About the job

Job summary

About HM Treasury

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.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

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

Economics Group

The Economics Group leads HM Treasury’s analysis of developments in the UK economy and advises ministers on the implications for the Government’s economic strategy. It provides expert economic analysis and advice for Ministers. The Group’s data hub is transforming how the Treasury uses data across its entire business. The Group collaborates with external experts on the UK economy, including the Bank of England, Office for Budget Responsibility and leading academics. Economics Group provides support for the UK Government’s economic and social research professions, including running centralised recruitment and the annual conferences. 

Fiscal Group

Fiscal Group works on a wide-ranging set of issues at the heart of the Treasury’s objectives and of fiscal events such as Budgets. We are responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the government’s finances, overseeing its macroeconomic policy framework, and stable and efficient financing of government liabilities. Work includes advising the Chancellor on the appropriate levels of borrowing and debt (as well as broader commitments like guarantees & insurance), providing analysis of the government’s finances, overseeing financing raised for the government by the Debt Management Office and National Savings & Investments. We work with teams across the Treasury to support decisions on the full range of policy. We also have a particularly wide and deep range of relationships beyond the Treasury including the Office for Budget Responsibility, Bank of England, and the Office for National Statistics.  

Delivering these objectives requires a range of skills and backgrounds, and we are proud of our diversity. 

About the Team

Group Management Services Team (GMS)

As part of the Group Management Services Team (GMS), you will work alongside six other PAs, all of whom provide personal assistance services to the Group Management Team (GMT) as well as a range of administrative support and business planning services to the wider group. The role is an excellent opportunity for high-performing candidates looking to stretch themselves in a high-profile and fast-paced environment, assisting Director and Deputy Directors.

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. This is an exciting opportunity to develop the skills to provide personal assistance to senior civil servants - up to three director and/or Deputy Directors (DD) in the steady state, with a willingness to provide additional temporary cover. The Treasury is an inclusive organisation at the central of public interest! The role will build experience about government operations and how decisions are made at senior levels. The successful candidate should demonstrate resourcefulness, trustworthiness, and discretion.

Key accountabilities include:

• Diary management - Proactively plan and manage the Director/DD’s diary using your professional judgement to line up meetings in well-organised way. Resolve conflicts, negotiate, and allocate time to Director/DD priorities. Develop a good understanding of the Group’s work and priorities so you can make decisions on behalf of the Director/DD.
• Ensure the Director/DD are clear on their schedules for the day and prepare diary and meeting folders in preferred format. Organise all logistics of virtual and in-person, internal and external meetings including organising international travel, hotels, taxis, visas, rooms, conference phone lines etc.
• Mailbox management - Develop or adopt efficient systems for handling and prioritising emails on behalf of the Director/DD and where required delegate actions to others in the teams and use own judgement to filter unnecessary emails.
• Support Director/DD priorities to anticipate problems, risks, issues, and corporate tasks that they will have to deal with and proactively make suggestions about the best way to take them forward.
• Get to know the Departmental processes and timescales, such as recruitment and performance management rounds, to enable you to support the Director/DD with these.
• Building relationships - take the initiative to develop and lead relationships with key external and internal partners and colleagues to effectively do the job.
• Provide administrative support to the team that the DD leads, gaining a sound understanding of the teams work and where requested coordinating briefing and occasion project support.
• Ensuring the Director/DD has regular meetings with their team members and respond to ad hoc requests for help, such as raising Purchase Orders, travel arrangements and room bookings for the team.
• Work collaboratively with the GMS team to lead or support the economics and fiscal groups’ corporate activities and seamlessly cover colleagues during absences, having comprehensive handover notes prepared for your own absences.
• Support group culture including ‘on boarding’ new starters, Knowledge Management, Group communications meetings, and social events.
• Provide cover for the other PAs in the Group Management Services Team (GMS) when they are unwell or on leave, by monitoring the inboxes and diaries of their Deputy Directors they support when needed.

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
We will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and the recruitment process. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time. 

Monday 8th April 2024 12:00 – 13:00 Click here to join the meeting

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 Tanveer Aslam by emailing at Tanveer.Aslam@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Person specification

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, taking account of diverse customer needs.
2. Making Effective Decisions - Excellent judgement and the ability to anticipate and solve problems before they arrive (e.g. diary clashes, urgent issues which arise).
3. Delivering at Pace - ability to work independently and manage a busy workload to deliver changing deadlines and priorities.
4. Working Together - Ability to work well as part of a team, collaborating with a wide range of people including senior stakeholders.

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, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment Timeline 

Closing date: Sunday 14th April 2024 

Shortlisting: w/c 15th April 2024 

Interviews:  w/c 22nd April 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.

Location-Based Reserve Lists 

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a post immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be approached for roles in merit order according to the first preferred location stated on your application form. 

Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer. We would still encourage you to apply for other HM Treasury opportunities that you are interested in. If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or you are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances. 

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 Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)   

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 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.