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Secretary Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Secretary, also sometimes known as an Administrator or a Personal Assistant, is a professional who supports management and colleagues in an organisation by taking care of administrative and clerical tasks. Their duties include greeting and directing visitors and handling correspondence, filing, document management and various other day-to-day office tasks.

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Secretary duties and responsibilities

Businesses in all sectors and of all sizes employ Secretaries to ensure that things run smoothly in an office. The type of duties that Secretaries have depend on such variables as the type of industry and the size of the company. In smaller companies, Secretaries will typically take care of a wider range of tasks. In general, however, here are some of the common day-to-day tasks of these professionals:

  • Taking care of front-of-house duties, such as greeting and directing visitors and handling deliveries
  • Maintaining an efficient and well-organised filing system for easy storage and retrieval
  • Taking care of all correspondence, including telephone calls, emails and faxes
  • Screening documents, booking meeting rooms, setting up conference calls and taking messages
  • Maintaining general company record systems to uphold accurate files
  • Scheduling appointments and organising meetings
  • Taking and distributing minutes
  • Creating and proofreading documents and drafting emails
  • Copying, printing and distributing documents
  • Taking care of routine clerical tasks, such as the ordering of office supplies
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Secretary Job Description Examples:

Example 1

We are looking for an enthusiastic Secretary/ Office Administrator to join our busy Chingford office. In this role, you will provide both clerical and administrative support to our team including the coordination and implementation of office procedures. Are you a strong administrator who can show enthusiasm to learn and progress? Can you multitask in a fast-paced environment?

You’ll be:

  • Answering and making calls, sending, and replying to emails throughout the day
  • Managing workflow of tasks including raising, tracking, and closing of jobs on our system. (You must be customer service orientated as our business deals with clients on a daily basis).
  • You will be scheduling multiple jobs in for our field techs covering all of London & responsibilities include scheduling, rescheduling & ensuring that the jobs are placed in geographical order throughtout the day.
  • Commercial administration tasks including, issuing ations, invoicing and stock control and stock ordering
  • Credit control (we use Xero)
  • Maintain accurate records particularly in respect of priced contract specification
  • Assist in the preparation and processing of invoices and contractual documentation
  • Liaison with clients, residents, and contractors as and when required and ensuring we maintain good client relations.

    Essential skills/knowledge:

  • Experience in providing exceptional customer service and building and maintaining relationships.
  • Strong administration and IT skills
  • Effective communicator with a good understanding of spoken English
  • Effective and efficient time management of self and duties and able to prioritise tasks

    · Ability to record information accurately and pay attention to detail

    · Ability to multi-task and work in a pressurised environment independently or as part of a team

  • Excellent time management skills and methodical approach to work.
  • A solution focused approach to problem solving and ability to manage own workload
  • Good IT knowledge, specifically Microsoft Packages
  • Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
  • Ability to work well as part of a team
  • Good numerical skills

    Package:

  • Salary - £24,000 to £25,500
  • Hours – Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (1hr for lunch)
  • Holiday + bank holidays

    Additional Information:

  • Eligible to work in the UK
  • Three Month Probationary Period
  • As part of the interview process you will be required to complete an aptitude test and or a trial day in our Chingford office.
  • Interviews will be conducted online or in person

    Job Type: Full-time

    Salary: £24,000.00-£25,500.00 per year

    Benefits:
  • Company pension
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Work Location: In start date: 11/09/2023

    • Example 2

    Our client’s residential property team in Stockton on Tees is looking to recruit a Conveyancing Secretary/Assistant due to expansion The successful candidate would be joining a supportive and collegiate team which prides itself upon its ability to deliver a tailored service to all of its clients.

    You will provide full support to a Conveyancer, handling a mixed caseload of residential sales, purchases and remortgages. This could be full time or part time but minimum 4 days per week if part time.

    Duties will include:

  • Providing administrative support to one or more solicitors/fee earners
  • Opening files on practice management system
  • Undertaking Solicitors Regulation Authority checks on law firms
  • Photocopying and scanning
  • Corresponding with clients and/or other law firms by e-mail, letter or telephone
  • Ordering property searches
  • Dealing with clients face to face and via telephone
  • Producing and amending legal documents
  • Applying to Land Registry with applications for registration following completion
  • Scheduling completed documents and forwarding these to client
  • Closing and archiving files, updating computer systems and dealing with any outstanding balances
  • Dealing with requisitions raised by HM Land Registry
  • Carrying out ID checks and Money Laundering checks on clients
  • Pursuing Initial Client Documentation
  • Dealing with LMS and Lender Exchange systems to update cases
  • Typing dictation
  • Preparing bills and Completion Statements and setting up completions in liaison with Accounts Department
  • Abating and re-issuing bills

    You will need:

  • A minimum of 12 months experience as a Conveyancing Secretary/Assistant;
  • Good understanding of the conveyancing process including use of lender portal,
  • Accurate typing skills and use of IT;
  • Good communication skills both verbally and in writing, with a friendly professional
  • manner;
  • Ability to manage time, meet deadlines, prioritise;
  • Experience of case management system would be advantageous;
  • A proactive approach to work, setting own deadlines, updating clients and contacts;

    Competitive salary and benefits package including; bonus scheme, contributory pension, hybrid working, life insurance, 25 days holidays and holiday purchase scheme.

    Fantastic progression opportunities and a great place to work – they pride themselves on their work/life balance, client care etc.

    Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

    Additional pay:
  • Bonus scheme
    Benefits:
  • Company pension
  • Life insurance
    Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday

    Application question(s):
  • Do you have at least 12 months experience as a Conveyancing Secretary/Assistant?
  • Do you have a good understanding of the conveyancing process including use of lender portal?
  • Do you have accurate typing skills and use of IT?
  • Do you have good communications skills and a friendly professional manner?
  • Are you able to manage time, meet deadlines and prioritise work?
  • Do you have experience using case management systems?
  • Do you have a proactive approach to work, setting own deadlines and updating clients and ID: ID3195

    • What does a Secretary do?

    Secretaries are the first point of contact for visitors, as they often work in the front office and also manage the office’s correspondence, including responding to emails and answering telephone calls. This means that they play an important role in representing a company and keeping clients happy. Apart from their client-facing duties, these professionals also take care of administrative and clerical tasks and help to keep a business organised and professional.

    Secretary skills and qualifications

    This role involves diverse duties that includes supporting staff, communicating with clients and managing administrative tasks. Secretaries also need a wide range of skills and should be good at multitasking and in order to be a successful a Secretary candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications including: 

    • Excellent communication skills to effectively deal with clients, staff and managers
    • Excellent administrative and organisational skills
    • The ability to prioritise tasks and remain calm under pressure
    • The ability to work with others and work independently
    • Good customer service skills and a friendly, polite disposition
    • Experience maintaining and managing a manager’s calendar
    • Sound knowledge of computer systems and relevant software programs
    • Fluent English speaking skills
    • Good writing abilities

    Secretary experience requirements

    Most employers expect that Secretaries have some form of administrative or secretarial experience. Specific criteria may include knowledge of general office procedures and relevant computer programs, such as Word, Excel, Systems Applications and Products (SAP), Timelink and ActivePay software. Employers may also require that candidates have customer service experience and know how to operate basic office equipment. Secretaries that work in certain industries like law and medicine, may need to prove experience within these fields.

    Secretary education and training requirements

    There are no fixed education and training requirements for this career. Some enter the profession with a few GSCEs at grades 9 to 4, including English, and basic computer skills, whereas others gain knowledge and experience through an apprenticeship. Candidates can also complete a course in administration or secretarial skills. Cambridge International College (CIC), for instance, offers a Diploma in Administrative, Personal Assistant and Secretarial Duties. An institute like The Institute of Administrative Management also offers various courses in this field, including an Award in Professional Personal Assistant and Administration Skills and a Level 4 Certificate in Office and Administration Management.

    Secretary salary expectations

    According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Secretary is £20,189 annually. Those who work in specialised fields like medicine or law, earn slightly more. A Medical Secretary, for instance, earns on average £21,506 per year. Senior Secretaries with many years of experience can expect to earn around £23,822 annually.

    Job description samples for similar positions

    If this job description doesn’t exactly match the job opening being advertised, here are a few other job descriptions of similar positions to look at:

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    Secretary job description FAQs

    What are the hours of the job?

    A Secretary typically works a normal Monday to Friday, 40-hour workweek. These professionals rarely work after hours, over weekends or on bank holidays.

    What qualifications and skills should a Legal Secretary have?

    Legal Secretaries work closely together with Solicitors, Barristers and Legal Executives and craft their legal letters and documents. To do this work effectively, they need a solid grasp of legal terminology. Although it’s not a requirement, candidates can enroll for a course at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) or the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs (ILSPA).

    Job Description Examples

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