Attention, royal fans: Queen Elizabeth is hiring a personal assistant to work on-site in Buckingham Palace. Unsurprisingly, she's looking for someone who will take the job seriously, and who has had experience working with notable individuals. Surprisingly, she's only willing to pay that person "up to" $47,000 a year.
Considering the wealth of information, personal and otherwise, that an assistant of this level would be privy to, that salary seems a little paltry.
The role is described as one that is about "delivering support at the heart of a world famous institution." The job description also notes that "It's feeling inspired to deliver to the very highest standards, and it's supporting The Royal Family in their official duties. This is what makes working for the Royal Household exceptional."
There's more:
"As part of the Central support team in the Private Secretary's Office, you'll take on a role of unique variety. Providing comprehensive support to a Senior Manager, you'll prioritise and manage multiple requests, coordinate diaries, meetings and appointments, oversee efficient inbox management, minute-taking and draft correspondence."
From the jump, it's clear that whoever fills this position will bear witness to some truly high-level meetings and exchanges. They might even be in charge of writing emails and letters for the Queen herself! There's no telling who that person could be in touch with, or what might be discussed.
The job posting also notes that the right person will be interacting at the "senior level" daily:
"You'll have exposure across the organisation, liaising daily at a senior level and building relationships with colleagues and external organisations."
And they'll be expected to coordinate and communicate with stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth:
"You'll also assist with the efficient coordination of Government duty, liaising with stakeholders in the UK, Realms and Commonwealth to draft letters and other material."
So what kind of experience does a personal assistant to the Queen need to have?
"You're a highly experienced PA used to supporting board level individuals, and you take pride in delivering work to the highest standards."
You're also expected to be excellent at communication, unintimidated by the famous faces you might encounter, and able to be trusted completely:
"You'll have superb interpersonal and communication skills, and will be at ease working as part of a team, and liaising with people at all levels. With good judgement, sensitivity and a willingness to help others, you'll quickly become a trusted and indispensable member of the team."
It's this level of trust that truly makes the salary such a surprise. The royals have dealt with their fair share of mortifying leaks, especially in the last year. One might wonder if the rate they're willing to pay the people who have access to the intimate details of their lives has something to do with this.
The Queen is also looking for someone who can really deliver:
"Confident using a range of IT packages, along with excellent drafting skills and attention to detail, you'll be capable of producing a range of papers, correspondence and reports."
She also needs someone with excellent organization skills:
"Having had extensive experience of diary management, you'll be capable of pre-empting situations, and also be confident to make informed decisions on the back of this."
The job listing closes on December 4 at 6:55 p.m. EST, and employment is expected to begin in January 2021 and to end in January 2023. The right candidate will be on call 37.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
