85414 - Diary Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

DEPARTMENT    NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE
POST VACANT    HEO – Diary Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
LOCATION    London 
Occasional Travel to other office locations will be required.
DURATION     Permanent
APPLICATIONS INVITED FROM    Existing Civil Servants and External Candidates 
(Salary scale: Inner London £37,174 - £40,403, and a Private Office allowance)

Who we are

Passionate about Northern Ireland: flexible, empowering, inclusive

Inclusion and diversity 

The Northern Ireland Office is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, as they are under-represented within the NIO at this level.

The Northern Ireland Office strives to be an inclusive employer and is recognised by its staff and externally as being an employer where Diversity and Inclusion are valued.

We hold a Diversity & Inclusion Charter Mark and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader organisation.

In March 2018 we won the award for Best Employer for Diversity & Equality in Northern Ireland (small employer category) in a Gala Award ceremony hosted by Legal-Island, a multi-award winning workplace compliance company based in Northern Ireland.

We have an active D&I network supporting colleagues through D&I Advocates, championed by our Directors.

We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and we are confident that you will find the NIO a warm, welcoming and inclusive place to work.

Background

This is an exciting, varied role at the very heart of the Northern Ireland Office. You will join a friendly, high achieving private office team, where no two days are the same. We are looking for someone with a positive, can-do attitude who is ready to get stuck in to support the Secretary of State and wider Private Office. This is a role that is stretching and will give you a high level of exposure to the inner workings of Private Office.

As the Secretary of State’s dedicated Diary Secretary, you will have overall responsibility for his diary management. You will be working across the wider team to coordinate his diary, manage invitations, and organise all logistics for his visits. You will play a pivotal role in making sure all aspects of the Secretary of State’s day and travel goes smoothly.

This is a role that will be suited to someone organised, communicative, and attentive to detail. Things can change at the last minute so you should be adaptable and patient. The team can be very busy so you will also need to be able to make informed decisions independently and with confidence. That said, you will be supported by a team of private secretaries, all of whom are working together to deliver the best possible service to ministers and the political team. Your attitude will be much more 
important than direct experience in being successful in the role.

Please note that this role is London based, as it requires proximity to the Secretary of State who is predominantly in London.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The main responsibilities of the role include:
• Leading on the diary of the Secretary of State, with overall responsibility for all logistics, liaising with the protection team, and invites.
• Working with private secretaries to prioritise meetings and events, and scheduling meetings to ensure there are no conflicts;
• Arranging travel; communicating and working with partners across Government and beyond, in Belfast and internationally, to support the Secretary of State on his visits;
• Building strong working relationships with the Ministers, Special Advisers, Private Office and officials across the Northern Ireland Office, as well as across government;
• Supporting a range of office processes, including FOIs and other ad hoc items. You will be responsible for tracking T&S and travel spend for the Secretary of State Private Office.

Essential Criteria:
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to work effectively across a range of tasks.
• The ability to manage competing demands and priorities, remaining calm under pressure. An excellent work ethic and positivity, with a can-do, problem-solving mentality;
• The ability to build strong relationships with a range of stakeholders internal and external to Government, including Ministers and colleagues in other departments;
• The ability to deliver messages that can be difficult at times, especially when plans change at the last minute, with a range of senior stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria:
• Confidence in handling a range of information, making autonomous, informed decisions to make the best use of Ministerial time.
• An understanding of the Northern Ireland political system and how it works and an understanding of the work of the Northern Ireland Executive

SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection and interview process will consist of two stages:

SIFT

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• You will be required to submit a statement of suitability no longer than 500 words. This should outline how you meet the essential and desirable criteria, as well as demonstrate what skills you will bring to the role and why it interests you.
• A 250 word statement for the lead Behaviour (Delivering at Pace), explaining how you meet the required criteria as outlined in the Success Profiles framework. 

INTERVIEW: 
The next stage will be a short interview based on experience against the essential/desirable criteria.
Successful candidates will have a fireside chat before a final decision is made.

We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

If you would like any further information about this role, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the hiring manager, Michael Hustler (Michael.Hustler@nio.gov.uk). 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 
Due to our size, we are able to offer staff the opportunity to work on a far wider portfolio of responsibilities than might be the case in a larger department.  This creates a dynamic, interesting and challenging work environment.

The NIO offers a pleasant, modern work hybrid working environment that allows consideration of a range of flexible working arrangements that support a good work/ life balance. These include flexible/ alternative working patterns, part-time and job-share options. 

Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered.  

SELECTION PROCESS:

SECURITY CLEARANCE Security clearance to SC level will be required for this post.
ELIGIBILITY SIFT An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the application form.  It is therefore important that all applicants demonstrate in their application how and to what extent their behaviours are relevant to the above criteria.  Those candidates who do not clearly demonstrate that they meet the experience and behaviours will not be invited to interview.
PAY AND ALLOWANCES The successful candidate will adopt the terms and conditions of the NIO for the length of their appointment. 
Neither Detached Duty terms nor relocation costs will apply to this post.
FURTHER INFORMATION Further information about the post may be obtained from Michael Hustler (Michael.Hustler@nio.gov.uk)
APPLICATIONS You can apply for this post through the Civil Service website at civilservice.gov.uk. Once logged onto the site go to the civil service jobs page and then search for jobs in the Northern Ireland Office where the application form can be found.

All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.
Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered.  Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview.

Home Civil Service applicants who, because of disability, need assistance in completing the application form should contact MoJ Shared Services on 0845 010 3512.

All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment.

Please note that due to the high interest in NIO opportunities, feedback cannot be given if you are unsuccessful at sift stage. Feedback is available on request if unsuccessful following interview.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Further information about us

We are a small and friendly department of approximately 185 staff.  Due to our size we are able to offer staff more exposure to ministers and the opportunity to work on a far wider portfolio of responsibilities than might be the case in a larger department.  This creates an interesting, though often challenging, work environment.

Other Benefits

The NIO offers a pleasant, modern work environment which allows consideration of a range of flexible working arrangements which support a good work/ life balance. These include flexible/ alternative working patterns, part-time and job-share options.
 
Benefits include:
  Interest-free season ticket and bicycle loans
  Reward & Recognition scheme

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

The Northern Ireland Office operates the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, details of which are attached to the application form for this post.

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 12 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. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com to be removed from the reserve list.  

Further information on civil service careers can be found at  www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.  

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles.  

Please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk) in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: 
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/ 

Merit Lists

In the event that the advertised post following interview, identifies more appointable applicants than available posts, we will hold applicant details on a merit/reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further future appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com to be removed from the reserve list.