Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Birmingham About the job Job summary The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the governments office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team. Representing the best covenant in the UK His Majestys Government we are leading transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern, cost-effective real estate service solutions. Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. And were dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction. The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ community. Job description T his role sits within the Agencys Corporate Team, specifically the Governance team; a group of 5 people to ensure the smooth running of the Agencys Boards and Committees (Governance). Main job purpose: To support the management and delivery of the central secretariat function for the Agency, including but not limited to the : Board Audit and Risk Committee Investment Committee, Strategic Client Committee Nominations and Remunerations Committee Executive Committee. Portfolio Performance Committee Sustainability Committee Health and Safety Committee To support the wider governance function - including support to the management of Non-Exec Directors and general governance admin tasks as appropriate. This role may require occasional travel to various locations to support team activities, attend meetings, or facilitate events as needed. Key responsibilities The provision of high-level diverse secretarial and administrative duties within the Governance team. Examples of duties will include but not be restricted to: Meeting coordination: Oversee diary management, logistics, and room bookings for meetings. Agenda and Paper Management: Send clear communications for paper submissions, ensuring high-quality inputs and adherence to deadlines in collaboration with Chiefs of Staff and Business Managers. Document Distribution: Collate and distribute meeting papers well in advance to attendees. Meeting Participation: Attend meetings to take accurate minutes, capturing key decisions and actions. Action Tracking: Maintain and update a log of actions for all Boards and Committees, ensuring follow-up with action owners before each meeting. Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with GPA teams to highlight strategic issues to Boards/Committees for informed discussions and proactive advice. Chair Support: Assist Committee Chairs in effectively planning and conducting meetings, ensuring they are well-informed. Inbox Management: Oversee the Secretariat mailbox to ensure effective communication, timely responses, and coordination of meetings, while maintaining organised records and distributing information as needed. Assist with support to the GPA Non Executive Directors for management of Expenses. Travel bookings if required. Person specification Highly organised with previous secretariat and administrative experience. Would suit someone used to working as a PA or EA, working to regular deadlines in a fast paced environment. Someone who is comfortable working with senior staff members and confidential information, able to work independently and confidently in this environment. Experience & Technical Skills Essential criteria: Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and experience including the ability to review, edit, proof-read and draft succinct and accurate reports, papers and documents. Experience in planning and managing tasks with multiple dependencies and components. Experience of working independently in a fast-paced environment. Skilled in building relationships with senior stakeholders and the wider organization, delivering clear, sensitive communications, and collaborating effectively to resolve challenges. Experience in utilising appropriate communication channels. Strong organisational and problem solving skills with ability to provide well argued, evidenced recommendations. Ability to work with changing priorities and competing demands. Competent in the use of productivity and collaboration software suites, such as Office 365 or Google Workspace. Desirable criteria: PA/secretary experience to board chairs. Qualifications & Accreditations Essential criteria: Educated to GCSE level or equivalent in English Desirable criteria: Educated to GCSE level or equivalent in Maths Qualifications Educated to GCSE level or equivalent in English Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Working Together Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Customer Perspective Commercial Acumen Property Market Knowledge Innovation Benefits Alongside your salary of £35,175, Government Property Agency contributes £10,190 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Generous annual leave Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Sift The sift is due to take place from 20th February 2025. As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500 personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification. Should we receive a large number of applications, we reserve the right to sift solely on CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. Interview GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitmentgpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application. At interview, applicants will be scored against 3 behaviours - Working Together, Managing a Quality Service and Communicating and Influencing. Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience, Strength and Technical (core skill) questions. Further Information A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Any move to GPA 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 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 gparecruitment.grscabinetoffice.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 youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. 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.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post. For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 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 applicants 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. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. 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. 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 security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) 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) (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 The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Linda Jenkinson Email : linda.jenkinsongpa.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : gparecruitment.grscabinetoffice.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 HRgpa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission Attachments GPA Skills and Specialisms Opens in new window (pdf, 259kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail