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Short Summary

We are looking for outstanding candidates to join the Ministerial Private Offices in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This is an exciting and stretching role with a significant level of responsibility and profile across the Department and wider Government. We are looking for enthusiastic, bright, organised, and committed candidates who want to deliver on the wide-ranging priorities of the Department and the wider Government agenda.

The successful candidate will: have individual responsibility for their own policy portfolio; operate at a senior level across Government with credibility that is not often matched at this grade; and be a visible leader across the division and wider Department.

 
Job Description

The role of an Assistant Private Secretary is varied, challenging and stimulating. You can expect an exciting and fast-paced experience, where no two days are the same. Your role is critical to ensuring the Minister can work effectively with the Department, wider government, key external stakeholders, and Parliament. You will operate with a significant amount of autonomy on a day-to-day basis.

Working with Ministers: developing a strong and trusted relationship with Ministers – acting as a first point of contact on policy priorities, meetings, in Parliament, and on visits. This will include providing excellent written and verbal advice to the Minister, often on complex policy issues, and ensuring the Department responds appropriately to the Ministers steers.

Collaborating across the Department and beyond: building strong relationships with colleagues across policy, comms and beyond to successfully deliver the Minister’s priorities, and representing the Minister in discussions and negotiations across government – including with No.10 and key external stakeholders.

Ensuring delivery across your portfolio: working flexibly to respond to multiple emerging issues across your portfolio, while continuing to ensure the Minister’s strategic vision and priorities are delivered.

Leading visibly - playing a key role in the division’s Leadership Team to help set direction and maintain it as a place where talented people are provided with the support and challenge to thrive. The post holder will play a key role in a shaping a culture that values diversity and empowers all our people.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be a self-starter and have:

The personal presence, effectiveness and credibility to operate at a very senior level in the Department, across government and with key external stakeholders;

Excellent judgment and effective policy analysis that can be deployed flexibly across a wide range of issues;

The ability to work on multiple complex issues at pace and concurrently – executing judgement and utilising excellent organisational skills to prioritise effectively;

The ability to drive progress in the face of a range of competing views through exceptional communication (oral and written), networking and negotiation skills;

The ability to operate autonomously;

A high standard of written and oral communication skills and the confidence to effectively review the work of other and often senior colleagues;

The mental agility to understand and engage simultaneously across a range of political priorities and translate them into policy;

Personal resilience, including the ability to adapt quickly to new demands and work flexibly in order to deliver quality outcomes under pressure.

Selection process details

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

 We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.

https://design102.wistia.com/medias/5j9nxxyqiy

DLUHC want to bring in and bring on a diverse workforce at all levels.  

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).  

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.  

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. 

When writing your application, remember: 

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.  

• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.  

• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!) 

At sift, we will be assessing:

Behaviour 1 Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour) 

Behaviour 2 Communicating and influencing

Behaviour 3 Making Effective Decisions

Behaviour 4 Seeing the Big Picture

There is a 250 word limit per question.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift based on the lead behaviour. 

 The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviour and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Behaviours: Delivering at pace, Communicating and Influencing, Making Effective Decisions and Seeing the Big Picture

Strength: (Yes) 

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign

 BENEFITS:

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at href=https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk>https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the Candidate Pack. 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

This role is based in London only.

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 25/10/21 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

RESERVE LIST:

 
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

 CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): 

Important note 

Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 

 
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you. 

 
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS STATEMENT:

• Please note that existing DLUHC staff currently within their probation period would still need to complete their probation should they be successful for the role.

HEO salary

• The salary for this role is £33,210 (London)

• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules

Candidate Pack Information

Please see Candidate pack for further information and guidance on: 

• Internal Fraud Database 

• Reserve List 

• Notes on Security Clearance 

• Additional Information on Modernised Terms and Pay 

Contact details

Aidan Hilton

aidan.hilton@communities.gov.uk