Private Secretary - £60,778 - £68,422 p.a. + benefits

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Private Secretary to join our Governance/Executive Office Function within the Enablement group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU.

Who are we?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.

The Private Office sits within the Enablement Group at the MHRA and plays a key role in supporting the Agency’s senior leadership. It works closely with internal governance teams to enable the smooth operation of the Agency by supporting the Board, Executive Committee, and other expert and independent bodies. The team also contributes to corporate governance, risk management, and assurance, ensuring the Agency operates with transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The Private Office plays a central role in supporting the Chairman and Chief Executive in leading the Agency. It manages high-level correspondence, prepares for meetings, coordinates briefings, and ensures clear and effective communication between the Chairman, CEO and both internal and external stakeholders. By enabling timely, accurate, and strategically aligned information flow, the Private Office underpins effective leadership and decision-making at the highest level.

As a small, high-performing team, the Private Office also ensures professional, high-quality engagement with key stakeholders including ministers, MPs, industry leaders, and the public. Operating at the heart of the Agency, it is a fast-paced and dynamic environment, responding to shifting priorities and working closely with senior colleagues across the organisation.

Job description

This role is central to supporting the Chairman and Chief Executive in leading the Agency effectively, helping to drive strategic priorities and enable high-quality, timely decision-making. Operating at the heart of the Executive Office, the postholder will work closely with senior leaders and governance structures during a pivotal period of organisational transformation. It’s a fast-paced, high-profile role that offers significant autonomy and a unique opportunity to shape the direction of the Agency as it continues its journey as a standalone regulator.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated, solutions-focused, and confident in operating with a high level of independence in a high-profile environment. The role spans a wide range of responsibilities, including proactive engagement with senior officials on corporate management and development, as well as involvement in critical regulatory matters.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the evolution of the Private Office at a time of strategic change, offering strong potential for personal and professional growth.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide critical support to the Chairman, including progressing strategic priorities, delivering on behalf of the Chairman and CEO, and ensuring high-quality inputs from across the Agency.
• Support key governance committees, such as the Executive Committee and Agency Board, by setting agendas, resolving issues, and ensuring effective decision-making aligned to public health outcomes.
• Lead on specific strategic projects on behalf of the Chairman and CEO, such as cross-Agency initiatives, conferences, stakeholder engagement, and international collaborations.
• Contribute to the development of governance structures, helping to shape new arrangements that improve accountability and align with the Agency’s new operating model as a standalone regulator.

Person specification

Our successful candidate will:

• Strong strategic judgement awareness, with the ability to understand complex organisational dynamics and align work with the Chairman and Agency priorities.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, incisive, and high-quality advice to senior stakeholders at pace.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset, capable of working with minimal supervision, managing competing priorities, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience supporting senior leadership, ideally within a governance, policy, or regulatory setting, with a confident approach to managing stakeholders and sensitive issues.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, with a willingness to lead process development, introduce new ways of working, and help shape the evolving Private Office function.

Person Specification:

Method of assessment: A=Application, T=Test, I=Interview, P=Presentation

Behaviour Criteria:

Making effective decisions - clarify understanding and stakeholder needs and expectations to enable effective decisions. Ensure decision making happens at the right level, not allowing unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery (A, I, P)

Delivering a quality service – develop, implement, maintain, and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence. (A, I, P)

Delivering at Pace – able to balance working at pace and manage a full workload with conflicting short and long-term priorities. Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing, and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success. (I, P)

Experience Criteria:

• Experience of working in a Private Office or the office of the CEO/Chair, understanding the importance of effective governance to ensure the Agency can meet its obligations. (A, I, P)
• Significant experience of engaging, challenging and supporting senior stakeholders in arriving at the right decisions.(A, I, P)

Strengths Criteria

• Problem Solver - You take a positive approach to tackling problems and find ways to identify suitable solutions (I)
• Resilient - You have inner composure, recover quickly from setbacks and learn from them. (I)
• Change Agent - You are positive and inspirational in leading and supporting others through change. (I)

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification!

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Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,778, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £17,607 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP's Pension Service Centre directly on 0300 123 6666
• Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan
• Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
• Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs
• On-going learning and development

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

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.
• Presentation, to be prepared as part of your interview, with further information being supplied when you reach this stage.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of candidates demonstrating experience of working in a Private Office or the office of the CEO/Chair, understanding the importance of effective governance to ensure the Agency can meet its obligations.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description.

Use of AI in Job Applications

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Closing date: 20th March 2026

Shortlisting date: from 23rd March 2026

Interview date: from 1st April 2026

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

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.

Any move to the MHRA 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. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact careers@mhra.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

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.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

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 : The Resourcing Team
• Email : careers@mhra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@mhra.gov.uk

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at Careers@mhra.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk - info@csc.gov.uk - Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ