Climate Change Committee - HEO Private Secretary

Job summary

The Climate Change Committee is the independent expert statutory adviser to Parliament and the UK Government on climate change policy. It was created as a key part of the long-term legal framework set out in the Climate Change Act (2008). The Act sets a long-term target for 2050 (Net Zero, a 100% reduction in net emissions from 1990) and requires that carbon budgets (five-year caps on emissions) are set on a path towards the long-term target. The Act also requires that the UK assesses and responds to the risks that it faces as the climate changes.

The CCC was the first body of its kind in the world and brings together different strands of expertise from its members, from government, the research community and business. It draws on existing information and undertakes its own analysis to provide expert advice to Ministers and to Parliament.

The CCC is comprised of two Boards (‘the Mitigation Committee’ and ‘the Adaptation Committee’) and an analytical secretariat. The Committees are supported by a Secretariat of around 60 economists, operational researchers, scientists and other analysts, as well as both an External Affairs team (where this role sits) and a Corporate Services team.

Role summary

The Executive Assistant role at the CCC is an interesting and varied role in a fast-paced environment, supporting the CCC’s CEO and Chief Analyst. Reporting to the Senior External Affairs Manager, this role will provide proactive and professional support which includes management of the private office inbox.

Job description

Private Secretary duties for the CEO and Chief Analyst

The role holder will:

Key accountabilities (include but not limited to):

• Manage the diary for the Chief Executive and Director of Analysis. Prioritise requests from team and stakeholders and proactively manage diary conflicts. Adapt and be responsive to short-notice requests.
• Support the CEO with basic inbox management, ensuring urgent issues are dealt with promptly and that work is prioritised and appropriate issues are escalated.
• Establish, maintain and manage relationships with senior external stakeholders and their teams, such as our Committee Chairs and members.
• Manage visitors to the CCC offices including registration of guests and room bookings. This requires receiving guests in person.
• Take minutes when required.
• Arrange logistics for the senior leadership team for external events, including travel and accommodation, registration, and the coordination of briefing materials.

• Commission and create briefings from pre-designed materials.
• Liaise with the diary managers of the Committee Chairs, and on occasion with other Committee members, regarding CCC work and engagements.
• Coordinate infrequent foreign travel arrangements.

Management of Private Office correspondence

The role holder will:

• Manage the CCC Private Office inbox, which involves, amongst other duties, ensuring responses to key stakeholders are escalated promptly.
• Manage relationships with diary managers in departments, devolved administrations, and parliamentarians to ensure smooth correspondence with statutory stakeholders.
• Track any correspondence and invitations received by the Private Office for review meetings with senior staff. Track progress and manage communication with stakeholders.
• Draft responses such as letters or emails.
• Manage post into the organisation.
• Take phone calls into the Private Office phone number.

Play a supportive role in the organisation

• Be flexible about in-person office needs for:

• Provide cover for other administrative roles on the team (and help upskill colleagues to provide cover for your role when you on leave/sick).
• Develop a useful online file management system.
• Be willing to take on short term administrative tasks to support the wider secretariat and make the organisation function as well as possible.

Person specification

• Excellent organisational skills, with an ability to manage and adapt to conflicting demands, maintaining focus and quickly reprioritising to ensure last-minute changes do not adversely impact on your delivery.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent MS Office skills, including strong proficiency in the use of Outlook and excel, plus other collaborative tools.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to form close working relationships with colleagues at all levels to gain their trust.
• Strong collaboration skills, being flexible and adaptable to support the wider secretariat and committees.
• Ability to operate in the role with upmost discretion.
• Previous experience of Private Office and working with senior individuals is desirable.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,201, Climate Change Committee contributes £11,356 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%

The Climate Change Committee are committed to creating a workplace culture where all staff feel valued, supported and can develop their potential. We work hard to ensure all staff can flourish and succeed, working with and respecting people’s different backgrounds and personal circumstances. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. For more information on our EDI commitments, please read our strategy here https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

We are partnering with the recruitment agency Archer Mac for this campaign. Therefore, for more information about this role please contact Steph Robinson: stephanie.robinson@archermac.co.uk

The assessment process will assess the following Civil Service behaviours:

• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at pace
• Working together
• Making effective decisions

First and second round interviews are likely to take place w/c 13th & 20th April at the latest.

Working at the CC

The CCC takes personal development seriously and is proud to maintain a highly effective and well-motivated workforce. Successful applicants will agree a development plan with their manager.

Further Information

The CCC office is based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London. Staff are expected to attend the office for at least 40% of their working hours.

The London pay band for this role is £39,201 £42,008.

We support a wide variety of working patterns such as compressed hours, hybrid working, and flexi time. National pay bands may be used where staff apply to work from home for more than 40% of their working hours and live outside London. Regular attendance at our London office, for example for meetings and training, will still be required. The national pay band for this grade is £35,631 £37,119.

Security: Successful candidates must pass basic security checks.

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.

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

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Stephanie Robinson
• Email : stephanie.robinson@archermac.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ccc.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance HR@theccc.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints