Diary Secretary

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

- 239366**Salary**:

- £24,327 - £30,771- London - £28,050 - £30,771, National £24,327 - £27,101**Grade**:

- Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Fixed Term
- Loan**Length of employment**:

- 2 years**Business area**:

- UK Covid-19 Inquiry**Type of role**:

- Administration / Corporate Support**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of posts**:

- 2Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, YorkAbout the job

**Summary**:
In May 2021, the Prime Minister made a statement in the House of Commons that the Government will establish an independent public inquiry on a statutory basis, with full powers under the Inquiries Act of 2005.

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett DBE was appointed as Chair to the Inquiry and following an initial set up phase we are now looking for exceptional staff to join the Inquiry team.

The Inquiry are seeking two Executive Officers to work as Diary Secretaries to multiple senior principals in the Inquiry.

The Inquiry sits independent of the Government with the Cabinet Office acting as the sponsoring department.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an inclusive, innovative team where you will be supported to challenge yourself in often ambiguous circumstances. The team encourages working in a flexible, collaborative manner to learn and support each other as we look to undertake one of the broadest, most publicly anticipated inquiries in UK history.

**C**onflicts of Interest**

This may include current or prior work undertaken on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Decisions on any potential conflict of interest will be made before an appointment to the role is confirmed.

**Job description**:
The EO Diary Secretaries in the Private Office will support the team to deliver high-quality Private Office service for the Inquiry. Key responsibilities include:

- Managing the diary of multiple principals in the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This will require a high attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple, competing priorities at once, while managing and liaising closely with senior stakeholders.
- Assisting in the preparation of day packs and meeting papers for senior leaders, along with other areas of business support as needed, requiring the ability to be across the smallest detail while also being constantly aware of the bigger picture.
- Ensure the provision of joined up support for senior leaders in a high pressure, fast paced environment.
- Building a strong working relationship with colleagues across the Secretariat and legal teams, including Private Secretaries to the Secretary and Chair of the Inquiry.
- Lead on managing the team’s shared inbox, directing enquiries to the appropriate owners and using your judgement to flag urgent information and actions.
- Maintaining trackers, logs and forward looks and leading on record management.
- Be a first point of contact for the Private Office and Inquiry; managing calls, meeting and greeting visitors and providing a responsive service to colleagues and stakeholders.
- Providing secretariat support to meetings as needed, including taking minutes, disseminating information and coordinating across the organisation.
- Assisting in managing correspondence, ensuring it is answered in a timely manner.
- Other ad hoc administrative tasks as required.

The work of Private Office is diverse and as such you will need to be a great team player with a can do attitude who is prepared to jump in and assist with a range of challenging tasks.

**Responsibilities**:
Essential Criteria:

- Outstanding organisational skills and the ability to prioritise effectively.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- A self starter who, once up and running, can deliver without significant oversight.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, demonstrating an ability to engage professionally with senior officials.
- A team player with a willingness to work flexibly and collaboratively across the wider team.
- Ability to remain professional and act with integrity in a pressurised environment and in handling confidential information.
- Excellent IT skills.

Desirable Criteria
- Experience of managing a senior leaders diary.
- Experience of working in a Private Office environment.

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

- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing

**Benefits**:

- 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 average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of