Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State

Details
Reference number

440470

Salary

£100,000

This role comes with an additional Private Office allowance.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 2

Contract type

Permanent

Loan

Secondment

Length of employment

This role is being advertised on a permanent, full time and job share basis. If preferable, loan or secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment).

Business area

Permanent Secretary - Parliamentary Intelligence and Private Office

Type of role

Policy

Senior leadership

Strategy

Other

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

London

This role will be based in DHSC's London office; the successful candidate will be expected to spend most of their working time in the office.

About the job
Job summary

The Principal Private Secretary (PPS) occupies a pivotal leadership position at the heart of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), supporting the Secretary of State in delivering a bold and ambitious agenda for health and care transformation.

The PPS is responsible for ensuring that the department's strategic priorities such as prevention, digital innovation, workforce reform, and long-term sustainability are embedded in the daily work of the Private Office and across the wider Parliamentary intelligence and Private Office Group.

Job description

As PPS, you will provide high-quality, proactive support to the Secretary of State, balancing immediate demands with a clear focus on the department's long-term objectives. You will play a central role in shaping the department's direction, anticipating opportunities and risks, and working collaboratively with colleagues to resolve complex issues.

The role requires you to champion the department's transformation agenda, supporting the integration of NHS England into DHSC and helping to create a leaner, more agile, enabling centre that empowers local systems and encourages innovation to meet the specific needs of communities.

You will be expected to build and maintain strong relationships with ministers, special advisers, the newly established Joint Executive Team, policy teams, No 10, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, other Whitehall private offices, and the wider health and care system. This collaborative approach is essential to foster collective responsibility for shared objectives, break down silos, and support the delivery of coordinated care.

Key Responsibilities

As a visible leader, you will inspire and manage a diverse team of around 70 staff, including the Secretary of State's office, junior ministerial offices, and the Parliamentary and Intelligence Function. You will promote a high-performing, inclusive, and supportive culture, ensuring that staff are respected and empowered to deliver results and develop their careers.

The PPS is also responsible for overseeing the delivery of ministerial priorities, including parliamentary business, visits, speeches, and engagement with external partners. You will ensure that the department's work is aligned with the 10 Year Health Plan and other key government commitments, upholding the highest standards of governance, transparency, and value for money.

Supporting the Secretary of State and senior leaders in delivering outcomes that matter to patients and citizens, you will help ensure the department operates with clarity, efficiency, and focus.

To succeed in this role, you will need to demonstrate exceptional leadership, sound judgement, and the ability to work flexibly and decisively in a fast-moving environment with competing priorities. You will be personally resilient, confident in challenging and supporting stakeholders at all levels, and committed to diversity, inclusion, and the development of high-performing teams.

Your communication skills both written and verbal will be of the highest standard, enabling you to tailor information to a wide range of audiences and represent the department with credibility and authority.

Person specification

It is important through your Statement of Suitability and CV that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following:

Essential

• Ability to deliver through highly effective working relationships at a very senior level and with a wide range of stakeholders, including the ability to build trust with Ministers, special advisers and senior officials. Substantial experience of working in Government or in an equivalent field.
• Outstanding leadership skills, with the ability to articulate an inspiring vision, and engage and motivate people to deliver in line with business objectives and with resilience
• Excellent judgement, with political awareness and highly developed policy, handling and analytic skills.
• Ability to work flexibly at pace and to make sound decisions in a complex, fast-moving environment with a range of competing priorities.
• Personal resilience when working under pressure and willingness to challenge stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor information to a wide range of audiences.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the UK health system and of health and care policy would be an advantage in the role.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £28,970 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
Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours.

To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Sunday 21st December 2025:

• A CV (which is for information purposes only) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Applications will be sifted on statement of suitability. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or the Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme will be asked to indicate this when submitting their application.

Selection Process

Christopher Pilgrim a Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:

• Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.
• Hearing and determining appeals made by civil servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values – Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty – and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer. More detailed information can be found on the Civil Service Commission website.

Panel Members

• Samantha Jones – Permanent Secretary at DHSC.

Other panel members will be confirmed at or before the shortlist stage.

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the 'Person Specification'. Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made. All candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Discussion with stakeholders

Shortlisted candidates may be given the opportunity to speak to stakeholders, one of which may include Wes Streeting - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview to discuss your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification earlier in this pack. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview on a scenario issued to them 30 minutes ahead of their panel interview. Full details will be provided prior to interview.

Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London. Full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions.

Feedback

Feedback is only available to shortlisted candidates. Please contact to request feedback on your application or interview.

Reserve List

Candidates who are deemed to be 'appointable' after interview but are not successfully appointed to the role will be held on a reserve list. This reserve list will be held for up to 12 months and may be used to fill future suitable vacancies.

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

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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 .

See our vetting charter .

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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : DHSC SCS Recruitment team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

If you believe your application has not been handled in line with recruitment principles, contact in the first instance.

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