JOB SUMMARY

The Prime Minister’s Office enables the Prime Minster to deliver the Government’s overall priorities and to communicate the Government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences. From the Policy Unit, Press Office, Switchboard and Custodians, to the Events & Visits team and the Private Office support; the diverse Downing Street team draws on varied expertise from across the Civil Service and beyond. The teams come together to deliver excellent service to the Prime Minister while also making No10 a great place to work.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This is a high-profile, demanding role at the heart of Government. You core role will be to provide first-class support service to the Prime the political Head and civil service Director of the No10 Policy Unit.
The responsibilities of the role can flex based on requirements. The ideal candidate for this role is a proactive self-starter, capable of thinking ahead and using their initiative to solve problems before they arise.

Non-comprehensive list of responsibilities below:

• Provide oversight of the day-to-day business of the political Head and civil service Director of the No10 Policy Unit, ensuring receipt of timely advice and guiding the team through steers; and ensuring effective use of time.
• Ensure the smooth running of processes across the Policy Unit, mainly the production and clearance of policy advice.
• Making sure the political Head and civil service Director of the No10 Policy Unit have the advice and context they need to make decisions on the issues most important to the PM and the highest profile across all of domestic policy for example by commissioning briefing and updates as needed.
• Represent and communicate the Policy Unit senior team’s views and priorities to the wider team, and the team’s views to the senior team.
• Co-ordinating cross-team input to set strategic direction for the team and its policy programme, working closely with the No10 comms to read across to the strategic narrative.
• Build strong working relationships within the Policy Unit team, and with other teams across No10, MDU, EDS and the wider Cabinet Office; and use these to support the political Head and civil service Director in their work.
• Convene internal policy meetings with members of PU on cross-cutting issues, as well as convening meetings with external stakeholders. Attend policy meetings to take actions to circulate to attendees.
• Line management of two EAs, supporting them to prioritise and manage their time effectively.
• Being an active part of the Policy Unit SLT and wider team.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Be able to quickly establish positive relationships and credibility, including at the most senior levels of government with both special advisers and officials.
• Demonstrate a clear focus on continuous improvement, developing and implementing effective processes.
• Be proactive and self-motivated, able to spot problems and suggest solutions.
• Have exceptional organisational skills with strong planning and prioritisation skills and an eye for detail.
• Enjoy working as part of a team, supporting and delivering through others.
• Be able to work under pressure and at pace where needed.
• Have the ability to quickly grasp complex policy, distil the key issues and communicate confidently with colleagues and seniors.

DESIRABLE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Previous experience of private office.

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

TYPE OF ROLE

Administration / Corporate Support
Business Management and Improvement
Policy
Secretarial

Non-comprehensive list of responsibilities below:

• Provide oversight of the day-to-day business of the political Head and civil service Director of the No10 Policy Unit, ensuring receipt of timely advice and guiding the team through steers; and ensuring effective use of time.
• Ensure the smooth running of processes across the Policy Unit, mainly the production and clearance of policy advice.
• Making sure the political Head and civil service Director of the No10 Policy Unit have the advice and context they need to make decisions on the issues most important to the PM and the highest profile across all of domestic policy for example by commissioning briefing and updates as needed.
• Represent and communicate the Policy Unit senior team’s views and priorities to the wider team, and the team’s views to the senior team.
• Co-ordinating cross-team input to set strategic direction for the team and its policy programme, working closely with the No10 comms to read across to the strategic narrative.
• Build strong working relationships within the Policy Unit team, and with other teams across No10, MDU, EDS and the wider Cabinet Office; and use these to support the political Head and civil service Director in their work.
• Convene internal policy meetings with members of PU on cross-cutting issues, as well as convening meetings with external stakeholders. Attend policy meetings to take actions to circulate to attendees.
• Line management of two EAs, supporting them to prioritise and manage their time effectively.
• Being an active part of the Policy Unit SLT and wider team