The Secretariat is housed at Marlborough House , Pall Mall, in central London. Originally built as a royal palace in 1709, Marlborough House was made available to the association in 1959. The Secretariat is headed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General who has three Deputies to assist him. Any Commonwealth national can apply to work at the Secretariat.
Recruitment is by competitive selection, paying due regard to gender and regional balance.
Governments are invited to nominate suitable candidates, and advertisements are also placed in reputable journals inviting applications. There are currentl 320 staff members. The Rt Hon Donald C McKinnon came into office in April 2000 as the fourth Secretary-General. On request from member governments, the CFTC provides technical experts to fill gaps in the skills available locally in developing countries. Most CFTC experts provide high-level policy advice, fill operational posts within government ministries, or take an advisory role.