City of Westminster, London (region), SW1P 3BT
If exceptionally organised, reliable, and able to come up with creative solutions to meet people’s needs describes you, then this role could be for you. This is a busy role that will provide you with a varied and exciting workload. We are looking for a talented EO to act as an Executive Assistant for an experienced DD with a visual impairment. You will use your skills and experience to enable her to operate at her best while at the same time, nurturing your own thirst for exposure to and involvement in high-profile policy development.
You will also be asked to confirm that you can match the DD’s working pattern including office attendance and travel and that you are comfortable around guide dogs and with sighted guiding (for which training can be provided).
You will be providing effective and efficient day-to-day and strategic diary management including organising meetings/telephone and video conference meetings, reviewing and accepting meeting invitations, balancing conflicting appointments and suggesting delegation of meetings where necessary.
Also managing the inbox to ensure that communication and work is effectively prioritised, delivered, and distributed as appropriate and assuming delegated responsibility for key administrative functions such as Workday action, finance systems, and travel booking.
You will quickly become familiar with the structure of the team and the roles and responsibilities of individuals, enabling you to operate effectively on the DD’s behalf where necessary.
You will also prepare meeting papers, ensuring availability of priority papers for the day in a format that meets DD’s needs, and sourcing briefing for meetings where required.
You will be expected to look ahead to identify opportunities for divisional engagement events (away days, site visits etc) and support your Deputy Director to navigate busy periods of work. You will also take the lead in coordinating divisional team meetings, including preparing and organising the agenda.
Beyond PA duties, though, we are looking for someone able to read, digest and interpret documents, describe pictures, PowerPoint slides and Excel sheets, using your verbal and written communication skills to render their content accessible to someone with limited vision. You will also need to use your mastery of the Department’s software packages to render information in required formats (slides, Excel sheets, etc.) accurately. For example, you may need to complete corporate commissions on behalf of the DD, compiling information in required formats in consultation with her. Also, you will resolve any IT issues experienced that do not require specialist access support and liaising with others where further support is required.
You will help the DD process staffing information and will be required to Handle any sensitive information in a confidential manner.
You may also need to provide practical assistance in meetings, taking notes, summarising meeting chats, alerting her to visual clues she may not otherwise be able to access. In some circumstances, you may also need to help her to access unfamiliar surroundings, accompanying her to meetings in new/unknown locations including travelling to visits and different offices internationally and in the UK, helping her navigate and any other support duties that will help her day run smoothly, effectively, and comfortably. This will require the post-holder to be London-based and willing to match her days in the office and undertake travel and overnight stays as required.
The postholder will need to be comfortable around guide dogs.
You also may need to provide wider support to the directorate.
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a high profile, fast-paced and rewarding environment.
Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate that they meet these essential criteria:
Desirable criteria:
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Alongside your salary of £32,987, Department for Education contributes £9,556 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If 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
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