Website Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
This role sits in the friendly and hard working Policy DG Private Office, alongside the Head of Office and the Private Secretary. We work closely and collaboratively with Directorates across the DG group.
Our office is part of the wider Private Office and Ministerial Support & Parliamentary team, within the Corporate Strategy directorate. We work closely with other Private Offices, which serve the Permanent Secretary, Ministers and Special Advisers, to advance the department’s policy and delivery agenda.
Our team is crucial to the successful running of the Department – we help senior officials to deliver high profile ministerial priorities and ensure the effective operation of the department. Working in our team you will gain a strong understanding of the inner workings of a major Whitehall department and gain experience of delivering priorities first-hand.
Job description
We are looking for a highly organised and enthusiastic individual to join the Policy DG Private Office as a Diary Manager. This is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced office supporting the Director General to deliver high profile ministerial priorities. The position will be challenging and rewarding, managing a busy diary, ensuring it suits the needs of the Director General and consistently managing competing priorities.
The successful candidate will be exposed to senior leaders and corporate and policy teams across the department, and will be expected to work with counterparts in other private offices. Once settled in the team, there would also be the opportunity to take on further stretching work to develop within the role and across the portfolio.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Ensure the smooth and efficient running of the DGs diary, handling requests and invitations, working closely with other Private Offices and prioritising between conflicting requirements.
- Develop strong relationships with officials of all grades within the Department.
- Manage the DG cycle of external engagement with key stakeholders.
- Provide administrative support including inbox management, booking travel and accommodation; managing expenses and transparency returns.
- Support the continuous improvement of office processes both within and outside of their immediate responsibilities.
Person specification
The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:
Essential requirements:
- Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to work effectively across a range of tasks and under pressure.
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with stakeholders of varying seniority.
- Ability to work collaboratively to resolve difficult issues.
- Good judgement to manage situations independently and understand when to escalate and how.
Desirable skills
- An understanding of how a Private Office operates.
We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Jamie Haworth and will take place on: Friday 18th October 12-12.30pm
The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
Please register your interest by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation.
Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process – please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Benefits
DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:
- Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working – DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home.
- 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service.
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
- 3 days of paid volunteering leave.
- Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave.
- Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
- Occupational sick pay.
- Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
- Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks.
- Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work.
- Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!
Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this post, please send us the following documents, which will assessed against the experience success profile, no later than 23:55 on 21/10/2024 via the CS Jobs portal:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the “Job History” section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
- A Statement of Suitability (max 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.
For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.
For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.
In most cases interviews will take place remotely via Google Meet video call. However please refer to the Candidate Information Pack to confirm the interview approach.
For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.
The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and potentially include a presentation.
Prior to the interview you will be sent the behaviour questions in advance.
You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview.
As part of your interview, you may be asked to deliver a short oral presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Reasonable Adjustment
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.
In order to request an adjustment, please:
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or a verbal test rather than a written one.
Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the ‘contact point for applicants’ section of the job advert.
Feedback
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/.
If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only. Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
To apply for this job please visit www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk.
