About the job

Job summary

The Office of Government Property (OGP) supports government and the wider public sector to manage their estate more efficiently and effectively, helping to deliver the finest public services and supporting the government’s priorities by unlocking surplus land for housing and encouraging the creation of public service jobs outside London to support economic growth. OGP builds capacity and capability in the property function across government through leadership of the Government Property Profession and improving use of data for better decision making.

As a business, and as a group of people, we're amazingly diverse in OGP but we've all got a few things in common:

●    We're ambitious. 
●    We're open-minded. 
●    We enjoy working together. 
●    We deliver results. 
●    And we're excited by the future.

We also take the time to care. We listen to the people we work with. We involve them in how we develop as a business and we make sure that everybody here has the support they need to achieve the remarkable.

Job description

 We are looking for a PMO & Governance Officer to join our Portfolio Management Office. The post holder will play an essential part in ensuring the efficient and effective operation of the Office of Government Property. This will include providing business support over a range of business areas including: workforce, governance, performance and information management. 

The role would suit someone with experience in providing senior level business support and who has experience working in a fast paced environment with an emphasis on continuous improvement.

You will work closely with colleagues from all over OGP and the wider Cabinet Office, and will need to be effective at building strong relationships to influence engagement and compliance with business processes. You will be providing critical back office support to others in OGP, so your desire to offer a first class customer service will shine through.

You will be highly organised, and used to juggling/meeting multiple often tight deadlines. This will involve not only planning your own work  but also understanding the demands of other people who you will need to work with.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

Governance 

• Provide business support for our Boards and Committees, ensuring professional standards of administration including effective timetabling, attendance, pre meeting arrangements and circulation of papers; and that quality minutes and records of actions are produced and circulated.
• Support the Assistant Portfolio Manager in maintaining an annual forward look of all governance activity, ensuring this is aligned to wider activity across the Property Function and that the right content comes to the appropriate boards, at the right time.
• Responsible for the organisation and logistics of regular board events including awaydays and workshops.

Secretariat 

• Management of the Secretariat inbox including responding to PQs, FOI Requests and Correspondence, ensuring effective collaboration with other teams to provide accurate and timely responses.
• Ensuring central records and logs are maintained to track responses, ensure consistent messaging and avoid duplication. 

Information Assurance 

• Responsible for supporting the OGP Information Management Leads Network and meetings; ensuring leads are aware of actions and providing advice and guidance as required on Information Management and Data Protection.
• Support the Information Management Lead to ensure that central protocols are followed and OGP is protected against data-related risks. This includes completing assurance returns, maintaining libraries, carrying out assurance checks and escalating any issues as appropriate.
• Adhoc support for wider PMO activity including recruitment, staff events etc.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience of providing high-quality meeting support and taking the lead in setting agendas, taking minutes and agreeing follow-up actions.
• Strong communication skills and can demonstrate effective working with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise work effectively and adapt rapidly to changing priorities or needs.
• Excellent IT skills - able to develop dashboards, spreadsheets and presentations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to produce high quality reports, minutes and briefings.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience of operating in a project, programme or portfolio office. 

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 will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,750, Cabinet Office contributes £7,492 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.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 500 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and strength based questions, the strength questions are ones in which we wish to gain your initial response. 

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date –w/c 19/02/2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 26/02/2024 or w/c 04/03/2024
Interview location - Online

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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

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.