Secretary Job Description: Role, Duties and Requirements

The Secretary provides administrative and clerical support to ensure efficient operation of an office or department. Candidates with strong organisational skills, attention to detail and experience in office administration should apply. This role suits professionals who can manage competing priorities, maintain confidentiality and communicate clearly with internal and external stakeholders.

Secretary Job Profile

The Secretary is responsible for delivering day-to-day administrative services that support managers, teams and visiting clients. The role involves handling correspondence, maintaining records, arranging meetings and ensuring that office processes run smoothly.

The purpose of the position is to maintain an organised work environment, provide a professional point of contact for enquiries and to enable efficient information flow across the organisation. The post holder will be expected to work with minimal supervision while escalating issues that require managerial input.

Secretary Job Description

The Secretary undertakes a range of administrative duties that support business operations. Typical tasks include managing incoming and outgoing correspondence, organising diaries and appointments, preparing documents and reports, and arranging meetings and events. The role often requires handling confidential information and prioritising tasks to meet deadlines.

Work is performed in a busy office setting and requires frequent interaction with colleagues, clients and external contacts. The Secretary must demonstrate strong verbal and written communication, a methodical approach to record keeping and the ability to adapt to changing priorities. Occasional responsibility for supervising junior clerical staff or coordinating external suppliers may be required.

Secretary: Duties and Responsibilities

• Greet visitors, manage reception duties and act as a professional point of contact for enquiries
• Answer and route telephone calls and manage email correspondence in a timely manner
• Organise and maintain paper and electronic filing systems to ensure easy retrieval
• Schedule and coordinate meetings, prepare agendas and take accurate minutes
• Manage diaries and appointment bookings for managers and team members
• Prepare, format and proofread letters, reports and other documents
• Assist with travel arrangements and itineraries where required
• Process incoming and outgoing mail and distribute documents to appropriate recipients
• Ensure meeting rooms are prepared and equipment is arranged as needed
• Maintain office supplies and coordinate procurement of stationery and minor equipment
• Support basic bookkeeping tasks such as preparing invoices or expense claims for approval
• Maintain registers and records in line with organisational policies and confidentiality requirements
• Assist with onboarding administrative tasks for new staff and support ad hoc projects
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative processes and assist with implementation

Secretary: Requirements and Qualifications

• Formal secondary education; relevant secretarial or administrative qualification is desirable
• Minimum of one year experience in a clerical, secretarial or office support role preferred
• Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, particularly in document preparation and data entry
• Discretion and the ability to handle confidential information appropriately
• Good IT literacy and proficiency with common office software and email
• Competence in minute taking and preparing clear meeting records
• Customer service orientation and professional telephone manner
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team under occasional pressure
• Basic numeracy and the ability to support simple financial or invoicing tasks
• Flexible approach to duties and willingness to take on varied administrative tasks