Band 4 Assistant Private Secretary to the Chief Executive/Chief Nuclear Inspector (CE/CNI) OR Deputy Chief Nuclear Inspector (DCNI)

Job summary

Job Role / Purpose

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the United Kingdom’s independent statutory regulator for nuclear safety, civil nuclear security, safeguards, and conventional health and safety on licensed sites.

Working in a fast-paced high-profile environment you will be responsible for providing highly effective executive level support to the CE/CNI (role 1) and DCNI (role 2). You will support the coordination of executive activity across the Private Office, including diaries, senior meetings, briefings, correspondence, governance processes and follow-up actions. Working to the Chief of Staff and with Governance and Private Office colleagues, you will bring together information and activity from across the organisation, maintain oversight of key issues and commitments, and support effective engagement with Board members, senior leaders, government departments and external stakeholders on behalf of the CE/CNI or DCNI.

Job description

Principle Responsibilities

The postholder/s will operate at the centre of the Private Office, providing strategic coordination, high-level judgement and trusted support to the CE/CNI or DCNI. Each role is focused on managing competing priorities, shaping the flow of business into the Private Office and ensuring that corporate priorities, risks and sensitive matters are progressed effectively across the organisation.

• Ensuring CE/CNI and DCNI time, focus and engagement are aligned to organisational priorities, emerging risks, external commitments and key decision points.
• Manage the flow of business into and out of the Private Office, applying judgement to prioritise matters, commission follow-up activity, identify interdependencies and ensure timely handling of sensitive or high-profile issues.
• Commission high-quality briefings, drawing together information from across the organisation to ensure the CE/CNI and DCNI are equipped to lead discussions, take decisions and represent ONR effectively with confidence and authority.
• Produce high-quality briefing materials, including drafting, editing and coordinating inputs to bring together information from across the organisation into clear and accessible outputs, such as presentations, reports and supporting documentation.
• Coordinate corporate business on behalf of the Private Office across the Executive team, Board interfaces and wider organisation, ensuring alignment, visibility of priorities and effective follow-through on agreed actions and commitments.
• Support the effective operation of governance arrangements by ensuring that meetings, papers, decisions and actions are managed to a high standard and contribute to robust corporate oversight and accountability.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with senior leaders, Board members and key internal and external stakeholders, acting as a credible point of contact and facilitating constructive engagement on behalf of the CE/CNI or DCNI.
• Build and nurture strong, trusted relationships with the ONR Chair’s Executive Assistant, the PAs of other ONR Directors, and external private offices/PAs to key stakeholders, as well as wider networks as necessary.
• Anticipate issues, monitor corporate pressures and identify where intervention, escalation or reprioritisation is required, helping to maintain oversight of a complex and fast-moving agenda working closely with the Chief of Staff.
• Handle highly confidential, politically sensitive and commercially significant information with discretion, sound judgement and a clear understanding of the broader organisational context.
• Drive continuous improvement in the operation of the Private Office, identifying opportunities to strengthen processes, improve resilience and enhance the overall effectiveness of executive support and coordination.

Line Management Responsibilities

• None currently, however, at this level there could be an expectation to manage staff in the future.

Location / Travel

This post may be undertaken from a base at any one of ONR’s office locations (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London).

ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and or at home) as part of our flexible working policy. There is an expectation that everyone will spend time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will work with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

Work with Us

Our colleagues are from all walks of life with varied personal experiences and career journeys into ONR. We want the best people for our roles. As an inclusive employer we value individuals’ contributions, regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social background, religion, or belief. Our values ‘supportive, open-minded, fair and accountable’ are central to this. We invest in our people to build capability, resilience, and promote wellbeing in our great teams, underpinned by our inherent focus on inclusion and excellence.

Person specification

Security Clearance

SC is required for this role.

Person Specification

Inclusion

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We will consider reasonable adjustments to ensure the recruitment process is inclusive and barrier-free. If you require reasonable adjustments as part of your application, please contact ONR HR as soon as possible, preferably before the vacancy closes, by emailing ONR.Human-Resources@onr.gov.uk/ or Jessica.Normile-Curran@onr.gov.uk to discuss further.

We will also offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for applicants who opt into the guaranteed interview scheme.

We recognise we have a role to play in helping those leaving the Armed Forces and have a Veterans guaranteed interview scheme. We offer an interview to Veterans who meet the minimum criteria for applicants who opt into the scheme. Please see eligibility criteria below.

• served for at least one year in His Majesty's Armed Forces (as a Regular or Reserve).
• be in transition from, or ceased to be a member of, His Majesty’s Armed Forces.
• not already be employed by ONR.

Skills/Job Related Expertise

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable experience of working at senior leader or Board level, with the confidence and judgement to engage effectively with internal leaders and external stakeholders.
• Substantial experience in a senior administrative or Executive Assistant role within a complex and high-profile organisation, ideally within the public sector, regulatory environment or similarly demanding setting.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines in a fast-paced executive office environment.
• Ability to manage complex executive diaries, coordinate senior meetings, prepare agendas and papers, and produce formal minutes and action logs.
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build credibility and maintain effective working relationships at senior levels.
• Excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to manage time and priorities effectively, remaining calm and professional under pressure.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, exercise sound judgement, handle sensitive information with discretion and integrity and take initiative to resolve issues and improve processes.
• Ability to plan and organise work to a high standard, anticipate requirements and maintain progress across multiple strands of activity.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a politically or operationally sensitive environment.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience gained in a relevant specialist or executive support environment.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,215, Office for Nuclear Regulation contributes £11,070 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

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

For Further Information

For more information about this vacancy please contact Ines Osborne:

* - Ines.Osborne@onr.gov.uk

How To apply

Please submit your application through the recruitment portal.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 10th July 2026 at 23:45

Your application should include:

• CV to include a full record of your education and professional qualifications and a full employment history.
• A suitability statement (maximum of 800 words) highlighting how you meet the ‘essential skills and experience” required for the role, which will be used at shortlisting in conjunction with your CV.
• Where applicable highlight if you have any experience under ‘desirable skills and experience’ within the application form.

Throughout our shortlisting process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the essential criteria (and the desirable if applicable).

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Important guidance when providing CV’s – please upload text-based CVs with no graphics or pictures to ensure the anonymisation function works correctly.

Please note - if whilst completing your application, you use special characters such as (‘; “- _ *) within your examples, Hireserve will convert these characters into symbols. We are currently unable to change this.

Whilst these examples will appear on your application, this will not prevent it from being reviewed at the shortlisting stage.

ONR do welcome applicants who require sponsorship through the skilled worker route. Unfortunately, this particular role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and it’s identified at any stage that you require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Ines Osborne
• Email : Ines.Osborne@onr.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ONR.Human-Resources@onr.gov.uk

Further information

https://www.onr.org.uk/complaints-concerns-whistleblowing.htm