About the job

Job summary

Working as part of the Command Group, which consists of the Commander (1*), the Chief of Staff and the XO, the PA to CJFLogO is responsible for coordinating the principal’s diary, including liaison across the HQ, providing briefing packs, ensuring that CJFLogO has appropriate documentation and reading material for meetings. The post is also responsible for the administration of CJFLogO’s work travel requirements and management of their private appointments in addition to formal meetings. They also provide a continuity function in a highly deployable area where some or all of the service personnel could be deployed at any time.

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions. 

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Job description

Manage ACOS diary, itinerary, and schedule to maximise available time, de-conflict appointments, and rearrange schedules, sometimes at short notice. 

Undertake learning and development and upskilling as required.

Liaise internally across the HQ, external military organisations, and Government Departments to organise meetings, produce and distribute administrative instructions and coordinate arrangements.

Plan to ensure all relevant information is collated from all departments and compile comprehensive briefing packs and Agendas. Ensure timely distribution and dissemination of information prior to meetings and Battle Rhythm events. 

Coordinate efficient and effective travel, through appropriate means, to include expenditure approval requests within the Organisation and its Business Team. Assist the Northwood Travel Office to facilitate requirements. 

Coordinate all Command Group Conference Facilities and secure facilities for meetings when required. 

Act as the Group reach-back capability when the HQs deploY.

Facilitate all security passes for any visitors to the SJFHQ Group as required. Assist the Command Group with visit planning and production of visit programmes.

Maintain, store and record documentation for the SJFHQ Command Group in accordance with Information Management and security policies. 

Act on behalf of ACOS and liaise with senior staff to ensure schedules and timelines are maintained, maximising efficiency, and achieving short-notice deadlines. 

Maintain a high level of awareness of on-going operations, exercises, and training events within the SJFHQ Gp, identifying potential administrative issues and resolving accordingly.

Screen all meetings requests and correspondence prior to delivery to the principal, organising and coordinating the appropriate staff to ensure timely solutions.

Person specification

• Planning & Organising
• Achieving & Doing
• Building relationships & Business awareness
• Contributing to continuous improvement  
• Ability to adapt to change
• Strong IT skills – including outlook, word, Teams, excel as a minimum but particularly diary management
• Have work pride, ethos, positive attitude and the ability to preserve confidentiality
• Experience of working on MODNET (Desirable)
• Experience of working with Military (Desirable

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £6,490 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 Experience.

The application process consists of a CV, statement of suitability and evidence against the Civil Service Success Profiles. The selection process will be an initial sift, with a shortlist of candidates invited to an interview, which will give those selected an opportunity to explain the Behaviours in more details as well as an opportunity to meet the recruiting line manager.

Candidates will be required to complete an online application, which will include a CV template (include job history, details of qualifications and previous experiences and skills) and space for the Success Profile statements, as well as space for you to highlight your own suitability for the role. Please provide experience relevant to the role as described in the job description and responsibilities. Interviews will be conducted at Northwood Headquarters.

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills:

• Managing a Quality Service 
• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

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.

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.