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United Kingdom
Department for Education Hiring for Private Secretary Job at City of Westminster, England , UK Full Time
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Application
Details
Reference number
212173
Salary
£32,943
As Private Office work includes longer days and some weekend working, overtime (up to 10 hours per week) can be claimed.
Grade
Higher Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
Strategy Group – Private Office
Type of role
Policy
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
Number of posts
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
City of Westminster, London (region), SW1P 3BT
About the job
Summary
We are advertising for a rewarding and critical role working in a ministerial office at the Department for Education. This is an opportunity to work in the heart of government, supporting ministers as they make decisions and helping to drive forward the Department’s policies.
Successful applicants will be joining small and friendly teams, working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. These positions offer a unique insight into the department, and provide a great opportunity for people to develop skills that will support progression in the civil service.
Job description
The roles available are in Ministerial and Special Advisers’ offices in the Department for Education.
In this role, you will:
- Directly advise and work with Ministers to support them to deliver their priorities;
- Set direction to and work with senior civil servants and teams across the department to ensure they provide high quality advice on policy and operational issues; and,
- Support Ministers to fulfil their duties, supporting them in a wide range of meetings and events, and ensuring they are well briefed for parliamentary debates and select committees.
This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Private Office. We are looking for someone with outstanding skills and judgement; who is flexible, adaptable, and proactive in the face of changing circumstances, and confident dealing with senior stakeholders. You will get the experience of a fantastic role, brilliant colleagues, and many once-in-a-career opportunities.
Responsibilities
Successful applicants will be hardworking and comfortable operating in high-pressure environments, particularly having the below essential criteria:
- Excellent organisational skills, and be able to prioritise competing priorities effectively to resolve difficult issues, and achieve shared goals in high pressure situations
- Ability to establish and maintain relationships with a diverse range of people, including working with senior stakeholders to influence others and find consensus
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and confidence articulating and delivering complex and sometimes difficult messages
- Work effectively in a team, being flexible and adaptable to support wider team goals and complete all work to a high standard
- Ability to process and analyse large amounts of information, draw conclusions and weigh up conflicting evidence to make clear recommendations
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the Queen’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Things you need to know
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check.
See our vetting charter.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application
Candidates will be sifted by:
A written application through a CV and statement of suitability (500 words) for the role demonstrating how you evidence the essential criteria listed in the responsibilities section.
And, the following behaviours:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
If we receive high volumes of applications, we will sift only on the behaviour of Delivering at Pace. Following the initial sift, for those who meet the minimum scoring criteria we may then consider your experience (CV and Statement of Suitability) and remaining behaviours.
Interview
If you are invited to interview, you will be further tested on the behaviours above and the Strengths from the Civil Service Success Profiles.
There will also be a short exercise which will require no preparation.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Other Information
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.
For this role the department would not consider sponsoring a Certificate of Sponsorship/visa. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.
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.
Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs
Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.
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 Department of Education via [email protected] 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.
Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Name :
Victoria Lee-Bapty
Email :
Recruitment team :
Email :
Further information
The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/.
We encourage diverse candidates
At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have a variety of staff networks and groups for all employees to join, whether you identify yourself as someone who the network is aimed towards or if you just have an interest in diversity and inclusion matters.
Equality and diversity – Department for Education
