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Contents
- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know
- Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
We are recruiting for two Private Secretaries in the Cabinet Office:
The first is for the role of HEO Diary Manager and Private Secretary to the Special Advisers to join the office of Nick Thomas Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General. You will support the Minister and his Special Advisers to deliver his significant and varied portfolio, including European Union Relations, Inquiries, and the Constitution. You will have ownership of the Minister’s diary, applying strategic oversight to ensure the Minister is able to engage in all elements of his portfolio appropriately. You will also support the wider functioning of the Private Office team through leading on all PQS and Write Round responses, transparency returns, and press queries.
The second is Private Secretary to Minister Georgia Gould. You will be expected to lead on key areas of the Minister’s portfolio, such as public sector reform and civil service people policy, as well as supporting the Minister in her wider duties, including representing Cabinet Office business in the House of Commons, and supporting the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and wider Cabinet Office Ministerial team as necessary
Job description
What will the successful candidate be doing?
These roles will require you to act as the critical bridge between the Ministers, the Special Advisers, Senior Civil Servants and policy experts in the department. You will also need to work closely with other government departments, and with stakeholders and with the public.
You will be expected to lead on key elements that support the essential functioning of the Private Office. This could include leading on key areas of the Ministers portfolio, being the primary point of contact for the department and providing robust advice to the Minister, helping to manage the Minister’s diary, supporting their engagements and responsibilities in the House of Commons and their cross Government interests.
Key Responsibilities
- Drive forward the Ministers’ priorities, ensuring these are communicated effectively to the teams with timely and high quality advice, and using your influence where needed to provide steers on ministerial preferences;
- Provide an effective channel of communication between the Minister, Special Advisers, and Cabinet Office teams;
- Remain highly organised, simultaneously managing a large number of commissions of varied deadlines, while proactively engaging teams to ensure that potential delays and problems are identified early and dealt with quickly and effectively;
- Use your relationships, judgement and understanding of the wider context to support the Minister in their work and to add value to the process and substance of decision making;
- Identify the main issues in complex problems, clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations, to provide the best advice to the minister;
- Apply your understanding and interpretation of the broader political context to your work, collaborating closely with special advisers to ensure political issues are taken into account – providing balanced and impartial advice as per the civil service code at all times;
- Supporting the work of the Minister in Parliament, for orals, debates, questions and speeches, you will work closely with the parliamentary team and other Private Offices; and
- Contributing to team and directorate culture which is supportive, flexible, calm, and hard-working.
Person specification
We are looking for a candidate with the following skills:
Essential:
- Ability to work in a fast-paced and pressured environment, balance a large number of competing priorities and push strategic priorities;
- Excellent attention to detail and strong critical thinking skills;
- Ability to review, analyse and critically summarise written briefings quickly;
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills; and comfortable engaging with a range of senior stakeholders;
- Self motivated, with a track record of independently driving results of progressing a range of objectives;
- Serve as a strong team-player, working flexibly to support colleagues and drive to improve ways of working where possible; and
- Demonstrate strong political awareness.
Desirable:
- Experience of working closely and confidently with senior leaders or Ministers;
- Detailed understanding of how Whitehall operates and experience of having worked or covered in a Private Office
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Additional information:
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application process
Please submit a CV detailing job history, and 250 words each for the behaviours listed.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Selection process
Candidates invited to interview should expect a blend of behaviour questions and strengths-based questions. Due to the high volume of applications received for Cabinet Office vacancies, we regret that feedback is only available following the interview stage.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – w/c 30th June
Expected interview date - w/c7th July
Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter .
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Edward Robertson
- Email : edward.robertson@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.