JOB SUMMARY

Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and play a key role in keeping our country safe through caring for the Defence estate and those that depend on it? DIO manages the Defence estate, one of the UK’s largest and most diverse property portfolios, enabling the armed forces and Defence civilians to live, work, train and deploy. From net carbon-zero accommodation to runways for the F35 fighter jets, our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe!
The Corporate Operations Directorate is a critical enabler in helping the DIO maximise the delivery of military capability through infrastructure. Our people protect the organisation and its people, enable the delivery of quality outputs more quickly and efficiently, and improve the DIO as a place to work.
The Directorate brings together the professional expertise of DIO’s Business Improvement, Corporate Affairs, Governance & Risk, Finance and People functions. The function is c300 strong, with personnel split over a number of locations.
This is an opportunity to work hand in hand with Senior Leaders and make a real difference to their effectiveness and well-being.
The Corporate Operations PA role is part of a small, encouraging and friendly team providing business management support to the Corporate Operations Director, their Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Directorate staff. We’re here to help make things run smoothly and enable work to be approached in a consistent, planned, more efficient and proactive way. The PA role provides direct high quality secretarial and administrative support to members of the Corporate Operations SLT, helping them to be organised, focused on priorities, and using their time to best effect in order to deliver their objectives.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The PA will work as part of small team delivering a high-quality service, demonstrating the ability to work independently.

The successful candidate will:

• Be comfortable and experienced in working in a fast paced environment, working to tight deadlines.
• Maximise their Principal’s time via effective diary management.
• Take responsibility for prioritising work to deliver results, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Provide support to the Corporate Operations Senior Leadership Team.

Some travel may be required as part of this role to attend various meetings and Team events within the UK, but this is flexible.
A flavour of what the successful candidate will be expected to carry out as part of their daily duties is listed below:
Diary and Inbox Management - proactively manage and maintain the diary ensuring it is kept up to date and any conflicts are resolved promptly, arrange meetings/visits, arrange deputies to cover meetings, ensure all necessary information/papers are provided for meetings including the commission of briefings, triage incoming email for deadlines and necessary action/information, ensuring Senior Leadership Team (SLT) member is informed of priority/urgent matters, build and maintain relationships with other outer offices, understand SLT priorities and key stakeholders.
Records Management - Maintain outlook file structure and filing of email, regularly review the inbox to file/delete email traffic, organise Sharepoint sites and filing structures.
Travel arrangements - Arrange and coordinate travel arrangements in line with current policy, organise access to sites in line with local process, support any site/room bookings or other arrangements for visitors.
Admin Support - Carry out varying admin tasks for the SLT as required.
Broader business management support - Provide cover for other Corporate Operations PAs, provide logistical support for team events, provide knowledge/advice and best practice to ensure consistency.

BENEFITS

Alongside your salary of £26,770, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,755 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years service.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD 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/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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)
• 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

Administration / Corporate Support
Business Management and Improvement