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.

Would you relish an opportunity that provides exposure working with senior leaders across the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Rail Industry?

Do you enjoy a varied and interesting workload?

If so, we are looking for a confident and enthusiastic individual to join our Director General’s office, and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

Our newly created Rail Services Group (RSG) brings together the Department’s interests in the delivery of major rail enhancement projects and the operational railway into one centralised team. The Group is responsible for taking Britain’s railway into the future – delivering a sustainable and customer-focused railway.

The role of Private Secretary is a critical role at the heart of RSG. You will be part of a dedicated team supporting the Director General (DG) responsible for overseeing work that has a direct impact on millions of people’s lives across the country.

In this role you will have the opportunity to work closely with a range of senior leaders to oversee the planning and delivery of the country’s railway network, as well as one of the biggest infrastructure budgets in Whitehall.

To be successful in this role, you will be someone who enjoys working independently and who thrives in a fast-paced work environment. You will form part of a team of three, made up of our Head of Office and our Diary Manager.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

As Private Secretary, your key responsibilities will include:

• Proactively identify and managing issues requiring the Director General’s attention, and making links across the portfolio, the wider Department, Government and rail industry.
• Ensuring the DG is fully briefed on relevant issues and prepared for a range of high-profile meetings, including the Transport Select Committee and Public Accounts Committee.
• Reviewing briefings on behalf of the DG, acting as a final layer of quality assurance, and subsequently providing feedback to teams on the Director General’s preferences.
• Attending meetings with the DG and supporting them by taking high-quality minutes, record of actions, and ensuring actions are taken forward and delivered.
• Managing the DGs inboxes, responding to emails on their behalf, drawing urgent items to their attention and equipping them to respond to requests for comments and clearance to deadlines set.
• Collaborating with and building high quality and trusting relationships with a variety of internal and external partners, and representing the Director General, Group and Department for Transport.
• Supporting the Head of Office in the running of the office, delivering a seamless and high-quality service to the DG that is responsive to quickly changing priorities.
• Taking forward time-bound discrete projects on behalf of the DG, such as corporate priorities, key events, and staff engagement.

Person specification

About you

You will be approachable with excellent interpersonal skills, displaying confidence when engaging with colleagues at all levels to build trusted relationships.

You will have a high attention to detail and excellent drafting skills to produce concise briefings and submissions, and will demonstrate a high degree of trust and discretion towards sensitive information.

You will work well autonomously and enjoy proactively taking the initiative to deliver a seamless, quality service and to resolve problems in a positive manner.

Additional Information 

A minimum 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. 

Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 0.8 full time equivalent (FTE) hours per week.

For more information on the Policy Profession Standards Framework

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, Experience and Technical skills.

When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 500) to provide evidence of the following:

• Experience of building effective working relationships with colleagues at all levels to deliver business outcomes.
• Experience of drafting documents/briefings/material for senior leaders.

The sift is due to take place from the 13th of June 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the weeks commencing the 1st of July 2024 and the 8th of July 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 and a written policy exercise.

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.

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.

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.