About the job

Job summary

HM Treasury

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

Job description

Ministerial and Communications

The Ministerial and Communications Group sits at the heart of the Treasury. If you are interested in the inner workings of the Government, meeting Ministers, Senior Officials and liaising with the Press then this could be the place for you! We are a friendly and inclusive Group working on some of the most exciting issues of the day, bringing together work from across the rest of the department and engaging closely with partners across Whitehall and beyond.

We provide support to Ministers, through Ministerial offices. We act as Treasury's external face, through the Press Office and Communications team. We are responsible for managing the department, through our support for the Permanent Secretary, the Second Permanent Secretaries, the Treasury Board, and the Executive Management Board (EMB), and our ownership of Treasury governance structures. The Group is led by the Permanent Secretary.

The Chancellor’s Special Advisers (SpAds) add a political dimension to the advice provided to the Chancellor, supporting the Chancellor where the work of Government and the work of the Governing Party overlap. 

About the Team

This office is the key link between the SpAds and the Department. We provide the team of SpAds with policy, strategy and administrative support, across the entire range of Treasury policy. 

This role includes working with other Private Secretaries and three diary managers in the SpAds’ Private Office to support four Chancellor’s Special Advisers, a four-person Council of Economic Advisers and one Special Adviser to the Chief Secretary.

The SpAds’ office provides full policy and administrative support to these SpAds. Working closely with No10, Ministerial offices, Press Office, the Permanent Secretary’s office, and policy teams in all directorates, the team is involved in the full range of policy development. This includes playing a key role in delivering fiscal and other events. The office also works with SpAds’ key stakeholders across government and externally. At all periods, the team and wider group always maintain a friendly and supportive environment.

About the Job

An exciting opportunity has opened to work as an APS to the Special Advisers of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at a crucial time for the UK economy. The Chancellor and her ministerial team work very closely with the SpAd team, which plays an important role across all aspects of Treasury’s strategy, policy, communications and Parliamentary engagement. This is an interesting, high-paced team and great opportunity for anyone looking for a varied role in central government!

The role of APS in the SpAds office is a demanding but engaging post, offering a unique opportunity to help shape the Treasury’s work and decision making.

You will provide support to the Chancellor’s SpAds, helping them work on a range of crucial policy areas at the heart of the Treasury’s priorities, including: personal taxation; relationship with HMRC; labour market policy; fiscal and economic policy; education and skills; health and social care; and overseeing SpAds’ engagement on Freedom of Information Requests (FOIs). Through this, you will work closely with all of the department’s SpAds, and with the Private Offices of the wider HMT Ministerial Team.

As an APS, you will be part of a team of seven (1x G6 head of office, 3x Assistant Private Secretaries, 3x EO diary managers). As part of your role, you will have responsibility for managing one of the three diary managers who provide logistical support to the SpAd team.

Key accountabilities include: 

1. Facilitating SpAds’ policy work on behalf of the Chancellor, providing first-class support to the SpAds’ across their responsibilities in your policy areas, ensuring that they receive consistently high quality, clear and timely advice, and ensure they are appraised of emerging risks and advised appropriately on their handling.  

2. Acting as an interface between SpAds and the department, communicating effectively about SpAds’ priorities and ensuring their steers are acted on and delivered. In turn, supporting the department to effectively work with and advise the SpAds. 

3. Delivering top-quality administrative and logistical support, making sure that the SpAds have diary and IT support; taking responsibility for getting them in the right place, at the right time, with the right papers; as well as integrating pragmatically and efficiently with the processes of the Chancellor’s Office.

4. Building strong, effective and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, helping to broker agreements and make progress on issues in the face of a range of competing views and priorities. 

The ideal candidate will be someone who is fascinated and motivated by working at the intersection of policy, communications and politics; can bring enthusiasm and positivity to bear on whatever needs to be done to support SpAds and ultimately the Chancellor; thrives in a busy and demanding environment; and is a proactive, independent person who will take ownership for even the most mundane tasks.

Applicants will need to be an adept user of Microsoft Outlook and Office, able to independently manage and prioritise a busy workload to deliver to deadlines, and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders at a range of seniorities.

We recognise the value a diverse workforce brings to our work and encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and ask any questions you may have. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.  

Wednesday 24th July at 4.30pm Join the meeting now

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact Alex Craig, alex.craig@hmtreasury.gov.uk 

Person specification

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.   

1. Seeing the Big Picture – Ability to understand and shape work across the department to encourage long-term strategic thinking to support SpAds’ and Ministers’ objectives.
2. Delivering at Pace – Ability to work independently and manage a very busy workload to deliver deadlines and priorities.
3. Communicating and Influencing – Ability to communicate clearly and influence effectively, confidently dealing with senior stakeholders to build trusting relationships, and working collaboratively within a team.
4. Experience - Experience of working closely with multiple senior stakeholders, managing a busy workload, switching quickly between areas of focus and thinking creatively when it comes to problem solving.

The lead criterion is: Seeing the Big PIcture

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only. 

Candidate Guidance Support Session 
 
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the link below to join the call at the right time. 

Thursday 1st August at 12:30: Join the meeting now

At interview stage, you will be assessed on the below criteria:

• Experience
• Behaviours:
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,500, HM Treasury contributes £10,665 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Recruitment Timeline 

Closing date: 11 August

Shortlisting: w/c 12 August

Interviews:  w/c 19 / 26 August

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline. 

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile. 

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Location-Based Reserve Lists 

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a post immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be approached for roles in merit order according to the first preferred location stated on your application form. 

Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer. We would still encourage you to apply for other HM Treasury opportunities that you are interested in. If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or you are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances. 

Eligibility Statement  

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information. 

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC) 

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis once the advert closing date has passed. 

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you.  Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.  

These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting.  If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact HMTSecurityVetting@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

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 to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.