Private Secretary in Private Office

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 385979

**Salary**:

- £41,463 - £52,040
- The national salary range is £41,463 - £45,276 London salary range is £47,657 - £52,040 Your salary will be dependent on your base location
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer
- SEO

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Type of role**:

- Operational Delivery

**Working pattern**:

- Full-time, Job share, Part-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 2

Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- This position is based at NIO Erskine House, BT1 4GF, NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE LONDON, SW1A 2HQ

About the job

**Job summary**:

- Please refer to Job Description

**Job description**:
**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:
The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

- Supporting the Secretary of State or Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on high-profile policy areas, and contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the ministerial Private Office, delivering the highest quality support;
- Working across the Private Office Group, the NIO and wider Whitehall in a leadership role and representing your Principals’ views with credibility;
- Providing strategic advice and join up on the preparation of policy advice from across the Department;
- Supporting ministerial visits in Northern Ireland and overseas as required;
- Leading on a key PO function;
- Line management of one Diary Secretary for both roles**

**ESSENTIAL CRITERIA**:

- A proactive, can-do attitude, with an ability to review processes and think strategically and creatively to implement solutions independently;
- Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, and work effectively across a range of tasks and under pressure;
- Exceptional interpersonal and management skills with the ability to understand different perspectives;
- A strong ability to influence at all levels, including with Senior Officials/ stakeholders, and to work collaboratively to resolve difficult issues;
- Proven experience of working effectively with Ministers and/or equivalent senior officials/ stakeholders.

**DESIRABLE CRITERIA**:

- An understanding of propriety and ethics and the ability to maintain appropriate standards in line with the Civil Service, Ministerial, and Special Advisers’ Code.
- An understanding of the Northern Ireland political system and of the work of the Northern Ireland Executive.

**Person specification**:

- Please refer to Job Description

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

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

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £41,463, Northern Ireland Office contributes £12,011 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Access to learning and development
- A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
- A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Annual Leave
- Public Holidays
- Season Ticket Advance

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:

- This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

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

**Security**:
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)
- 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).

**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 (opens in a new window) and the C