About the job

Job summary

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

Job description

About the Group - International Group

Do you want to advise ministers on promoting and protecting the UK’s economy and its competitiveness internationally in a fast-changing environment?  If so, read on!

International Group provides opportunities to work on areas including - spending control on international development, trade policy, climate change, health, cooperation on Ukraine, economic security, financial sanctions and tackling illicit finance.  We also manage economic relationships with Europe, US, China and other advanced economies and emerging markets.

We build relationships with external and international partners and represent the UK in a range of international groupings and institutions, including the G7, the G20, the International Monetary Fund and at some of the Multilateral Development Banks. We also analyse international comparisons and the wider global economic context, including for fiscal events.  Although international travel is an important part of some roles, it is not required for every role in the group and will be specified if required.  

About the Team - The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)

OFSI sits within HM Treasury, has been operational since March 2016 and in its first six years quickly established itself as a world-leader in financial sanctions, a key area of financial, foreign and national security policy. It remains front and centre of an unprecedented financial sanctions response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

HM Treasury implements financial sanctions in the UK, and OFSI fulfils this role on its behalf. It leads on the implementation of UN and UK financial sanctions and domestic terrorist asset freezing, providing a high-quality service to the private and charitable sectors, and guidance to help them follow the law. It works closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and strategic policy colleagues across Whitehall and beyond to help ensure that financial sanctions are accurately understood, implemented and enforced. OFSI has important partner relationships in the regulated financial services sector, the primary implementers of financial sanctions, and is an integral part of the sanctions community worldwide.

Robust enforcement of financial sanctions helps to maintain the integrity of and confidence in the UK financial sector, a priority for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. We have strong powers, including to impose monetary penalties, and is in the front line in the fight against this serious crime.

OFSI is a diverse and dynamic team of over 130 people, from a variety of backgrounds and professions. We offer an outstanding environment to broaden your experience and develop new skills, whilst working on some of the highest profile international issues the UK faces. We strongly support a good work-life balance and flexible working is actively encouraged.

You can read more about OFSI on our gov.uk page here: https://www.gov.uk/ofsi 

About the Job

The role of a Personal Assistant at HM Treasury is varied and exciting and gives individuals a fantastic opportunity to experience working at the heart of Government whilst also providing them with the opportunity to work alongside senior leaders. If you are organised, efficient and people-focused, then we would love to hear from you.  

The key accountabilities of the role include: 

• Diary Management – You will proactively plan and manage diaries, using your professional judgement to line up meetings in an organised way. You will resolve diary conflicts and negotiate and allocate time for Deputy Director’s priorities. This will include anticipating problems, risks and issues and making suggestions about the best way forward.  
• Mailbox Management – You will develop or adopt efficient systems for handling and prioritising emails on behalf of the Deputy Directors, and where relevant delegate actions to others in the team. You will use your own judgement to filter out unnecessary emails.  
• Coordinating Logistics – You will lead on logistics of virtual and in-person meetings (both internal and external), which could include booking travel, hotels and taxis.  
• Admin/Secretariat Support – You will support recruitment campaigns and performance management rounds, as well as providing ad-hoc administrative support to the team. This will include leading on secretariat support for senior managers, including providing agendas, minutes and notes. 
• Correspondence Support – You will work collaboratively across the team to support our correspondence process, including ensuring cases are allocated in a timely manner.  
• Management Support Team – You will work flexibly across the group to lead or support corporate activities. This includes covering colleagues during absence, and ensuring your own absence is supported by comprehensive handover notes.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact Kasandra Zakrocka (kasandra.zakrocka@hmtreasury.gov.uk)

Person specification

About your Application

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.

1. Managing a Quality Service: Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, considering diverse customer needs. 

2. Working Together: Ability to work well as part of a team, collaborating with a wide range of people including senior stakeholders. 

3. Delivering at Pace: Ability to work independently and manage a busy workload to deliver priorities to changing deadlines. 

 The lead criterion is: Managing a Quality Service If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,770, HM Treasury contributes £7,227 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.

Recruitment Timeline 

• Closing date: 3rd June 2024
• Shortlisting: w/c 3rd June 2024
• Interviews:  w/c 17 June 2024

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline. 

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile. 

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Eligibility Statement  

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information. 

Individuals appointed to the Treasury Group will be subject to National Security Vetting. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application. 

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks.  

For many roles, security clearance is also required. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements of the role before they can be appointed. The level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC)

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you.  

Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.  

These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting.  

If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact HMTSecurityVetting@hmtreasury.gov.uk

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

Security

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.