Susan Dobson, Executive Assistant
Susan works as part of a team of three within Executive Support, supporting the Heads of Business Areas who form the Executive Committee.
"I am the Executive Assistant to the Director of Forensic Services and the Head of Criminal Justice," Susan explained. "I'm responsible for managing their diaries and ensuring that they are in the right places, meeting the right people at the right time.
"I am also a first point of contact for enquiries and deal with a wide range of customers both internally and externally as well as liaising with staff within SPSA, other Scottish Forces and outside agencies on a wide range of issues.
"I also assume the role of secretariat for various meetings within the Forensic Services and Criminal Justice business areas, which involves collating and preparing briefings for meetings and attending various meetings to minute take.
"Our Forensic Services locations are spread across Scotland and I am therefore a main contact for a lot of queries from staff, which allows me to get to know a lot of people and gain an insight into the forensic field, which I really enjoy.
"Because I work as part of a team of three, we try to keep up to speed as much as practicably possible with the whereabouts of the other members of senior management.
"I think a lot of people have a mixed opinion of what a PA role actually involves but there is a lot more to it than it than being an expert tea and coffee maker! It can be quite a demanding job at times as you constantly have to make sure that deadlines are met and everyone is where they should be, but that really keeps me on my toes.
"As a team, we are involved daily in a lot of high level issues and this requires us to be diplomatic at all times. Being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritise your workload, effectively manage your time and use your own initiative are essential to the role. Because of the nature of SPSA, I am also aware of the need for confidentiality and discretion in relation to the sensitive work in which I am involved."