About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with 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.  

Do you have strong written and verbal communications skills?

Can you prioritise your workload effectively to ensure you meet agreed delivery dates?

Are you able to establish relationships quickly and effectively at all levels?

If you want a role high profile role where you can develop your skills, then please apply! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a high-profile team which impacts everyone who works in DfT. Our ambition in HR is to build an engaged, highly motivated, inclusive, skilled, and capable workforce who can adapt to an ever-changing environment, so we are able to deliver our priorities.

We are looking for a Business Support and Personal Assistant to join our HR Directors Office. You will be part of a newly formed team supporting and working closely with our HR Directors and Deputy Directors to ensure the department is a great place to work.

The work is diverse, giving you the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and this is an excellent opportunity for a confident, adaptable person with strong organisational skills. We are looking for someone who is able to take initiative and be forward-thinking to develop, coordinate, and lead on the provision of Personal Assistant support to three HR Deputy Directors.

This role is integral to supporting the Deputy Directors by organising activities and coordinating administrative tasks which can involve both the wider Directorate and working across the organisation.

This is a demanding, varied, and interesting role and requires someone who is flexible and responsive. You will possess integrity and understand the need for discretion and confidentiality.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Proactively managing the Deputy Director’s inboxes ensuring deadlines are met by actioning, delegating or flagging items as appropriate.
• Effectively managing diaries, ensuring Deputy Director’s time is handled effectively and appropriately. Identifying opportunities, clashes and preparation required, coordinating meetings including recurring meetings and all logistics such as room bookings and travel.
• Horizon scanning to anticipate requirements and workloads, remaining aware of changing priorities to enable the Deputy Director’s to carry out the full range of their duties.
• Providing secretariat support to the Deputy Director’s by attending meetings to take minutes/notes and action points as and when required.
• Treating sensitive and personal information with discretion and ensuring it is carefully managed.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile  

Person specification

About you

We are seeking a talented individual who can confidently communicate at all levels with internal and external stakeholders, both verbally and in written format. You will possess strong stakeholder management skills and can build and maintain high quality relationships. This role is perfect for a confident, dedicated and enthusiastic self-starter who will thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment, balancing competing demands and delivering to challenging timetables.

You are exceptionally organised and demonstrate good judgement to prioritise urgent requests and monitor the progress. You have a flexible working approach to accommodate an often-demanding environment. 

Additional information

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.  

Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (750 words). Please tailor your CV to demonstrate your suitability to the role and the essential criteria. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Your experience of organising and prioritising your workload to meet tight deadlines, you should include any challenges you faced.
• Experience of communicating a clear message to others in written or verbal format and how you checked their understanding.
• Your experience of building strong working relationships with internal/external stakeholders, and how you maintained these relationships.

The sift is due to take place 2nd-6th August 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held week commencing 19th August 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

• An interview

This interview could be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website. 

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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. 

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.