About the job

Job summary

This role is split 50:50 between Private Secretary and Commissioner development. We would expect the Private Secretary workload to be steady across the year with the Commissioner Development role being busier at particular periods such as inducting new Commissioners. 

The teams currently operate a hybrid working model, with an expectation that at least 60% of the week will be spent in the office, subject to change based on business needs.

The teams supporting the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, the Civil Service Commission, and the Commissioner for Public Appointments all sit under the umbrella of the Independent Offices. 

Although the three independent organisations are distinct, they are connected by the shared goal of maintaining public confidence in the integrity of government and its operations: from regulating appointments to the Civil Service and public bodies, to providing advice to Ministers and officials on roles after leaving Government, to safeguarding the impartiality of the Civil Service.

Job description

Private Secretary

The crux of this role is being a trusted adviser to the First Civil Service Commissioner (FCSC) and CEO to ensure that their time is used effectively and progress is made across key strategic objectives. To perform this role effectively you will need to build a very strong relationship with the FCSC and the CEO to understand their priorities and how this can be translated into the way they use their time. This will involve:

• Close work with the FCSC and the CEO on the development and tracking of key strategic priorities and interfacing with stakeholders to ensure realistic outputs are identified and achieved. 
• Working with SMT to advise the FCSC and the CEO on where best to focus their attention and ensuring that they have sufficient time and information to make informed decisions. Basic project management skills would be an advantage here
• Lead on briefing to CEO/FCSC on complex cases to include close collaboration with the relevant policy and operational teams
• Lead on coordination of major pieces of work to ensure that the right people are sighted and can contribute at the right time
• Lead briefer in advance of major events
• Working with SMT and corporate workstrand leads to ensure strategic corporate work is planned and progressed

Commissioner Development Adviser

The key elements of the role involve supporting the implementation and management of a board development programme.

• Induction: Lead on the corporate elements of induction of new Commissioners, oversee the introduction of the buddying system, and keep Commissioners and stakeholders up to date on the progress of their pre-employment checks. Support the Individual development review at the end of the induction process, gathering feedback and preparing the required information for the First Civil Service Commissioner to conduct the meeting.
• Quarterly development discussions: Gather feedback to prepare and co-ordinate the quarterly development discussions with board members to identify development areas in board skills, knowledge, and effectiveness; collaborate with stakeholders to define learning objectives and tailor development programs accordingly.  Support the First Civil Service Commissioner in her preparation for annual development reviews
• Learning Programme Management: Support the development  and creation of  tailored learning and development programmes, including workshops, seminars, and individual coaching sessions, to enhance the Commissioner's  governance, leadership, and decision-making capabilities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Ability to proactively anticipate needs
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt style across written and oral communication to a range of audiences
• Strong administrative skills
• Able to build strong relationships across organisations and grade
• Strong judgement and emotional intelligence
• Ability to operate autonomously whilst also knowing when to escalate
• Ability to balance competing priorities with strong communication skills to be able to manage expectations

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 will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,250, Cabinet Office contributes £10,327 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 Strengths.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete four 250 word behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview 

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against the behaviours that are contained within this advert and strength based questions, the strength questions are ones in which we wish to gain your initial response. 

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 18th March (TBC)
Expected interview date/s – w/c 8th April (TBC)
Interview location - 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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

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. 

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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustments

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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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 you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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

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 counter-terrorist 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.