Senior Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

at  Northern Ireland Office

JOB SUMMARY

Please refer to Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.
Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.
The starting salary for the London based location is £61,201.
A Private Office allowance applies for this role.

EXPERIENCE:

Please provide a CV and statement of suitability no longer than 500 words outlining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria. Both will be used in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Your statement of suitability needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
If you don’t have work-based examples then give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.
Your CV should include details of your education, professional qualifications, previous skills and full employment history. Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.
More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here.
Please note that in the event of a large number of applications being received we may run the initial sift on the lead Behaviour “Communicating and Influencing”.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Further information about the post may be obtained from MaryJo McKeever via email to maryjo.mckeever@nio.gov.uk
All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.
This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Please refer to Job Description

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)

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This is a challenging but highly rewarding role. It offers a unique and exciting opportunity to operate at the very heart of the Northern Ireland Office, working closely with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Special Advisers, and senior officials. You will work alongside the Principal Private Secretary and the rest of the Private Office team to deliver a highly effective and resilient Private Office operation, allowing you to gain an unrivalled insight into the workings of the Department, Whitehall and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Senior Private Secretary acts as a key link and channel of communication between Ministers and the Department, as well as managing relationships with wider Government. You will lead on the submission of policy advice to Ministers to support their decision making, and advise on the presentation of their key objectives. You will use your judgement to identify issues that need to be brought to the attention of the Secretary of State and the political team.. You will work closely with the senior management team on the delivery of Ministers’ objectives, and in ensuring the department has a clear understanding of Ministers’ views and priorities. You will represent the Secretary of State around Whitehall, with the Northern Ireland Executive, and with external stakeholders.
You will play a leadership role across the private office group and have line management responsibilities, overseeing the performance management of your team to ensure high standards of service. You will have a distinct policy portfolio and provide oversight on the policy areas and operational functions which your direct reports lead on.
You will work closely with Special Advisers, Communications and External Relations colleagues within the department. Building effective external networks and relationships with other Ministerial Private Office teams in both Whitehall and Northern Ireland will be critical.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

• Smooth and efficient running of the Private Office team, working alongside the Principal Private Secretary, senior officials, and Special Advisers to deliver the highest quality support and advice for the Secretary of State and the political team.
• Line management of a team of Private Office staff. You will be responsible for ensuring all staff are managed effectively, that they work as one team across the private office group, with a focus on coaching and development.
• Ensuring that the Department has a clear understanding of Ministerial views, priorities and objectives, guiding officials in their preparation of briefing for Ministers on key policy issues, engaging with confidence and authority with senior officials to ensure Ministerial steers are taken forward.
• Playing an active leadership role as part of the Private Office management team. This includes taking ownership of several core private office processes, driving forward efficiencies and bolstering the resilience of the team.
• Participating in the Private Office network across Whitehall and building partnerships with key external stakeholders. You will have the credibility to represent the views of the Secretary of State and the Department across Whitehall and externally.