About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.  

Are you able to effectively communicate through written and verbal communication?

Can you work flexibly, adapting quickly to changing demands?

Do you want the opportunity to work at the heart of DfT’s Private office?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

Please note – at time of publication of this advert there are currently no vacant positions. Due to the changing and evolving nature of Private Office, vacancies can open up on a regular basis. Therefore, this campaign will create an active working merit list in order to fulfil demand as it arises.

We are looking for talented individuals with a passion for working with others to join the Private Office team supporting Senior officials, Special Advisors and our Permanent Secretaries. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the very heart of the Department and gain invaluable experience of how Ministers, Parliament and a large government department work. It also enables you to work across government departments and gain an insight into Westminster.

The role in Private Office is varied, challenging and enjoyable. You will work in a fast-paced, high-profile environment and provide vital support both to the team and the Minister, Special Advisor or Permanent Secretary, acting as the interface between them, the Department, and the rest of government.

Hours will vary throughout the year and are balanced with shorter working days during parliamentary recess. A Private Office allowance of 20% on top of basic salary is payable to reflect the extra hours worked.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Liaising with policy officials, press office, parliamentary branch, other offices and your own team to ensure your principal’s diary is suitably organised to deal with a wide range of commitments.
• Leading on logistics for your principal’s visits and trips, such as organising travel and accommodation.
• Monitoring your principal’s inbox daily to respond promptly to all queries and requests.
• Acting in a co-ordination role across the office, leading on elements such as commissioning briefing.
• Leading on invitation processing from external stakeholders, supporting your principal to attend a variety of events, conferences and meetings.
• Completing the transparency return for your principal, keeping account of financial spend and international trips taken.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will:

• Be able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders who have different priorities to you.
• Have excellent organisational skills with a high attention to detail.
• Possess excellent time management skills and the ability to remain calm when arrangements can change at short notice.

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.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (500 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of managing competing demands, for example managing a busy diary.
• Experience of organising and co-ordinating, such as events, diaries or logistics.

The sift is due to take place 5th March 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 18th March 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.

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting.

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.