About the job

Job summary

Our priorities

Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.  

Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.  

Put public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.  

Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.  

Deliver legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.  

Job description

The Romans built roads, the Victorians canals and Railways. Putting in place the right digital infrastructure across the country is an equally big challenge for our time, and a top priority for the Prime Minister.

The Digital Infrastructure directorate leads on making this happen - setting policies to promote investment and protect national security, whilst running innovative pilot programmes for the next generation of technology. We play a leading role across government, delivering new commercial deals, policy and legislation, and work closely with No.10, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and key Whitehall delivery departments as well as industry, Ofcom and international partners to achieve our goals.

This is a unique opportunity to perform a role at the heart of the Digital Infrastructure (DI) directorate where you will have sight of the entire spectrum of the DI agenda. As a Executive Assistant,you will provide high quality support to the Director. This will include managing the flow of information into and out of their office, you ensure their meetings and diary are arranged as efficiently as possible, scheduling room bookings alongside travel & accommodation where required.

Managing various priorities and time-sensitive issues, you will be able to organise and deliver practical resolutions when faced with competing priorities and will be capable of working with complete discretion. This will form the most part of the role but you will have ownership of your own portfolio of business that contributes to the wider executive office function.

Stakeholder engagement and excellent organisation skills are key in this role. You will need to establish and maintain good working relationships both across the programme and with external partners, you will work closely with colleagues in the Executive Office Team to support changing priorities and support management of shared mailboxes.

You will also be required to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to maintain the highest standard of service. You will be capable of working with ambiguity, whilst managing your own workload you’ll understand the needs of the wider team and can be flexible to support when needed.

Person specification

Skills and Experience

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate their experience in the following areas:

- Naturally proactive and thoughtful in your approach to task at hand.

- Providing Executive Assistant Support to Directors or similar experience supporting senior management/ senior civil servants.

- Effectively prioritising emails and highlighting matters of importance or for urgent attention.

- Working with Director/Deputy Director/Senior Management to ensure they are adequately prepared for meetings (e.g. preparing briefing packs).

- Provide secretariat support to Director/Deputy Director led meetings.

- Monitoring and actioning of e-mails received in the team shared mailbox.

- Ensure effective record keeping, including managing directories of electronic files, archiving and administration of various team sites such as Share-point.

- Be able to effectively manage a broad range of stakeholders both internal and external, ensuring any communication is appropriately cascaded.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,325, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £7,109 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, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement 'Delivering at Pace'.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 11/03/24

Interview dates: 18/03/24

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

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

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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. 

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

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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Feedback

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.