Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location This position is based at WALES OFFICE LONDON, SW1A 2NP About the job Job summary Please refer to Job Description Job description Job Title Assistant Private Secretary to Special Advisers Pay Grade EO Salary £32,416 - £34,361 - plus Private Office allowance of £3,242 Location Gwydyr House, London, SW1A 2NP Contract Fixed Term Contract until 31st of March 2026 with possibility of extension or permanency Hiring Manager rutendo.ndoroukgovwales.gov.uk Clearance CTC (See Additional Information. Please note: Candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements outlined below will not be appointed to the role if successful at interview. Please ensure you meet all eligibility criteria before applying. If you have any queries, please contact the hiring manager.) About the Wales Office: The Wales Office is the face of the UK Government in Wales and the voice of Wales in Westminster. We support the Secretary of State for Wales and the Ministerial team in representing Wales at the heart of Government. We work in partnership with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to deliver a stronger Wales within a strong United Kingdom. Our departmental values are Commitment, Collaboration and Quality. These shape how we operate in a challenging, demanding, and fast paced environment which requires flexibility, transparency and professionalism. The Office is based over two sites, with one in Cardiff and the other in London. As an accredited smarter working organisation, we offer considerable flexibility around the way we work. We have great technology and an attractive employee benefits package which includes a commitment to investing in the learning & development of our staff. Description: An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as the Private Secretary to the Special Advisers in the Wales Office. This busy but rewarding role offers opportunities to work directly with Special Advisers to the Secretary of State for Wales and get involved with initiatives across the wider Private Office and Ministerial team. This fast-paced post is an integral role in the Private Office division and directly supports the delivery of ministerial priorities. It also provides an excellent opportunity for anyone who would like to gain a real insight into the work of Ministers, how the department and the wider Government operates, and how the UK Government works collaboratively with the Welsh Government. The successful candidate will need to be assertive and confident in their ability to prioritise a busy workload and work with Ministers, Special Advisers and colleagues at all levels. Excellent communications skills, sound judgment, and the ability to remain calm and reliable under pressure is also essential. In return, this role offers the opportunity to be at the heart of a busy, friendly team and gain valuable experience working at the centre of Government. Given the nature of the role, it is London based and full time. You will need to be prepared to work some early mornings and evenings as part of a Private Office rota, and as such this role attracts a Private Office allowance of £3,242 in addition to the salary listed above. Key Responsibilities: Providing high quality support to the Special Advisers (SpAds), driving forward Ministerial priorities, and supporting with policy and Parliamentary work. Overall responsibility for the management of the SpAds diaries, including arranging all internal and external meetings. Co-ordination and planning of the logistics for SpAds travel and visits. Acting as the conduit between SpAds and the rest of the Department, feeding back and translating priorities. Preparation of diary cards and day packs for SpAds. Management and coordination of workflow, ensuring SpAds make timely decisions, quality checking submissions, and conveying feedback on submissions. Ensuring that views/comments from SpAds are promptly and accurately conveyed to relevant officials within and outside the Department through both oral and written communication. Responsibilities across the wider team including evening duties on a rota and covering for colleagues as needed. The successful candidate may also lead on a policy portfolio within the private office. The job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the postholder. Person Specification Please evidence in your Statement of Suitability, how closely you match the essential criteria: Essential : Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, plus an ability to work with senior stakeholders. Ability to work well under pressure and balancing competing demands while ensuring that the important does not get lost in the rush to attend to the very urgent. Resilience and adaptability when working under pressure. Strong ability to work within a team. Desirable: Welsh Language skills. Recruitment Process: This campaign will be undertaken using the Civil Service Success Profile framework. You will need to provide evidence in your application to cover the following behaviours: Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour) (Application & Interview) Delivering at Pace (Application & Interview) Making Effective Decisions (Interview Only) Managing a Quality Service (Interview Only) In the event of a high volume of applicants, we will sift only on the lead behaviour to create a shortlist for interview. Strengths may also be assessed at interview, but these are not shared in advance. Candidates are also required to provide a Statement of Suitability (as stated above) which details how they match the essential criteria for the role. Additional Information The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Staff recruited to work at the Wales Office will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf. Candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements outlined below will not be appointed to the role if successful at interview. Please ensure you meet all eligibility criteria before applying. If you have any queries, please contact the hiring manager. This role requires CTC level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance (CTC) must have lived in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security Clearance. 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. If you do not meet the above requirement, you may still be considered for the role if, for example: You have been serving overseas with HM Armed Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government. You were studying abroad. You were living overseas with parents. Person specification Please refer to Job Description Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Making Effective Decisions Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of £32,416, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales contributes £9,390 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Access to learning and development A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Annual Leave Public Holidays Season Ticket Advance For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances 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 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 and Experience. https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ 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 (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. 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. 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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesresourcing.soprasteria.co.uk Telephone : 0845 241 5359 Recruitment team Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesresourcing.soprasteria.co.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and 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://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/2485?entityId2485 Apply at advertiser's site Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn