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Job summary

We are looking for an outstanding candidate to work as Deputy Head of Office for Corporate Group, Non-Executive Directors and Board Secretariat.

You will join a friendly and high-performing Grade 7-led hybrid team, which oversees three critical functions of the department.
1.    DLUHC’s Board Secretariat, which is responsible for planning and running the meetings of our Executive Team, as well as Ministerial and Non-Ministerial Boards.
2.    The Private Office of DLUHC’s Non-Executive Directors, who are led by Alison Nimmo DBE.
3.    The Private Office of Matt Thurstan, Head of Corporate Group. The corporate group has six directorates which collectively cover finance; communications; commercial; project delivery; estates; security; digital; analysis and data, and HR. 

Your role would focus on the first two of these functions – specifically:
•    Working as Deputy Head of Board Secretariat (45% of your time) 
•    Working as the Private Secretary to the Non-Executive Directors (45% of your time)
•    Deputising for the Head of Office on wider ad hoc issues as required (10% of your time)

You will be provided with an unparalleled opportunity to work daily with senior officials, Ministerial private offices, and external stakeholders across varied and high-profile issues. We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic self-starters who can confidently operate independently and as part of a wider team, being able to effectively delegate to others (there may in time be opportunities to line/task manage). You will also need excellent attention to detail and the ability to think strategically about department priorities. This is a stretching but rewarding role, with a high level of responsibility at this grade and plenty of scope for further development opportunities as the successful candidate progresses. 

Our team is part of the wider Executive Team Office (ETO), which is comprised of the private offices of our Permanent Secretary, Directors General, Chief Scientific Advisor and Non-Exec Directors, as well as the Board Secretariat. We are a supportive and inclusive group of around thirty people, with plenty of opportunities for career development and extra-curriculars.

We encourage you to get in touch for an initial chat if you have any questions – contact details are located near the bottom of this advert.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:
• Manage the day-to-day running of the Board Secretariat, working with the team leader ensure ET and Board agendas are strategically aligned with the department’s priorities 
• Act as the Private Secretary to the Non-Executive Directors. You will develop knowledge of the relevant stakeholders, assimilate information quickly, and build relationships with senior staff and their offices so that you can brief and advise.
• When there is business need, deputise for the team leader on matters outside of your immediate portfolio
• Develop a trusted relationship with the Head of Corporate Group/Non-Executive Directors, acting as a sounding board and first point of contact on relevant queries
• Effectively manage the flow of work to the Head of Corporate Group/Non-Executive Directors, coordinating and providing high quality, timely advice to inform decisions and representing their views to the Department.
• Task-manage others to deliver a high-quality service for the Board and Head of Corporate Group, ensuring a rapid response to ad hoc asks from principals.

Person specification

We’re interested in someone who: 

•    Can effectively balance multiple competing priorities
•    Is resilient and can work autonomously at pace, including taking decisions under pressure.
•    Has excellent relationship building skills and is a strong communicator, able to clearly explain complex issues and provide clear direction to colleagues at all levels.
•    Can quickly grasp complex issues and make strategic links between different policy areas.
•    Has extremely good attention to detail
•    Is highly organised with excellent prioritisation skills.
•    Is a flexible and supportive team player.
•    Is able to spot problems and seek creative solutions.
•    Will be a visible and professional ambassador for the Head of Corporate Group / Non Executive Directors and a strong advocate for the Group across the department and with external stakeholders.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Making Effective Decisions

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

We are for everyone 

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.  

We are for everyone 

DLUHC want to bring in 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 (lead behaviour) - Delivering at Pace 

Behaviour 2 - Making Effective Decisions 

Behaviour 3 - 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 using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progress straight to assessment/interview  

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:    

Behaviour 

Strength 

Questions during interview stage will be as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

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

Behaviours: (Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the big picture)  

Strengths: (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. 

SEO salary 

• The salary for this role is £40,390 (London) or £37,064 (National). 

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

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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

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

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: 

• London 

• Wolverhampton 

• Manchester

• Birmingham 

• Leeds

• Darlington* 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service. This role is based at DLUHC and we will be joined on the campus by: 

• HM Treasury  

• Department for International Trade 

• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  

• Office for National Statistics  

• Department for Education 

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 17/04/23 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@levellingup.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. 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

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 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland

• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service

• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service

• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

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).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name :Isaac Turner

• Email :Isaac.turner@levellingup.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

• Email :recruitment@communities.gov.uk