Private Secretary to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Job summary

The Private Secretary to the Chief Executive is a critical role within the DMO. The Private Secretary will be responsible for the smooth running of the CEO’s office, providing first line support to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by managing a wide array of issues and actively distilling information for the CEO. This role is both very busy and also strategic, requiring a pro-active approach along with superlative organisational, problem-solving, strategic thinking and communication skills. Furthermore, as a great deal of sensitive information passes through the CEO’s office, it also requires the jobholder to observe the highest levels of confidentiality and possess the personal characteristics to operate with the utmost integrity and discretion. The post-holder will also assume line management responsibility for the rest of the CEO’s office, including the Assistant Private Secretary, Personal Assistant to the CEO and Personal Assistant to the Senior Management Team.

Job description

Assistant to the Senior Management Team.

1. Provide first line support and advice to the CEO, identifying possible briefing needs and anticipating the CEO’s requests for further analysis, actively distilling and tailoring information and working closely with teams across the office to ensure that the CEO receives effective, accurate and clear advice.
2. Maintain a strategic awareness of a wide array of operational and policy issues affecting the DMO, while horizon-scanning for potential future issues, including across government and the financial sector, to ensure that the CEO is fully briefed ahead of meetings.
3. Line management. Working with and mentoring the current Joint Private Secretary to develop and motivate the team including the Personal Assistant (PA) to the CEO and PA to the senior management team.
4. Provide the lead secretariat support for the Advisory Board (AB), liaising with the Non-Executive Chair of the Board and commissioning papers, managing the Terms of References for AB and the Executive Committee, working closely with teams across the office on the co-ordination, prioritisation, escalation (if necessary) and completion of actions generated by the AB and other senior-level committees.
5. Co-ordinate briefing and preparation for key meetings (e.g. Parliamentary Committee hearings), conferences, overseas visits etc. and working with the CEO’s PA to oversee the provision of administrative and logistical support in preparation for these meetings as necessary.
6. Define and develop the desired culture for the DMO. Work with stakeholders including the CEO, ExCo, HR, Heads of department, Staff Council and employees to establish a plan to move from current to desired future state.

Person specification

Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a Private Office or working in a similar high paced environment supporting senior leaders – Lead criteria

Experience of commissioning, drafting and quality assuring high quality briefing and correspondence with high attention to detail for a senior audience

Delivering at pace: Experience managing multiple priorities at pace while maintaining accuracy and discretion

Communicating & Influencing: Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Working together: Ability to build effective relationships and influence across organisational boundaries, including with senior stakeholders

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,000, UK Debt Management Office contributes £17,382 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%

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, Strengths and Experience.

To apply:

Please send a CV and supporting statement to Recruitment@dmo.gov.uk

Candidates – Please ensure your supporting statement and CV clearly demonstrate how you meet the Essential skills and criteria. The supporting statement and CV will be assessed.

Please note a sift based on the lead criteria may be conducted if in the event of a large number of applications being received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

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

Security

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.

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

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 : Kamara Ferdinand
• Email : Recruitment@dmo.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@dmo.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting us at HR@dmo.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners via info@csc.gov.uk, alternatively they can be contacted at the following address: G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ

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