JOB SUMMARY

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is recruiting for the role of Private Secretary for the Ministerial Team.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for social security, labour market, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, we administer the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. What we do matters to millions of people every day.
Private Office is crucial to providing effective support and advice to Ministers and Special Advisers across all aspects of Departmental business, acting as the key interface between the Department and Ministers to deliver DWP’s critical agenda.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Private Office team is a high-performing, dynamic, supportive and inclusive team. This is a demanding but rewarding role for someone interested in working closely with Ministers, Special Advisers and senior officials.
This post reports to the Deputy Principal Private Secretary.

In this role you will:

• Advise and work directly with the Secretary of State, Junior Ministers and Special Advisers to support them in delivering their priorities
• Work with senior stakeholders across the Department, including policy, the communications directorate and operations, as well as across Whitehall, to provide the Ministerial Team with high quality and timely advice
• Support the Secretary of State and Junior Ministers in a wide range of internal and Cross-Government meetings and external engagements
• Be an active member of the Private Office Senior Management Team

We offer successful candidates:

The opportunity to work closely with the Secretary of State, Junior Ministers, Special Advisers and senior officials

• An exciting, fast-paced and challenging work environment that involves dealing with complex policy and operational issues
• The chance to be part of a supportive team with plenty of opportunities to learn and develop new skills
• The opportunity to broaden understanding of DWP policy, parliamentary business and cross-government functions

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are looking for a high-performing, resilient and energetic person with excellent communication skills who can work independently and as part of a wider team to deliver for the Ministerial Team.
You will need to manage a heavy workload, prioritise effectively and enjoy working in a fast-moving environment.
Experience of working with Ministers or senior leaders is desirable but not essential.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.
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 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.
Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP’s terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
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.

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

In this role you will:

• Advise and work directly with the Secretary of State, Junior Ministers and Special Advisers to support them in delivering their priorities
• Work with senior stakeholders across the Department, including policy, the communications directorate and operations, as well as across Whitehall, to provide the Ministerial Team with high quality and timely advice
• Support the Secretary of State and Junior Ministers in a wide range of internal and Cross-Government meetings and external engagements
• Be an active member of the Private Office Senior Management Tea