This is an exciting opportunity to act as the Minister of State for Housing’s diary manager. In this role, you will work with the Minister on a daily basis, helping to address the challenges that affect the lives of people right across the country. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is at the heart of the Government's domestic policy agenda. Our job is to create great places to live and work, and to give more power to local people to shape what happens in their area. The Prime Minister has said that fixing the broken housing market is one of her top priorities, and the Minister of State for Housing plays a key role in delivering this ambitious agenda. You will play a key role in supporting the Minister to make the decisions which will help to address challenges that affect the lives of people right across the country. This varied and high profile role offers you an unparalleled opportunity to work directly with ministers, special advisers and MHCLG’s most senior officials on a daily basis in a way that is rarely matched in other roles of the same grade. These roles are stretching, fast-faced and challenging, and a great platform for your future career in the Civil Service. This role will give you a real sense of how departmental business is conducted, and how ministers work across Government, with Parliament and with senior external stakeholders to realise the Government’s priorities. You will work as part of a tightly knit and high performing team to support the Minister to deliver his priorities. You will play a key role within this team, ensuring the Minister is well briefed for all engagements and has a well organised diary that responds with agility to Departmental, Parliamentary, Constituency and personal commitments. This role will require some late working and additional hours when Parliament is in session. A private office allowance or overtime is therefore payable in these roles.

We are looking for enthusiastic, bright, self-motivated and organised candidates to become part of our team, who have an interest in the priorities of the Department, the wider Government agenda, and the broader political landscape.

• Work independently to lead on management of the Minister’s diary, managing competing priorities and responding at pace to changing circumstances in order to ensure Government business can continue;
• Lead on the commissioning of briefing for meetings, events and visits;
• Lead on management of invitations, making informed recommendations directly to the minister based on advice from officials and own understanding of the Minister’s wider strategic aims;
• Key liaison with the Minister’s parliamentary and constituency offices, balancing the varied demands on the Minister’s time
• Responsible for management of Government Car Service drivers across all ministers group. Set up clear lines of communication with drivers and consider improvements, responding to feedback from drivers, ministers and private offices.
• Ambassador for the Minister and for MHCLG when meeting high-profile external stakeholders.
• Supporting the Minister in Parliamentary business, including legislation, debates statements and oral and topical questions

• Be able to engage with very senior stakeholders confidently and professionally, adapting style and content of communications to suit different audiences and represent the office professionally
• Be a self-starter, comfortably able to work without close line-management supervision.
• Develop an understanding of how the Minister’s priorities fit with the work of the wider Department and the Government’s agenda.
• Use excellent communication skills to negotiate effectively on behalf of the Minister, and build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Show exceptional organisational skills and resilience in the face of rapidly-changing circumstances. Have the ability to manage a challenging and complex workload, remaining flexible and solution focused in the face of ongoing pressures
• Devise innovative ways to solve problems and drive process improvements across the office;

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

• Delivering at pace
• Leading and communicating
• Making effective decisions
• Managing a quality service
• Collaborating and partnering

At sift we will be assessing:

• Delivering at Pace (Lead Competency)
• Leading and Communicating
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications, we may sift based on the lead competency (Delivering at Pace). You will be asked to write up to 250 words for each competency answer.

All competencies listed will be assessed at interview. The interview will be of blended nature, consisting of a mixture between strength based and competency based questions. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.