About the job

Job summary

Would you like the opportunity to work closely with senior officials?

Do you have excellent organisational skills?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you! We are looking for a highly motivated Personal Assistant to support the Deputy Directors within Local Transport. If this sounds like you then please apply! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Job description

The Local Transport Directorate is right at the heart of the Department for Transport’s business. Most journeys made in this country are short and local. They are the journeys that we all make, if not every day, many times a month. Our work makes a huge difference to the daily lives of millions, across England and across the UK, whether they are by bus, tram, walking or cycling.

As a Personal Assistant, you will join a fast-paced environment that provides a varied and challenging workload, managing diaries and meetings, responding to emails and promptly prioritising urgent correspondence to support three Deputy Directors and the significant demands placed upon them. You will also work closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. The role offers a fantastic opportunity to gain invaluable insight into how a large government department operates.

Responsibilities

These will Include, but not limited to:

• Providing diary support, managing, and prioritising multiple demands on up to 3 Deputy Directors time, including engaging with high profile external stakeholders and SCS across the department. Recognising and accommodating high priority internal and external stakeholders, including Private Office and HM Treasury.
• Providing logistical support - managing the Deputy Directors’ schedules and arranging meetings - making decisions that balance competing priorities including, travel, desk-time and breaks and arranging travel and accommodation when necessary, ensuring value for money and suggesting delegation of meetings to others where necessary. 
• Providing effective inbox management, monitoring and using sound judgement to action Deputy Directors’ high volume of sensitive/urgent emails where necessary. Answering emails and cascading requests on their behalf. Drafting letters, communications and responses for the Director to comment on, agree, and send out.
• Supporting Senior Management by drawing up agendas, circulating papers, minuting/recording and tracking actions and leading on preparation and coordination to ensure meetings are well run. 
• Working as part of the existing PA Hub, covering and supporting each other as necessary, sharing best practice and developing capability. Demonstrating ability to quickly get to grips with news areas and communicate on these with authority.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About You

We are looking for an organised, motivated, team player who is flexible, able to prioritise your workload and can work well under pressure, showing resilience and tenacity to manage changing priorities, recognising key areas of work that will need urgent attention.

You will be someone who has excellent interpersonal skills, able to maintain and build rapport with senior colleagues and key internal and external stakeholders and are confident communicating both verbally and in writing to a diverse audience.

Experience using Microsoft Office programmes – Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel to produce high-quality products.

Previous experience in Personal Assistant roles or supporting Senior Leadership teams.

Additional Information

A minimum of 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance. 

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport

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.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Building effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Proven administrative and organisational skills and the ability to support a large team as well as manage their own workload effectively.
• Knowledge or experience in Personal Assistant roles or supporting Senior Leadership teams.

Please fully utilise the 750-word count when completing your personal statement.

The sift is due to take place from Monday 15th January 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from Wednesday 31st January 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

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

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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. 

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.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.