Zoe Neilson
Westcliff-on-Sea,Essex
Summary
Experienced Executive Assistant and operations leader with experience supporting senior leadership within complex, fast paced and high-pressure environments. Proven ability to manage executive priorities, coordinate strategic programmes, and build strong stakeholder relationships across national organisations. Exceptional attention to detail with the proactive ability to anticipate senior leader needs to enable effective problem solving. Known for discretion, organisation, and effective communication.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work history
Office Manager
Essex Police
2024.04 - 2026.04
- Provided senior administrative and operational support in a high-volume compliance unit.
- Coordinated meetings, events, and team engagement initiatives.
- Streamlined internal processes, improving efficiency and consistency across the team, removing bottlenecks.
- Managed staff performance: conducted appraisals, set KPIs, and implemented development plans.
- Communicated policy changes and business priorities to optimise workflow.
- Identified skills gaps through quality assurance then organised targeted training for team upskilling.
- Prioritised competing tasks to deliver projects within tight deadlines.
- Produced and distributed monthly data reports via Excel to support business analysis.
- Handled high-volume emails, reducing correspondence backlogs.
Additional Leadership Roles
Essex Police
2022.06 - 2024.04
- Worked across multiple strategic roles supporting cross-agency collaboration and programme delivery
- Built strong relationships with stakeholders across multiple organisations
- Supported implementation of new initiatives and organisational change
- Quickly learned and applied new skills to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
- Used problem solving ability to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
Executive Assistant
Essex Police
2021.03 - 2022.11
- Managed complex executive diaries, ensuring effective prioritisation of high-volume and competing demands
- Coordinated national-level programmes, liaising with the Home Office and senior stakeholders
- Prepared briefings, agendas, and documentation to support strategic decision-making including conducting comprehensive research
- Acted as a key point of contact, handling sensitive correspondence with discretion
- Organised corporate events, meetings, and travel logistics for senior leadership
- Supported governance processes including minute-taking and action tracking
- Prepared professional business correspondence on behalf of senior staff and organisation.
Police Constable
Essex Police
2005.11 - 2021.03
- Managed complex casework and produced detailed reports for legal proceedings
- Built strong relationships with community stakeholders and internal teams
- Made quick decisions during high-stress situations
- Diffused volatile situations by employing proven de-escalation and conflict management techniques.
- Kept sensitive intelligence safe and secure from unauthorised access.
Education
National Investigators Exam -
College of Policing
NVQ Level 4 - First Line Management
City of Guilds
Promotion Exam - Law
College of Policing
A-Level - English Literature
Southend College
GCSEs - English, Maths and Science
Belfairs Community College
Skills
- Executive Support
- Attention to Detail & Adaptability
- Stakeholder Management & Effective Communication
- Report Writing & Policy Development
- Operations & Service Delivery
- Risk & Compliance Management (including GDPR)
- Process Improvement
- Training Design & Implementation
- Leadership & Team Development
AWARDS
2026 - Awards received for outstanding work ethic and partnership collaboration in the Office Manager role.
Accomplishments
- Recognised and awarded for exceptional work ethic and effective collaboration in team and stakeholder partnerships.
- Selected through targeted recruitment (headhunted) for key roles within the organisation due to proven performance and potential.
- Set up and ran successful cleaning company pre-COVID
Timeline
Office Manager
Essex Police
2024.04 - 2026.04
Additional Leadership Roles
Essex Police
2022.06 - 2024.04
Executive Assistant
Essex Police
2021.03 - 2022.11
Police Constable
Essex Police
2005.11 - 2021.03
National Investigators Exam -
College of Policing
NVQ Level 4 - First Line Management
City of Guilds
Promotion Exam - Law
College of Policing
A-Level - English Literature
Southend College
GCSEs - English, Maths and Science
Belfairs Community College