Secretary Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, searchable Secretary job advert that sets out day-to-day duties, essential skills and the practical information candidates need to decide whether to apply.
What does a Secretary professional do?
A Secretary provides general office and administrative support: managing communications, organising diaries and records, preparing documents and ensuring smooth daily operations.
Secretary job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Secretary
About the role
[Employer name] is recruiting a reliable Secretary to provide administrative and secretarial support to our team in [Location]. You will manage phone and email correspondence, schedule meetings, prepare minutes and maintain accurate records. This is a [full-time/part-time] position, working [hours/pattern], with a salary of [Salary or salary range]. To apply, send your CV and a brief cover note to [application email or application link].
Key responsibilities
- Answer, screen and direct incoming calls; take and distribute clear messages.
- Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence including email, post and internal memos.
- Schedule and coordinate meetings, appointments and travel arrangements; maintain diaries.
- Prepare agendas, take accurate minutes and follow up on action points.
- Draft, format and proofread letters, reports and presentations to a professional standard.
- Maintain paper and electronic filing systems; ensure documents are stored securely and retrievable.
- Support office workflows such as ordering supplies, processing invoices or basic bookkeeping tasks where required.
- Greet visitors and provide a professional first point of contact for the office.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience in an administrative or secretarial role.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
- Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage time effectively.
- Competent with common office software (word processing, spreadsheets, email and calendar tools).
- Accurate typing and attention to detail.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and maintain professional standards.
- Professional manner when dealing with colleagues, clients and suppliers.
Desirable
- Experience of diary management and minute-taking in meetings.
- Familiarity with office systems such as shared drives, CRM or case management software.
- Keyboard speed and shorthand or shorthand awareness (if relevant to the role).
- Basic bookkeeping or invoice-handling experience.
- Customer-service or reception experience.
- Willingness to support periodic events or out-of-hours meetings.
What we offer
- [Pension scheme details or employer contribution placeholder]
- [Annual leave entitlement — placeholder]
- [Paid sick leave — placeholder]
- [Flexible working options — placeholder]
- [Training and development budget — placeholder]
- [Season ticket loan / travel allowance — placeholder]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Secretary role?
A Secretary provides core administrative support that keeps an office running smoothly. Typical responsibilities include managing correspondence and calls, arranging meetings, taking minutes, preparing documents and maintaining filing systems. Secretaries often act as the first point of contact for visitors and support several colleagues or a whole team with day-to-day organisational tasks.
Daily focus
Diary management, correspondence and meeting administration form the backbone of the role.
Key skills
Organisation, clear writing, discretion and reliable execution of routine tasks.
Who they support
Secretaries typically assist teams, managers or senior staff and act as a public-facing contact.
Typical Secretary responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Answer
Answer, screen and direct incoming calls; take and distribute clear messages.
Manage incoming
Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence including email, post and internal memos.
Schedule
Schedule and coordinate meetings, appointments and travel arrangements; maintain diaries.
Prepare agendas
Prepare agendas, take accurate minutes and follow up on action points.
Draft
Draft, format and proofread letters, reports and presentations to a professional standard.
Maintain paper
Maintain paper and electronic filing systems; ensure documents are stored securely and retrievable.
Support office workflows such as
Support office workflows such as ordering supplies, processing invoices or basic bookkeeping tasks where required.
Greet visitors
Greet visitors and provide a professional first point of contact for the office.
Secretary skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience in an administrative or secretarial role.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
- Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and manage time effectively.
- Competent with common office software (word processing, spreadsheets, email and calendar tools).
- Accurate typing and attention to detail.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and maintain professional standards.
- Professional manner when dealing with colleagues, clients and suppliers.
Useful where relevant
- Experience of diary management and minute-taking in meetings.
- Familiarity with office systems such as shared drives, CRM or case management software.
- Keyboard speed and shorthand or shorthand awareness (if relevant to the role).
- Basic bookkeeping or invoice-handling experience.
- Customer-service or reception experience.
- Willingness to support periodic events or out-of-hours meetings.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Secretary job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be explicit about hours and flexibility
State working hours, any requirement for occasional evening or out-of-hours attendance and whether part-time or job-share arrangements are considered.
Give concrete examples of tasks
Candidates respond well to specific duties (e.g. minute-taking, diary management, invoice processing) rather than vague statements.
Include software expectations
List the main tools the role will use (word processor, spreadsheets, calendar systems) so applicants can self-select.
Use a clear salary band
Provide a salary range and any benefits to improve response quality and reduce unsuitable applications.
Secretary salary considerations
Secretary pay varies by location, sector and the scope of responsibilities. Rather than a single figure, consider the factors below when setting a competitive salary or rate.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Secretary candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the working hours and shift pattern?
Candidates want clarity on start/end times, breaks, flexibility and whether occasional evening or weekend work is required.
Is the role office-based, hybrid or remote?
Secretarial duties are often office-based; if hybrid working is available, specify the expected on-site days.
Who will I support and who will I report to?
Applicants want to know whether they support an individual, a team or an entire department and the seniority of that contact.
What training and development is provided?
Detail any induction, on-the-job training or access to courses relevant to office systems and professional skills.
Are any security clearances or background checks required?
If the role requires DBS checks or other clearances, state this early so candidates can confirm eligibility.
Where to post a Secretary job
Secretarial roles attract a range of applicants from entry-level administrators to experienced support professionals. Advertise on broad UK job boards and targeted administrative or professional services boards, and promote the vacancy in local community and college noticeboards where appropriate. Use professional networks and LinkedIn for mid-level candidates, and consider temporary staff agencies for short-term cover or high-volume hiring.
Related administration / office support job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Secretary job description FAQs
How should I screen CVs for a Secretary role?
Look for clear office experience, examples of diary or records management, good written English and evidence of software competence. Shortlist candidates who provide concise, relevant information rather than lengthy unrelated detail.
Should I test typing or software skills at interview?
Yes — a short timed typing test and a practical task in Word/Excel or the employer's key system give a reliable view of day-to-day ability.
Are formal qualifications required for secretarial roles?
Formal qualifications are not always necessary; employers usually prioritise practical experience, administration skills and professional conduct. List qualifications as desirable unless legally required.
Do I need to carry out background checks?
Carry out right-to-work checks for all hires; consider DBS or other sector-specific checks if the role involves vulnerable people or sensitive information.
When is it appropriate to hire temporary rather than permanent staff?
Use temporary hires to cover leave, sickness, peaks in workload or to trial a role before committing to a permanent contract.
What practical tasks work well in an interview for this role?
Sample tasks include proofreading a short document, producing clear meeting minutes from notes, prioritising a list of tasks and a brief phone-call handling exercise.
Ready to publish your Secretary vacancy?
Use the advert text and checklist here to create a concise vacancy, decide on salary and working pattern, and choose the most appropriate channels to reach suitable candidates. When you’re ready you can post the role or work with recruitment partners to increase reach.
