Executive Assistant to the Second Permanent Secretary and Director General

Job summary

This role is based in the European and Global Issues Secretariat (EGIS). EGIS is led by the Prime Minister’s Adviser on European and Global Issues and Second Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office. We provide support to the Prime Minister; the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister; and the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in his role as Minister for European Union Relations.

Our core role is to ensure that the UK has a consistent and coherent approach to our relationship with the EU, and to international economic and global issues - in support of the UK’s national interest, its economic stability, secure borders and national security foundations, and the Government’s missions (particularly on growth, health and clean energy), including supporting the integrity of the United Kingdom. We aim to be an excellent, interesting and challenging place to work, which attracts and retains high-performing people from across Government, with a supportive, diverse and inclusive working environment.

We are recruiting for someone who would like to stretch their skills in supporting the Second Permanent Secretary and Director General. We operate a joint private office directly supporting both principals. The job holder will be responsible for providing exceptional customer service on logistics (diary and travel), preparing briefing and daily packs and expenses, with a possibility of wider office tasks, including ad-hoc policy support.

You will need to understand the Second Perm Sec’s and DG’s priorities in order to manage diaries and travel, and ensure that they are in the right place at the right time with the right information. This role requires proactiveness, prioritisation and the ability to look and plan ahead.

Job description

Your responsibilities as Executive Assistant include, but are not limited, to:

• Calendar and inbox management.
• Acting as a point of contact for the Second Perm Sec and DG.
• Triaging of requests and issues where appropriate.
• Working closely with the European and Global Issues senior leadership team and wider team members to ensure your principals receive good quality, timely advice and briefing each day.
• Working in partnership with members of the Private Office team, jointly leading on communications and managing cross-Group administration and commissions, and stepping in for others as needed.
• Office administration, including FOIs and correspondence, expenses and supplies.
• You will play an important corporate role in the Group to help make the EGIS an ever-better place for our staff to work.

Person specification

We are looking for someone with an interest in playing a supporting role and is able to work in a fast-paced environment and take on multiple tasks.

Essential skills criteria

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders at varying levels of seniority.
• The ability to work independently and deliver in a fast-paced environment, balancing competing deadlines and multiple tasks.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Have good attention to detail to identify issues quickly and deliver pragmatic solutions.
• A team player with the ability to work flexibly to respond to different pressures.

Desirable criteria

• Experience managing a diary.

This vacancy is on a loan basis. Please ensure you have sought approval for a loan arrangement and that it has been approved. We may request evidence of this ahead of the interview.

Please note that the successful candidate will require SC vetting at the point of starting of the role, with a willingness to undergo DV once in post.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,279, Cabinet Office contributes £9,930 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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.

Application process

You are asked to submit a CV and a Personal Statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please provide a personal statement (of no more than 500 words) referencing the Person Specification, Essential skills criteria and Job Description when completing your application.

Selection process

At interview, you will be assessed in a question and answer format using Civil Service behaviours and experience.

Please refer to the Job Role, Person Specification and Behaviours for more information.

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

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering At Pace

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c: 27th July 2026

Expected interview date/s – w/c: 3rd August 2026

Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

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.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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.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 : Rhys Waskett
• Email : rhys.waskett@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.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 in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)