23066 - Deputy Principal Private Secretary
Private Office – Deputy Principal Private Secretary
Jobs offered are permanent, unless otherwise specified.
The Ministry of Justice’s Private Office Directorate is a fun, busy and energetic place to work – it is the interface between Ministers, the rest of the department and Whitehall.
It is a particularly interesting time to work in private office. The department is leading significant reform of the justice system as well as improving public safety by changing the way we manage offenders. You will play a key role in helping to deliver the reforms that the Secretary of State has set out, working in a fast-paced and exciting environment where strong team working is required. You will gain invaluable experience working at the heart of the decision-making process, working directly with Ministers, Special Advisers and senior officials across the department, and a range of external stakeholders, on a range stimulating portfolios.
Due to the nature of private office work this role is not suitable for flexible or reduced hours working. On occasion you are likely to need to work outside of normal working hours, including as part of a weekend duty rota. A Private Secretary allowance of £8,271 per annum is payable to compensate for this and an additional responsibility allowance is available to reflect the responsibilities of the Deputy PPS within the Private Office team.
If you wish to speak about this further, please contact Jack Cole (Jack.Cole@justice.gov.uk).
Job Description
This is a challenging and exciting role, right at the heart of the department. As Deputy Principal Private Secretary (DPPS), you will lead a team consisting of Deputy and Assistant Private Secretaries, Diary Managers and the Special Advisers’ office, acting as one of the Secretary of State’s principal advisers and ensuring that the Secretary of State’s private office provides outstanding support.
This role will report to the Principal Private Secretary and key responsibilities will include:
- Leading the Secretary of State’s prisons and probation desk, helping to shape and define Ministerial priorities on particularly sensitive issues, ensuring that rapid progress is made in key areas, and that the Ministerial team functions effectively together.
- Providing personal support and advice to the Secretary of State on his strategic prisons and probation reform agenda, representing and communicating his views and decisions effectively both internally and externally.
- Taking a leadership role, with the PPS, across the wider Private Office Senior Management Team, working with other Ministerial offices to support and develop staff.
- Developing and maintaining highly influential and effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders including Ministers, Special Advisers, press officers, policy and operational colleagues, and key contacts across Whitehall including Cabinet Office and Number 10.
- Operating as a trusted adviser and providing key input to the top team of the Ministry of Justice, especially on sensitive and high-profile issues.
- Using relationships, judgement and understanding of the wider context to support Ministers in their work and add value to the process and substance of decision making.
- Having the confidence and credibility to intervene and/or provide constructive challenge to senior stakeholders, and act as a trouble-shooter to resolve policy issues and bring a sense of clarity and direction to complex situations.
- Covering the role of Principal Private Secretary when the permanent post-holder is away, leading a team of around 50 diverse policy professionals that have a significant role in delivering the Secretary of State’s strategic agenda covering the whole of the department’s work.
Skills & Qualifications
Previous experience of private office will be an asset, but is not essential.
You will be required to provide evidence of the following competencies:
Seeing the Big Picture
- Ensures relevant issues relating to their activity/policy area are effectively fed into strategy and big picture considerations.
- Adopt a Government-wide perspective to ensure alignment of activity and policy
- Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies.
Delivering at Pace
- Get the best out of people by giving enthusiastic and encouraging messages about priorities, objectives and expectations.
- Clarify business priorities, roles and responsibilities and secure individual and team ownership
- Act as a role model in supporting and energising teams to build confidence in their ability to deliver outcomes.
- Maintain effective performance in difficult and challenging circumstances, encouraging others to do the same.
- Review, challenge and adjust performance levels to ensure quality outcomes are delivered on time, rewarding success.
Leading and Communicating
- You will provide strong leadership across Private Office Directorate, leading by example to deliver excellent results and to create a supportive environment where people feel it is safe to take responsibility.
- Be visible to staff and stakeholders and regularly undertake activities to engage and build trust with people involved in area of work.
- Clarify strategies and plans, giving clear sense of direction and purpose for self and team.
- Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to generate commitment to goals.
Collaborating and Partnering
- Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests.
- Effectively manage team dynamics when working across Departmental and other boundaries.
- Actively involve partners to deliver a business outcome through collaboration that achieves better results for Ministers and citizens.
- Seek constructive outcomes in discussions, challenge assumptions but remain willing to compromise when it is beneficial to progress.
Sift will take place in the first week of January and we are aiming to interview on 17th and 18th January.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
21/12/2018, 23:55 hours.
Closing Date: 21st December 2018 at 23:55 hours
If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference.
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Candidate Information
You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:
- An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
- A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.
During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.