Senior Private Secretary

**Senior Private Secretary**

**UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)**

**Salary: £54,043**

**Hours: Full time**
**Contract Type: Open Ended.**
**Location: Caxton House, London - Flexibility for Hybrid working, Pattern will change week to week**
**Closing date: 08/09/24**
**Interview Date: 18/09/24 - 20/08/24**

**Purpose**

The external affairs and communications private office is a new function in the directorate. This small team will sit at the heart of the directorate, playing a critical role in its success and directly supporting the senior leadership and wider function. In particular, the office currently:

- Supports the Chief of External Affairs and Communications, providing them and their senior leadership team with advice and challenge as appropriate
- Supports the directorate as a whole, driving out a clear understanding of both organisational and directorate leadership priorities and advising teams to ensure that these strategic priorities are met.
- Problem solves to remove barriers and drive forward priority areas of work
- Ensures the operations of the directorate run smoothly; and
- Oversees diary and other wider support to the leadership team

As the Senior Private Secretary, you will hold overall responsibility for the successful delivery of these functions. The exact nature of this role will vary according to business needs and may change over time, but you will work very closely with the Chief of External Affairs and Communications as well as being responsible for the overall running of the office (including management oversight of other team members).

You will provide strategic advice and challenge across UKRI’s priorities, drawing on the expertise of the external affairs and communications directorate to ensure alignment with UKRI and HMG priorities. You will use delegated authority from the Chief of External Affairs and Communications, acting as there representative and on their behalf as required.

You will also build experience and familiarity with the External Affairs and Communications’ strategic communications priorities, leading directly on a portfolio of defined strategic priority areas as capacity allows. You will work across professional functions to ensure the directorate is well run, working with the senior leadership team to scope and embed improvements to the effectiveness and the efficiency of the function.

This is a varied and challenging role, which requires the post-holder to be able to build and maintain trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across UKRI, academia, business, and Government. The post holder will be expected to deliver at pace, communicate and collaborate effectively, and have strong attention to detail. You will need to possess integrity and understand the need for, and exercise, discretion and confidentiality.

**Key Responsibilities**

Your key responsibilities as Senior Private Secretary are:

- Providing insight and challenge to the Chief of External Affairs and Communications and their senior leadership team to support them to engage as effectively as possible with their role and responsibilities. Where appropriate, acting as there representative and on their behalf in wider organisational fora.
- Providing advice and, where necessary, constructive challenge to teams across the wider directorate to ensure strategic priorities are clearly understood and met.
- Problem solving to drive forward leadership priorities, including leading directly on strategic priority pieces of work (as capacity allows). Identifying emerging trends or issues which could impact on the Chief of External Affairs and Communications or the Office’s ability to support them.
- Take responsibility for ensuring the directorate is following organisational requirements in areas such as HR processes, budgeting and financial management, and risk management.
- Overseeing the smooth day-to-day operation of the office. This includes:

- Managing team assignments, cover, and leave to provide a seamless service to the leadership;
- Overseeing all regular office requirements - such as meeting attendance and accurate note taking, daily/weekly packs, and duties - to ensure that these are reliably covered by the team as a whole; and
- Acting as a first point of advice to support team members, exercising good judgement on which issues to escalate and when.
- Line management and oversight of the PO team.
- Developing team members appropriately, both on the job and through formal opportunities where relevant.
- Working flexibly as required to support colleagues across the team. Contributing to the overall functioning of an effective, efficient, and friendly office, including working with other executive offices across the organisation to share best practice and build a strong peer network.

As a new role, you will be expected to work with the Chief of External Affairs and Communications and their team to review and improve the private office over time. The exact nature