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Details
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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Business Management and Improvement
International Trade
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Department and the International Strategy and Engagement Directorate
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helps businesses to export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade.
The International Strategy and Engagement Directorate (ISED) is a consolidated HQ team that leads on international strategy, delivery, and advocacy in partnership with HMTCs.
The Role
This role is the Private Secretary to the Director and head of ISEDs Corporate Team, blending corporate delivery and line management. It is a fantastic opportunity to lead a team to deliver essential support to senior colleagues and the whole Directorate.
As Private Secretary to the Director you will need to work collaboratively across the Directorate, displaying high levels of judgement on high profile and sensitive matters to provide a quality service, helping to efficiently manage the Directors time and supporting him to deliver on his priorities and the Directorates objectives.
As head of the Corporate Team, ISEDs Director and the senior leadership team will rely directly on you for the delivery of a full range of outstanding corporate services, making you one of the most visible people in the directorate. Your ability to think ahead, anticipate and prevent problems, meet SCS needs and to guide your team to manage this process effectively will be key to success.
This role provides an excellent opportunity to sit at the heart of a dynamic directorate working on a range of high-profile issues, while further developing key skills in leadership, corporate governance and working with senior civil servants.
We strongly encourage applications from people with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds in order to bring real strength to our team and the wider department.
Job description
- Act on behalf of the Director on a wide range of policy and corporate matters. In order to do so, building, facilitating and maintaining strong relationships within the Directorate, across DBT and with key external stakeholders.
- Maintain a strong oversight of work across the Directorate to support the SCS, articulating and driving forward their priorities and supporting the Directorate to deliver those priorities.
- Lead a team to provide a full range of proactive corporate support to the whole directorate. This includes responsibility for managing the directorates finances. It also includes coordinating the directorates approach to human resources and personnel issues, recruitment, information management, performance management and health and safety.
- Oversee a team that delivers an excellent support service to ISEDs five SCS in particular, ensuring flawless diary and inbox management and fully preparing them for cross-Whitehall meetings.
- Line management responsibility of 1 x AO corporate support officer and 1 x EO diary manager.
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
- Excellent organisational skills, particularly experience of organising and managing a heavy workload.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Confidence in dealing with budgets and finance.
- A minimum of SC clearance is required for this role. Those without SC clearance must be willing to apply for it once appointed.
- The successful candidate may also be asked to apply for DV clearance once in role before applying, applicants should consider whether they are willing and able to go through this process.
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience in an executive support role (e.g. diary manager, private secretary).
- Experience of leading a team would also be beneficial.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£11,219 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
- A Personal Statement explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.
It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:
Complete the Assistance required section on the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.
Further Information:
- A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
- Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
- The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
- 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. Any applicant who has 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.
- Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Security and vetting
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.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC. All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
Please note the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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 (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Amandeep Sangha
- Email : Amandeep.Sangha2@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
