Programme Assistant

Job summary

We are looking for a highly organized, proactive, and collaborative EO Programme Assistant to provide the essential administrative and operational infrastructure for the award-winning One Public Estate (OPE) programme.

The OPE team is a friendly, highly collaborative, and diverse group operating in a fast-paced environment. This role offers you an excellent opportunity to build your career in project delivery and public sector property within a supportive environment that values individual skills and expertise. If you have strong attention to detail, enjoy solving practical problems, and are a dedicated team player, we would love to hear from you.

About One Public Estate (OPE)

OPE is a unique and impactful partnership between the Office of Government Property (OGP) in the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association (LGA), and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Established in 2013, we work with 98% of local authorities in England and have funded over 850 transformational property-led projects.

Our mission is to support public sector partners to drive economic growth, unlock housing supply (supporting the target of 1.5 million homes), and reform public services through optimisation of public property assets. We act as a convenor, neutral broker, and technical expert, while also delivering major capital initiatives like the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) on behalf of MHCLG.

We are currently embarking on an exciting transition to an evolved place-based operating model. This role is vital to ensuring our core programme operations run smoothly during this exciting phase of evolution.

Job description

As the Programme Assistant, you will work closely with and report directly to the Grade 7 Programme Manager. You will act as the operational engine room of the team, keeping our tracking systems up to date and ensuring our senior leads have the capacity to deliver high-level stakeholder engagement.

Your specific responsibilities will include:

• Administrative Support: Provide high-quality administrative and support functions to the Programme Manager and the wider OPE team to maintain the smooth day-to-day management of our existing project portfolio.
• Cross-Organisational Collaboration: Work collaboratively across a unique blended team spanning the Cabinet Office, the LGA and MHCLG to support seamless, joined-up programme delivery.
• PMO Delivery: Support the delivery of OPE programme management functions by actively maintaining governance arrangements and managing live programme logs, including risks, issues, and dependencies (RAID logs).
• Financial Management: Assist the Programme Manager with core financial processes, including tracking project expenditure and liaising with the Cabinet Office finance team to ensure responsible budget management.
• Official Correspondence: Support the team in managing official correspondence, including preparing initial drafts and organizing supporting materials for ministerial submissions, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and Parliamentary Questions (PQs).
• Change Delivery Support: Actively assist the team as we transition to our new operating model, helping track the progress of system change work and localised Pathfinder initiatives.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Operational Delivery: Experience providing administrative, operational, or support functions within a fast-paced programme, project delivery, or corporate office environment.
• Organisation & Prioritisation: Highly organised and proactive, with strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively to manage a diverse workload at pace.
• Communication: Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate information, draft updates, and support a blended team.
• Digital Literacy: Proficiency in standard office IT software, such as Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and/or Microsoft Office equivalents.
• Collaboration: The ability to build and maintain positive, effective working relationships across a blended team and with a wide range of public sector stakeholders.

Technical Qualifications

• No formal qualifications are required for this post; your practical experience, organisation skills, and proactive attitude are what matter most.

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:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,727, Cabinet Office contributes £8,611 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process, we will assess you against the essential skills and experience. Behaviours and Strengths will be tested at interview.

To apply, please submit a CV and personal statement of no more than 1,000 words. Use your personal statement to clearly demonstrate how your previous experiences and day-to-day skills align with the Essential Experience & Skills listed in the person specification above.

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

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

The interview will consist of questions based on the Success Profiles:

• Delivering at Pace (Behaviours)
• Working Together (Behaviours)
• Managing a Quality Service (Behaviours)

There will also be two questions to assess your Strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – week commencing 13th July

Expected interview date/s – week commencing 20th July

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 adjustments

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 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.

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

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.

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

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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.

Feedback

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

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 : Kirsty Rouillard
• Email : Kirsty.Rouillard@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 at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that 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 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 344kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)