Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: Managing the Operations Directors mailbox, where you will scrutinise and prioritise emails for deadlines and necessary action. Ensuring the Operations Director is informed of all priority matters where necessary, including their involved in decision making at the appropriate level, ensuring they have sufficient information and advice to help operate effectively (including oversight of all papers and correspondence). Providing a point of contact for pressing advice and requests e.g. responding to urgent issues and ensuring that the Operations Director is apprised of any urgent or emerging issues. Maintaining the Operations Director s diary, making appointments and booking conference facilities as required. Organising visits and travel, ensuring key stakeholders are available. Collaborating and engaging with officials both within and outside their directorate to help efficiently manage their principal's time. Maintaining and developing good relationships and working contacts with other internal and x-MoD stakeholders. Handling telephone enquiries. Processing of travel arrangements and documentation, including rail/air, car hire and hotel bookings for both the Operations Director and Director of Accommodation. Including recording travel and subsistence. Maintaining relevant and current stakeholder information and contacts. Person specification To be successful in this role you will be an adaptable and attentive individual with excellent organisational skills. You will be able to create and maintain strong working relationships, and have the skills to write clear and conscise communications. You will be able to manage conflicting priorities with intuition, and excel in a fast paced environment, working in a team to achieve consistent goals and targets. It is desirable that you are proficient in using Microsoft applications (Excel, Word, Outlook etc). Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Working Together We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Benefits Alongside your salary of 24,985, Ministry of Defence contributes 7,238 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% Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 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. 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 https://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. MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. At sift stage you will be asked to submit a name-blind CV, as well as write two 250 statements on the Behaviours Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace. We recommend you focus on the job requirements and person specification for the role to formulate your answers. The lead criterion is: Managing a Quality Service. If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only. At interview you will be assessed against 4 behaviours; Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Working Together Managing a Quality Service Application sifting is scheduled to take place w/c 18th November, with interviews taking place w/c 2nd December. Interviews are due to be face to face at Whittington. If you expect that this will be an issue please contact us to discuss. Please note, the timescales above are an estimate and subject to change. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3mod.gov.uk. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. 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) .