantha Stephens, Senior Personal Assistant to Chief Executives Office on 01722 691080 / Samantha.Stephens@dwfire.org.uk

Closing and Interview date: The closing date for applications is Sunday 18 January 2026 (midnight). It is intended that interviews will take place on Thursday 29 January 2026. Should you be shortlisted for interview, further details regarding the interview format / location will be provided before the interview date.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well-being services.

As an Executive Support Administrator in our Corporate Support department you will:

• Provide switchboard services received by phone and email from Service users and members of the public, directing them to the appropriate teams and individuals. Taking messages on behalf of other staff, dealing with routine queries and giving appropriate guidance when required.
• Provide ownership of the travel and accommodation bookings process for the Service.
• Coordinate certificates and presentations for employees leaving the organisation.

• Oversee bookings for meeting rooms at headquarters, to include external bookings for facilities and general housekeeping of headquarters. Provide other office services as required, including collation of data, photocopying, scanning, distribution of information, raising purchase orders for corporate services, maintaining stationery supplies, processing incoming and outgoing post and organising catering when required.
• Provide support and coverage for Personal Assistants when required to ensure the day-to-day schedules of all members of the Strategic Leadership Team run smoothly, by providing diary management, itineraries, deadline reminders, mileage and expenses claims and appropriate documentation as required.

What makes you our ideal Corporate Support Administrator?

• A level, NVQ 3 or equivalent in a relevant subject area, or equivalent and demonstrable working experience at this level.
• Executive (Board Level) Personal Assistant experience or recent experience in a supporting role carrying out a range of administrative tasks
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft products, including Teams, PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook

For full details of the role and requirements please have a look at the job description and person specification.

Other Information:

• You must be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the role. You will be required to work from Service Headquarters, Salisbury approximately 3 days a week. There may be occasional meetings elsewhere within the service area.
• The role involves some infrequent evening and weekend working, however this is very rare.
• If you are applying for a secondment opportunity you will need to notify your substantive line manager of your intention to do so at the earliest opportunity.
• A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on the successful individual prior to offer of employment.
• Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 3 years.
• Should a permanent position arise in the team during the period of your Fixed Term Contract, that is substantially similar to the role you are carrying out, you may be considered for the role in the first instance.
• Please click here for information relating to raising tax awareness and pension considerations when applying for a job.

To find out more and apply:

Our Candidate Charter outlines the commitments we make to you when applying for a vacancy with us.

Please note we do not accept CV’s in place of application forms.

We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills in your application, but please don’t allow it to overshadow your own unique voice.

While we appreciate innovative approaches, we also value authenticity. Our assessment considers both the content of the application and how it was created, ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all applicants. At the end of the day – we want YOU to work for us!

You should ensure you include satisfactory evidence in your application to demonstrate all of the areas stated as being measured at the Application Stage on the Person Specification. This will ensure you have the best opportunity of progressing to the next stage of the selection process.

We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.  All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training.

We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post to which they are applying.  Please tell us in confidence if this applies to you, or if there are any reasonable adjustments that would help you apply for this post. To find out more, please see our website.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People.  All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.

If you hold international qualifications, you will be required to provide official evidence that shows how these compare to UK Qualifications. We will accept a Statement of Comparability from a UK organisation called ENIC which can be obtained via their website. Please note that UK ENIC charge for this service, so if you request a Statement of Compatibility, you will be required to pay for it as we are unable to reimburse you.

For further guidance on how to complete your application, please refer to the Job Application Guidance Notes. If you are experiencing difficulties completing your application or have a need to complete your application in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact HR Resourcing on 01722 691444 within plenty of time of the closing date of the position you are applying for.

Values & Behaviours Framework

Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Services.  When recruiting, we identify the most important behaviours for the role and these are used as part of the short-listing and selection process.