About the job

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

Here you’ll find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Discover more about our work:

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 27%, to help work work for you.

For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained, or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity available within the Submarine Delivery Agency as an Executive Assistant. As an Executive Assistant, you will provide effective high-quality secretarial support, office management and administration to ensure that Senior Civil servants conduct their business as efficiently as possible.

This role will stretch your communication skills, ability to manage multiple priorities at pace, problem solving ability, decision making and management of resources whilst working autonomously. Being an Executive Assistant requires confidence, the ability to manage relationships, including working with a range of stakeholders to the SDA, the wider Ministry of Defence (MOD) and external customers and companies.

Please note, due to nature of the role, it will be based on site full-time.

On top of the salary, this position also offers an Inner London Weighting Allowance of £1,500 and a Recruitment and Retention Allowance of £1,750 – a combined £3,250 annually.

What you’ll be doing

• Manage the principal’s diary in an effective and confidential manner. Organise meetings, book and set up venues including checking security clearance of visitors. In addition, if necessary, organising refreshments and equipment.
• Produce and prepare accurate meeting materials on time; including RHS briefs, LTT, as well as agendas, printing and flagging briefing packs and presentations.
• Acting as an advisor in their area of responsibility for the principal delegating where necessary, dealing with routine correspondence and drafting letters for the principal.
• Managing the 'Bring Forward system' and tracking delegated work by prioritising incoming mail, keeping track of the principal’s tasks, actions and deadlines, delegating actions and tasks where necessary.
• Manage the logistics of meetings and visits, including travel, accommodation and where necessary producing agendas and itineraries.
• Conduct accurate and efficient information management tasks such as filing, expenses and time recording.
• Where appropriate attend meetings with the principal to record minutes and actions.
• Manage other administrative tasks, such as drafting Business Cases to procure office equipment and other material as directed.
• Anticipate and execute tasks as required by the principal.
• Establish and maintain stakeholder networks across the principal's business contacts and work colleagues (internal and external to SDA).
• Work with the principal to understand their needs and objectives to build a cohesive and efficient working relationship.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Significant previous executive assistant experience.
• Previous experience of creating professional communications.
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office tools.
• Proficient in grammar, spelling and punctuation.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Supporting the Senior Principal - Supervised Practitioner
• Professional Communications - Supervised Practitioner
• Working Together - CSBC 3
• Delivering at Pace - CSBC 3

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,800, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,506 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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.
3. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Security

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.