About the job

Job summary

His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde (HMNB Clyde) is home to the United Kingdom’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Vanguard Class Submarines, Astute Class Attack Submarines, Mine Hunting and Diving teams and 43 Commando Royal Marines. It is an operational support and maintenance base, within the Navy Command TLB and comprises both Faslane and Coulport sites. HMNB Clyde’s primary purpose is to provide engineering and logistical support to the Royal Navy in maintaining Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD). This is achieved by ensuring at least one Vanguard Class submarine is on patrol at sea every day of the year.         

The Coulport Site is geographically separated from the Faslane Site, and it is responsible for the storage, processing, maintenance and issue of the Trident Weapon System and the ammunitioning of submarine-embarked tactical weapons. 

 This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The Personal Assistant (PA) is a member of the Outer Office Staff of the Naval Base Commander (NBC). The Outer Office supports the NBC in their roles and responsibilities as the senior military person overseeing day to day activity of the base and setting the strategic direction for the future.  NBC executes command of both the Faslane and Coulport Sites as well as the Dockyard Port of Clyde. The NBC is also the Aide de Camp to HM The King for the RN in Scotland, representing the RN on State and Royal occasions.

This post offers an exciting and high-profile opportunity to be at the heart of activity here at HM Naval Base Clyde.

The PA Role works directly for the NBC, supporting them in the safe operation of the Clyde – one of the largest Single Site Employers in Scotland with many different teams working together. The NBC’s activity spans many internal and external stakeholders as well as regular travel, ceremonial meetings and events, and office work.

The PA helps to ensure the NBC is in the right place at the right time with the right paperwork and information. The PA ensures proper management of the NBC’s Diary, meeting commitments and room bookings, travel and accommodation requirements and administrative / documentary outputs.

The PA Line manages another coordination member of the team, who ensure the correct administration of the outer office. The PA also ensures secretarial function is provided for NBC’s meetings where required, and management of incoming and outgoing correspondence from/to the NBC’s Office.

Specific roles listed in the Terms of Reference are:

 Line Manager responsibility for the AO Grade Outer Office Coord position, ensuring that the roles and responsibilities of that post are correctly discharged.

To Maintain and update diaries on a daily basis. Issue all initial invitations up to 4 weeks prior to any function and have a confirmed list of attendees at least 7 days prior to event.

Make all flight, hotel and travel bookings on-line for NBC using Ministry of Defence approved electronic booking systems, and maintain logs of all respective travel expenses, ensuring accurate and cost-effective booking of all travel requests required by NBC.

Produce, manage and monitor the Military Co-ordinating Authority (MCA) duty roster for the Naval Base Senior Staff, ensuring that any absences are covered by another senior delegate. Produce a rota which is to be updated at 6 monthly intervals or as necessary for any interim MCA requirement.

Liaise with other Outer Office teams of Naval Base Seniors and wider Ministry of Defence Senior staff, the Clyde Hospitality Team and the Clyde Motor Transport Section, co-ordinating social and official functions and associated transport as required. Organise and attend separate weekly diary and visits coordination meetings with NBC and VIP Visit Liaison team and action any requirements from the meetings as necessary.

Act as first point of contact for telephone calls to NBC, handling or redirecting them as necessary.  Arrange follow up calls as required.

Oversee the update and maintenance of the NBC’s Limited and NBC Directors’ Sharepoint Site, File Registry and Digital Information Management System.

Produce NBC documents in accordance with Service Guidelines, including Records of Decisions and Actions.

Act as Local Security Officer and Assistant Document Security Officer for the NBC Outer Office, reporting to the Naval Base Security Officer, and Line Manager respectively, ensuring that all Safe combinations, Secret and Top-Secret Documentation and room access is correctly administered.

Respond if nominated as Duty within the Visits Liaison Team Nuclear Emergency Response Unit, to any Base emergencies or exercises as necessary within a 2-hour timescale.

In addition, the post holder will undertake other tasks identified either by the line manager or NBC’s Chief of Staff.

Person specification

The Office of the Naval Base Commander is a busy 1* Outer Office, and a role within it presents a real opportunity to make a difference to the lived experience of all who work within the Naval Base.

We are looking for someone who is keen to be at the heart of naval base activity, eager to work in a small yet busy team that personally and professionally supports the Naval Base Commander and is ready for a challenge. HMNB Clyde is about to undertake a huge amount of change as we prepare for the introduction of new and exciting capabilities in HMNB Clyde.

Applicants should be able to work autonomously, taking initiative and finding innovative solutions to problems to ensure that Naval Base Commander’s time is used as efficiently as possible and that teams work together better.

Essential:

Business IT applications, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.

Business comms applications such as Teams and Skype for meetings and online business productivity.

Be proficient in the production of correspondence and letters, including proof reading work where required.

Have effective communication skills in both written and oral terms.

Be comfortable dealing with all ranks and grades, in both face to face and virtual methods, in a customer facing role. 

Desirable:

Worked in an Outer Office / Business Support Team previously.

Experience working in an HM Naval Base previously.

Hold a Full UK Driver’s License.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,641 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.

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

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

It is anticipated that interviews will take place in Aug 2024. A minimum of two working days’ notice will be provided. We will endeavour to adhere to Aug 24 interviews but please be advised interview dates may be subject to change around business needs.

We'll assess you against these behaviours at sift and interview: 

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

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

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.