• Details

Reference number

397390

Salary

£37,480 - £40,170

For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DEFRA - Strategy - Strategy - Private Office

Type of role

Secretarial

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

London

About the job

Job summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Strategy Directorate

Strategy is a fast-paced, dynamic, and challenging environment. Our purpose is to give a high quality and timely service to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary, and to ensure that Defra group is able to achieve the strategic objectives we set out in our Business Plan.

We work in support of Defra’s strategic objectives, look at how we can join up with other initiatives across the organisation to get things done, support each other to deliver excellent work, help Defra to make good decisions and we identify and unblock barriers to change.

Encouraging diverse applicants

Location

This role is London based (2 Marsham Street). Due to the nature of the role, office attendance will be required 4-5 days a week.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work for a Defra’s top decision-making team. You will act as a bridge and key adviser between the Department and the Permanent Secretary.

The role involves day to day interaction with Ministers, special advisers and senior officials. You will gain a bird’s eye view of the department and a unique insight into decision-making at the highest levels across government. It is a pivotal role with a high degree of influence, responsibility and autonomy.

You can expect every day to be varied, exciting and challenging. We are looking for organised and diligent candidates who will enjoy and thrive on fast paced and interesting work at the heart of Defra group.

We are looking for a strong resilient person who enjoys working at pace who and is ready to hit the ground running in a fun, enthusiastic team.

We are looking for someone to take ownership of the running of the office with strong focus on continuous improvement.

This role attracts a duty allowance, this reflects the need for on-call hours which operate on rotation among the team and, in a crisis, some unsociable hours.

Essential criteria:

• A high level of organisation, effective prioritisation and attention to detail.
• Identification of risks, issues, and dependencies; escalating and specifically proposing solutions, where required.
• Providing effective advice whilst working with ambiguity.
• Personal resilience and adaptability under pressure.
• Successfully influencing, negotiating and engaging others, adapting styles of communication where needed.
• Building productive stakeholder relationships across boundaries to develop consensus.

Person specification

Key responsibilities:

• Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary

Private Secretary for corporate operations, ministerial interests, public appointments, and tactical comms; responsibilities include:

• Maintaining oversight of corporate operations, including HR, corporate services, digital, commercial and property.
• Briefing the Perm Sec on public appointments.
• Developing subject matter expertise and becoming a trusted adviser to the Perm Sec, Head of Office and Chief of Staff on propriety risks and proportionate mitigations.
• Overseeing declarations of interest, commissioning from across the Department and ensuring a timely and accurate return to Cabinet Office, working closely with Head of Offices.
• Organising and delivering tactical comms for the Perm Sec, such as network meetings and informal conversations between Perm Sec and Defra staff.

2. Office manager to the Permanent Secretary

Ensuring resilience and efficiency of the joint private office team through maintaining and improving team processes, this includes:

• Management and oversight of the office’s mailboxes, organising across portfolios and providing additional risk antenna.
• Ensuring the Office Handbook is up-to-date; onboarding and induction processes for the office supporting in-office recruitment processes; team project management; duty rota; maintaining the shared drive, corporate record, risk register and business continuity plans.
• Onboard and induct cover.
• Organising team away days and creating forward looks for the office team meetings.
• Provide resilience to the wider team, including occasional cover to the Diary Manager.
• Working closely with Chief of Staff and Head of Office to ensure Perm Secs performance and their direct reports run smoothly and in a timely manner.
• Supporting senior leaders to build visibility of the Perm Sec and their offices across the Department

3. Support to the Chief of Staff

Providing administrative support to the Chief of Staff including printing documents, sending correspondence, and event organisation / logistics.

• Working closely with the Chief of Staff on projects / tasks that require discretion.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,480, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,857 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

A career in the Civil Service is like no other. If you’re looking to join a world class team and develop your career with us, then the Civil Service is the place for you! You might be wondering, “what’s in it for me”? Take a look below at some of the benefits available to you as a civil servant in Defra.

Strategy Directorate Benefits

Learning and Development
Everyone in Defra is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, Defra, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role, while also working with you to connect you with a civil service mentor to help empower you in your new role with the opportunity to benefit from paid for coaching.

Most importantly, we’re keen to invest in you! As a civil servant, you will also have access to Civil Service Learning where you can participate in professional development programmes across a wide spectrum of subjects and professions.

Department Benefits

Technology
We’re a firm believer in agile and flexible working. When you join Defra, we’ll kit you out with a new Windows 10 Laptop, smartphone and rucksack to make sure that you perform your best wherever you are.

Leave
25 days’ paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years’ service, in addition to eight public holidays and the King’s Birthday privilege day. We also offer

• competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave;
• study leave for the pursuit of academic studies;
• 3 days paid leave for volunteering per annum;
• 15 days paid leave per year for reservist training; and,
• generous paid sick leave.

Cycle to Work Scheme
Defra loans you a bike for your commute as a tax-free benefit. At the end of the loan period, you have the option to buy the bike, saving 30% of the original cost.

Season Ticket and Bicycle Loan
We offer interest-free season ticket loans, to all Defra employees with more than three months’ service, for purchasing train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking. For those unable to take advantage of tax-free benefits, we also offer an interest-free bicycle loan to enable the purchase of a bicycle for commuting.

Gym, Social and Sports Activities
Our offices have a range of different onsite facilities, including gym, fitness facilities, games room, showers and cycle storage. There are also a variety of networks and social groups to join. Ask your line manager for more information.

Restaurant and Caf e Facilities
A range of our offices offer onsite restaurant and cafe facilities.

Civil Service Benefits

Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package, and you will be given the chance to join one of three different pension plans. You can find more information on the Civil Service Pension on the MyCSP Website at www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

Civil Service Sports Council
The Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) organises a wide choice of activities throughout the UK, from art, gliding, abseiling and orienteering to cabaret weekends and quiz and curry nights. Your CSSC membership will provide you with FREE access to hundreds of national and local sites, in addition to savings at many high street stores, cinemas, restaurants and historic houses.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement and 1 Behaviour

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour – Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sifting is likely to be occur w/c 7th April, with interviews likely to take place 21st April . These dates are indicative only.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interviews are expected to last no longer than 1 hour.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

NSV

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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

Higher Security Clearance:

Job offers are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

If you are successful at interview, we will ask you to undertake basic security clearance before the role is confirmed. As this is London based we will need you to pass a higher level of clearance (CTC) because of the security requirements for the Marsham Street office.

This is a permanent role as an HEO in the Permanent Secretary Private Office team.

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in 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 if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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 .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

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)
• 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

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 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 initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment .

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Strategy, People and Resourcing
• Email : sandc.resourcing@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here