Assistant Private Secretary

at  Department for Transport

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.
Can you communicate confidently and professionally with a diverse range of stakeholders including senior officials?
Have you got exceptional organisational skills and thrive in a faced paced, varied environment?
Do you have an interest in government and policy?
If so, we’d love to hear from you!

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 ministers, special advisers, and the permanent secretary. The posts offer a unique opportunity to work at the very heart of the department and gain invaluable experience of how ministers, Parliament, and large government departments work. You will be a vital part of a small, dedicated and friendly team, working directly to ministers, special advisers, and permanent secretaries to help deliver their objectives.
The role offers invaluable development opportunities, as you will work directly with ministers and senior officials and so will see first-hand how to effectively make decisions and drive forward large projects.
You will not be required to have existing knowledge of a policy, but you need to be willing to learn quickly, be a team player, and bring a can-do attitude to the job.

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)

TYPE OF ROLE

Administration / Corporate Support
Operational Delivery
Policy

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Responsibility for substantial areas of a minister’s policy portfolio to ensure the provision of a high-quality private office service that meets ministerial needs.
• Assisting and supporting the minister at meetings, external visits and events.
• Assisting the minister in their parliamentary business, including attending debates and oral questions in the Houses of Parliament.
• Liaising with officials, press office, parliamentary branch and others to ensure that the minister has good quality information in advance of meetings, visits, speaking engagements and parliamentary business.
• Reviewing submissions, correspondence, parliamentary questions, briefing and other papers, and preparing them for the minister’s attention.
• Monitoring progress, exploring problems and negotiating solutions to make sure the minister’s priorities are effectively delivered.
  For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

To be successful in this role you should have the following:

• Experience of working effectively across different teams to deliver objectives.
• Experience of communicating effectively with others.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines even when under pressure.
• Experience of using excellent organisational skills to deliver pieces of work to agreed timelines