About the job

Job summary

The level of security needed is Security Clearance. If the candidate does not hold this level of clearance it can be applied for on appointment.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a passion for public service and an ability to encourage and influence others to deliver quality outcomes.

You will play an essential role in ensuring the smooth running of the Chief Executive’s Office and ensuring they have the information they need to inform high-profile meetings and visits, so that they can make the best use of their time. Additionally, you will provide administrative, logistical, and business support to a senior manager and/or to a team, and cover a wide range of interesting and challenging duties in a modern, flexible and dynamic workplace.

You will also be expected to support the Chief of Staff with additional duties (0.5 days per week).

This role offers the opportunity for significant interaction with senior managers (SCS) and external stakeholders. You will be part of a cross-cutting team and you will be expected to flex workloads to support colleagues and provide continuous service across the area(s) you are supporting.

This role is hybrid, however it is essential that you are able to be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf for at least 60% of your working week

Job description

Sitting in the Chief Executive’s Private Office, this roles will be varied, challenging and stimulating, working in a fast-paced dynamic environment across the business:

• Strategic planning of the CEO’s diary, developing a high-level understanding of key departmental priorities and ensuring efficient and appropriate use of time.
• Day-to-day diary management – setting up meetings and adapting quickly to changes to ensure smooth and effective management of time. Preparing daily diary packs, ensuring
• The CEO has all the relevant briefing they need for their meetings.
• Managing the inbox of the CEO ensuring that important emails are highlighted and that there is an effective organisation system of the inbox in operation
• Take responsibility for commissioning and collating responses to requests for information or action. To achieve this, you will need to set up and maintain an effective filing and archiving system and be able to respond to enquiries and requests.
• The ability to establish and maintain a trusting business relationship with Senior Civil Servants is key to this role as is the ability to handle sensitive information with the utmost discretion.
• Secretariat to meetings as required, including minute taking at meetings
• Support the head of the team (Chief of Staff) for 0.5 days per week
• Mange and organise an in-house OneNote system to ensure the CEO are prepared for all meeting she attends, including commissioning briefing where needed.

The successful candidate will be highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver them at pace and to a high standard. An important part of your role will be working with ministers or senior civil servants and other key stakeholders and therefore you should be confident in dealing with senior people and you will possess good written and verbal communication skills. The role may present opportunities to take on extra responsibilities and so you should be a self-starter with drive and energy.

 

You may be required to pick up additional duties depending on business needs.

About Us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential criteria

• Forward planning to handle a senior civil servant’s diary, allocating time in line with priorities
• Building relationships with other ministerial offices, senior civil servants and the department’s most important external stakeholders
• Leading on all logistical matters, including organizing and planning domestic and international travel arrangements ensuring value for money
• Advising the senior civil servant on how best to use their time and be able to brief them on the details of each of their engagements
• Deputising for the Private Secretary with the potential to lead on a policy area or parliamentary or corporate business
• Ensuring that the senior civil servant has received timely and quality written briefings from the department.
• Supporting delivery of area objectives and business objectives.
• Support the principal through delivery of effective and efficient private office duties, including inbox management, correspondence management and communications.
• Be able to build and maintain trusting business relationships with Senior Civil Servants and other Private Offices, using your own judgement to effective manage fast paced and challenging situations.

Benefits

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits

• 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%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

As part of the application process, you will also be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 500 words outlining why you will be suitable for the role.

Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, we will assess your Behaviours and Strengths. 

We'll assess you against the following behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

At sift stage you will be assessed on the essential criteria listed in the job advert, you will receive a separate score for both your CV (the information entered into your application) and statement of suitability.

Your statement of suitability must be no more than 500 words.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve an interview in person at Canary Wharf.

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on the criteria for the role outlined in the person specification.

We'll assess you against the following behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Expected Timeline:  

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 18/03/2024– unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews date: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

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.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance. If the candidate does not hold this level of clearance it can be applied for on appointment.

People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.