About the job

Job summary

This role is a unique development opportunity. It is an ideal position for able and ambitious candidates who are looking to expand and refine their skill set in a demanding environment.

This position supports the Strategy, External Communications and Business Management functions within DDC, providing an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to senior civil servants, as well as offering a rounded knowledge of the work undertaken in the Department.

The Strategy Team develops insight-based, audience-focused strategies in support of Departmental policies. It sets the direction of and priorities for Defence communication and creates communication strategies in line with the interests of departmental and cross-Government priorities.

The External Communications Team provides communications advice at the delivery stage to Ministers, Special Advisers, military chiefs and policy colleagues. It ensures the right message is consistently delivered to both external and internal audiences.

The Business Management team are responsible for financial planning and manage DDC’s budget including headcount management and workforce planning. They provide guidance on finance, people management issues and processes. They ensure DDC compliance with MOD standards on security, Safety Health & Environment, business resilience and information management.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

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.

Job description

The primary role of the Personal Assistant (PA) is to provide excellent, highly efficient, and effective secretarial support to the four DDC 1* Deputy Directors.

The secondary role of the Personal Assistant is to assist in the provision of office management, acting as a 'front of office' to colleagues and callers, including Ministers’ and Chiefs’ outer offices and high-profile visitors.

Reporting directly to the Finance Manager, the PA will also support the Business Management team as required, to include contract, financial and governance administration.

MOD operates hybrid working, but due to the nature of the role there is an expectation to attend at least 3 days a week in the London office. The role requires SC clearance.

Person specification

Manage the busy diaries of the 1* Heads efficiently and effectively to maximise their time, keeping them informed in good time of upcoming requirements. Ensure diary entries are up to date; organise meetings and visits; prioritise appointments; horizon scanning to de-conflict diaries and anticipate any potential problems as they arise, and devise solutions to meet them.

Monitor inboxes for the 1* Heads, flagging priority emails to ensure nothing is missed. Anticipate requirements for briefings and meetings, retrieve and ensure relevant paperwork is to hand, prepare meeting packs and arrange pre-briefings as required to ensure Heads are fully briefed.

Organise travel and accommodation as required; ensure all admin/travel/ briefing arrangements are factored in using departmental policies to ensure cost effectiveness and value for money. Receive incoming calls, relaying and redirecting messages as appropriate. Book in, meet, greet, and escort visitors. 

Develop a key role as a team player and coordination point across DDC providing a high level of admin support and advice; be flexible and reactive to changing deadlines; act with a high level of discretion and confidentiality always. Maintain a close working relationship with the Executive Assistant to the Director of DDC, deputising as required in what is a very busy and demanding role, adjusting priorities to manage additional workload.

Ensure all office equipment is fit for use and arrange repairs/replacement where necessary; act as an administrator for vehicle hire, issuing and recording fuel cards and ensuring compliance with policy; provide administrative support to the Finance Manager and Contract Manager as required.

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.

Candidates will be will required to provide a detailed CV and be assessed at application stage against relevant skills and experience and a personal statement (250 words)

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the interview process: 

• Seeing the big picture
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at pace

Candidates will be required to complete an online Civil Service Judgement Test.

The Civil Service Judgement Test is not bankable and therefore must be taken on every vacancy where it is applied.

Should you be invited to complete the online tests, please allow sufficient time to complete the tests and the remainder of the full application form; only candidates who are successful at the test stage will be invited to complete the remainder of the application by clicking ‘Submit Application’. Your application must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The tests are not timed, as they work by giving you harder questions if you answer the previous question correctly, and easier if you get it wrong. You should allow up to an hour for each test, and each test must be completed before you will be invited to complete the second part of your application. Internet access will be required for the duration of the test. Please refer to the attached Candidate Guidance for further information.

CSJT scores cannot be banked as each test is generated from the behaviours required for a specific role which will vary between recruitment campaigns.

If you require any particular arrangements (for example due to a disability or health problem) to be made in order for you to complete the online test you MUST contact the DBS Enquiry Centre on 0800 345 7772 BEFORE accessing the online test.

Opening  times  Mon -Friday 0800- 1600 hrs.

Applications will be sifted following the closure of the Vacancy and interviews will commence week beginning the 19th of February.

Candidates are expected to have or obtain during the on-boarding process SC level clearance.

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.