DNO-WHG Private Secretary to the Director

Job Title : DNO-WHG Private Secretary to the Director

Company Name: UK Ministry of Defence

Job Details: DNO-WHG Private Secretary to the Director | UK Ministry of Defence
22-27 minutes
About the job
Stoke Gifford, South West England, BS34 8JH : Aldermaston, South East England, RG7 4PH : City of Westminster, London (region), SW1A 2HB

Job Summary

Established in April 2016, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) delivers nuclear capability to deter threats and protect our nation.

The DNO oversees all defence nuclear business (excluding operations) and is responsible for providing nuclear deterrence; sponsoring the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (all the organisations, programmes and people that sustain the UK’s nuclear deterrent); and advising on UK nuclear policy, planning and international co-operation on nuclear matters.

The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 60 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, and that of our NATO Allies. To ensure that we have a credible and capable nuclear deterrent for as long as the security situation requires, we are building four new nuclear armed submarines – known as the Dreadnought Class – and replacing our nuclear warheads. These renewal programmes will utilise world-leading technology and are a showcase in science and engineering, highlighting the prowess of British industry.

Here at DNO we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but is also essential for a thriving and successful organisation. We know that diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences and ideas, which lead to better decision-making, creativity and innovation. We have a culture where differences are celebrated and our people feel supported, included and empowered. Join us and be part of an organisation that truly values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

Following a restructure and growth in the organisation we are recruiting for multiple Private Secretary positions in the Warhead Group to assist our directors with managing their portfolios. These roles are high-profile, exciting opportunities in busy offices at the heart of Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO). They will enable the right candidate to gain invaluable leadership experience working at the heart of a busy and high-profile business area, engaging directly with senior officials across the department and Whitehall, and engaging a range of stakeholders on a critically important portfolio.

We are looking for adaptable, organised people to work on issues at the heart of national security, defence, and international relations. This role will provide insight into some of the most sensitive and high-profile topics in Government and enable you to develop a broad range of skills.

We are open to applications from a wide range of backgrounds. If you bring a positive attitude and a commitment to getting things done, we will support you to fulfil your potential.

While the topics in this portfolio are varied and can be complex, the Private Secretary role is in some way a simple one: first, you are responsible for knowing what needs to be done, what order it needs doing in, and how we can get it done most efficiently and effectively; and second, you are the key interface between the Director and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. The directors in Warhead Group have busy roles and are responsible for high-profile programmes. As a director’s Private Secretary, you will work closely with them to manage their portfolio and liaise with their senior leadership and senior leaders in AWE.

As a Private Secretary you will be involved in decisions and issues across the portfolio and have responsibility for providing advice and supporting meetings. You will also play a role in cohering a wide-ranging Directorate which is split across three sites. These roles also come with line management responsibility for an Executive Assistant.

You Will Have Specific Responsibilities For The Following:

Providing day to day support to senior officials
Delivering advice and briefings for meetings and to drive decision-making in support of DNE objectives.
Working closely with teams to ensure preparation of papers in a timely and informative way.
Working closely with private offices across DNO to ensure awareness of wider DNO priorities and provide insight to seniors on cross-cutting issues.
Line management for an executive assistant.

You will work closely with seniors but be part of a wider DNO private office team of friendly and supportive colleagues. DNO is a welcoming environment committed to ensuring that individuals’ development needs are met. As well as formal Learning & Development offered through DNO, a key benefit of this role is the platform and opportunity it provides to get involved in issues across defence nuclear and to craft it to meet your interests.

As a Private Secretary in the Warhead Group, you will be based in either MOD Main Building, London, AWE Aldermaston Reading or Bristol Abbey Wood with frequent travel to London as required. Therefore, successful candidates’ location preferences will be matched wherever possible to where the Directors are based.

This role will require in office attendance a minimum of three days per week; however, due to security constraints more frequent office attendance will likely be required. Requests for flexible and condensed working patterns can be considered but may be limited. Candidates should consider this and must discuss with recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

We are open to applications from a wide range of backgrounds. If you bring a positive attitude and a commitment to getting things done, we will support you to fulfil your potential.

You Will Have Specific Responsibilities For The Following:

Person specification

Desirable Skills:

The ability to process large volumes of complex, and often sensitive, information across a variety of subject matters and keep on top of the detail within a wide portfolio of work.
A self-starter who can show initiative, prioritise, and work independently.
Strong judgement and discretion – particularly in relation to communication and relationship building. The successful candidate will need to be able to communicate confidently and sensitively on behalf of the Directors, in person and in writing.
Visible leadership and management; to set standards, build capability and resilience within the team, as well as developing a culture to ensure that this is a great place to work.
Excellent stakeholder and relationship management skills, including the ability to quickly build strong relationships and influence colleagues of varying levels of seniority, across the group and the wider department.
Organisational skills and personal resilience, including the ability to work at pace on a range of competing priorities, remaining calm under pressure, and knowing when to escalate upwards.
Experience of providing a professional and comprehensive private office service to senior officials and/or ministers, including managing others in a private office team.
Experience working in a defence, nuclear, and/or national security environment, have an understanding of UK policy in these areas.
Experience of line management, including goal setting, performance management and developing others.

Behaviours

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

Seeing the Big Picture
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace

Alongside your salary of £44,590, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We Truly Believe That The MOD Is a Great Place To Work, And We Offer a Unique Employee Experience. We Want To Ensure That Every Single Employee Feels Appreciated & Fairly Rewarded And Offer The Following Additional Benefits:

Learning and development tailored to your role and broader skill development, enabling you to build a long-term career in your chosen area. Where appropriate there will be offers of training under our apprenticeship schemes.
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
25 days annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
On-site Gym depending on site
Cycle Loan (Advance on Salary)
Thank You Scheme
Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA)
Defence Discount Service
On-site Nursery depending on site

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

‘London locations may attract locational allowances. The ‘Inner London Weighting RRA Allowance’ is £3,250 per annum and the ‘Outer London Weighting RRA Allowance’ is £1,750 per annum.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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 www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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Country: United Kingdom