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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Type of role
Business Management and Improvement
Operational Delivery
Property
Secretarial
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About the job
Job summary
The Government Property Agency is changing the way the Civil Service works and is at the forefront of Government’s transformation agenda; reshaping the relationship civil servants have with their place of work. The Agency is central to the delivery of key Government policies including moving 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030 and tackling climate change by contributing to the Net Zero agenda. To do this we are delivering a major change programme across the UK and consolidating our portfolio in order to save £1.4 Bn over 10 years.
Beyond the bricks and mortar, the GPA is about providing great workplaces for our people. Through programmes like Hubs, Whitehall Campus and Smart Working you will be in the vanguard of creating model working environments and promoting flexible working practices.
This is an ambitious and exciting task, for which we need innovative people, with strong commercial acumen, who are passionate about visualising and implementing customer needs. Launched as an Executive Agency of the Cabinet Office in 2018, were a relatively new department and we are growing fast so we also need people who thrive in ambiguity, can adapt quickly to change and are comfortable stepping outside of their remit to drive outcomes.
The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.
To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Job description
This Chief of Staff role is a pivotal and demanding role, which leads the GPAs Capital Projects Directors Office, providing direct high quality strategic and policy advice to the director and his senior leadership team, to enable them to make timely and well-informed decisions.
The Chief of Staff will act as a trusted adviser whilst managing the interface between the Executive Director team, wider GPA directorates, GPA Strategic Partners and key stakeholders including local authorities and senior leaders in industry.
This is a fast paced, varied and challenging role, and will give the postholder an insight into the machinery of central government and the property management/construction industry. The post holder will be required to be proactive and build strong working relationships across GPA, wider Civil Service and industry.
Key Responsibilities:
The roles principal focus is making time, information and decision-making more effective and customer focussed within the directorate.
As the Chief of Staff to the Capital Projects Director, specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following activities:
- Being the first point of contact to coordinate and respond to strategic and operational matters for the Director and the senior leadership team (SLT); deciphering urgency and ensuring that relevant actions are identified and progressed at an appropriate pace.
- Acting as an integrator: connecting Capital Projects with other GPA directorate work streams that would otherwise remain siloed to ensure that our clients and customers are put at the heart of everything we do.
- Linking the leadership team and the wider Capital Projects team, proactively identifying and getting to the heart of challenging issues and working with the SLT to implement or develop the relevant strategies or solutions where necessary.
- Acting as an honest broker when the Director needs a wide-ranging, whole-team view without turf considerations and acting as an advisor to the director, providing support and challenge.
- Providing leadership to, and being responsible for the management of the directors office team, ensuring they have the support, knowledge, resilience and skills to maintain the effective operation of the directors office.
- Coordinate and respond to strategic and operational matters on behalf of the director, deciphering urgency and ensuring that relevant actions are identified and progressed at an appropriate pace.
- Maintain relationships between staff, executives, senior leaders, and CEO, regarding culture, employee well-being, project updates, proposals, and planning
- Oversee daily operations through collaboration with senior management team and team leaders, ensuring actions are completed and communicated effectively
- Build and develop relationships with all employees for increased efficiency and effective responsiveness into existing operations, and help to define new operational strategies, working with the director and senior management team on special projects
- Serve as a subject matter expert, handling inquiries and developing action plans to address them, and assisting with the preparation and dissemination of communications.
- Review, design, and execute on improvements to the organisational structure, ensuring a coherent and collaborative approach across the directorate and the wider Agency.
Person specification
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued.
- Strategic and creative thinking skills with the ability to take a government wide perspective
- Strong influencing and leadership skills to work across the organisation and its key stakeholders including senior management.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with a proven record of building and maintaining strong, collaborative and productive relationships across functional and organisational boundaries.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to all levels of management to be able to verbally brief senior leaders, and build relationships across all levels.
- Exceptional organisational skills including the ability to manage multiple, often conflicting priorities and work collaboratively with others to achieve outcomes within tight deadlines.
- Experience of analysing and resolving complex challenges in a structured and logical manner.
- Well-developed project and programme management skills: being organised and disciplined, showing attention to detail, and following up doggedly to ensure the right results
- Exceptional emotional intelligence to understand and influence senior stakeholders. The post holder will be expected to provide input and challenge and must therefore be confident at operating at executive level.
- Ability to navigate conflicting views and priorities with senior stakeholders
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Customer Perspective
- Commercial Acumen
- Property Market Knowledge
- Innovation
Benefits
£16,983 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%
- Generous annual leave
Things you need to know
Selection process details
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Sift
The sift is due to take place on the 14th/15th December 2023.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500-word personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification.
Interview
Applicants successful at sift will be invited to a two part interview 1) face to face interviews and 2) a conversation with the director. Interviews are due to take place week commencing 8th January 2024. You must be willing to travel to any of the GPA locations for your interview. If you are unable to attend a face to face interview due to extenuating circumstances, we advise that you reach out to the recruitment admin team to find out if alternative means can be arranged prior to submitting your application.
At interview, applicants will be scored against 3 behaviours – Seeing the Bigger Picture, Communicating and Influencing, and Delivering at Pace.
Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions.
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to GPA 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
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 GPARecruitment.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 youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
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.
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 applicants 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
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 : Fallon Horan-Swords
- Email : fallon.horan-swords@gpa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission:
Click here to visit Civil Service Commission
