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Whilst DCMS is advertising this vacancy, the successful candidate(s) may ultimately be appointed to the newly created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The Private Office and Ministerial Support and Parliamentary Team is one of the largest and most dynamic teams in DCMS involved in all aspects of departmental business. We have a large Ministerial Team of four, each with a Private Office, who work closely with the Private Offices of the Permanent Secretary, the Special Advisers and the Directors Generals. Our team is crucial to the successful running of the Department - we are here to help our Ministers and senior officials deliver their priorities, and to support the Department in working with them.

The Ministerial and Parliamentary Support Team (MPST) is part of the Department’s Ministerial Private Office which sits at the heart of the department. The team is responsible for ministerial visits, correspondence, parliamentary engagement, and FOIs. The Ministerial and Parliamentary Support Team is a friendly team working across the whole breadth of the department’s work. Working closely with ministerial private offices and policy officials, you will be part a fast paced team, where you will need to produce high quality work and have a good attention to detail.

PO/MSPT is part of the wider Corporate Strategy Directorate which leads on high priority and cross-cutting policy areas across the Department, including the Spending Review and Budget, promoting the Union and the levelling up agenda, Comms, and managing the Department’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are recruiting for multiple roles within this team, which include Correspondence Officers, Freedom of Information caseworkers, an Office Manager for the Secretary of State, and a Diary Manager to the Permanent Secretary. We are also interested in identifying suitable candidates for future vacancies within these teams. Therefore, if we identify more than 4 suitable candidates, you may be offered a similar position within the teams, or considered on a reserve list for future vacancies.

1) Diary Secretary to the Permanent Secretary, Private Office

We are looking for a proactive and motivated individual who can support the Permanent Secretary with diary management and administrative coordination in order to help them operate most effectively in running the Department and leading across the Civil Service. This is a fast-paced role which will require the postholder to manage a busy diary while managing other competing interests and commitments. The postholder will need to be comfortable working autonomously and with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

There is scope to broaden out these responsibilities to support the Private Secretaries by leading on areas of work in order to support the delivery of departmental priorities. This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with senior leaders, gaining a valuable and unique insight into how the senior team operates and how policy decisions are made, as well as understanding how the Department and wider Government operates.

2) Freedom of Information Caseworker, Ministerial Support Team

You will draft replies to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulation, to respond to members of the public in your capacity as a government official. You will be required to draft accurate, plain English and high quality freedom of information response.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Establishing and maintaining relationships with policy colleagues and with ministers' private offices
• Taking on other duties from within the wider Ministerial Support Team
• Taking on other ad-hoc tasks as required
• Prioritising work and making decisions on when to follow up on issues yourself and when to escalate to your manager
• Contributing to the overall effective running of the team
• Drafting timely and high quality responses
• Advising DCMS colleagues on how to apply the FOI Act and Environmental Information Regulation for their cases

3) Administration Manager for the Secretary of State, Private Office

• Work closely with colleagues in the Secretary of State and Special Advisers’ offices to ensure the smooth running of the office.
• Taking on duties to ensure the smooth running of Private Office, including knowledge and information management.
• Work with Private Secretaries to assist on some parliamentary business, including Oral Parliamentary Questions.
• Ensure the office adheres to proprietary guidelines through managing Transparency returns and expenses.
• Provide administrative support including inbox management, booking travel and accommodation and managing expenses.
• Oversee all administrative functions including filing, scanning and assembling documents for Ministers.
• Taking on other ad-hoc tasks as required.

4) Correspondence Officer, Ministerial Support Team

As a Correspondence Officer you will draft correspondence replies on behalf of DCMS ministers, or respond to members of the public in your capacity as a government official. You will be expected to help cover other areas of work when needed.

You will be required to draft accurate, plain English and high quality correspondence within set deadlines. Effective management of your workload is expected through proactively progressing correspondence and escalating as necessary. You should be able to work under pressure and have excellent attention to detail. You will need to be able to work in a fast paced environment, be confident communicating with a variety of different colleagues and senior stakeholders, have a proven ability to build relationships and deliver through others. There is also scope to gain experience in other areas of the team, including working in the Ministerial Private Offices.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Drafting timely and high quality correspondence
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with policy colleagues and with ministers' private offices
• Prioritising work and making decisions on when to follow up on issues yourself and when to escalate to your manager
• Contributing to the overall effective running of the team
• Taking on other duties from within the wider Ministerial Support Team, such as answering FOIs or organising ministerial visit

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience

Essential Requirements

• The successful candidate must be organised and able to manage their own workload.
• Strong relationship building and stakeholder management skills, and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with stakeholders of varying seniority
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; with attention to detail
• Work flexibly across a busy team to achieve goals in a collaborative manner to meet deadlines
• Ability to deliver high quality work at pace, and balance a range of competing priorities whilst under pressure
• Good judgement to manage situations independently and understand when to escalate and how.
• Strong work ethic and a proven team player, with ability to work under pressure.

Desirable Skills

• Experience of working in customer facing roles
• Experience of planning and delivering projects
• Keen interest in the work of the Department.

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

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

• Delivering at Pace

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home.
• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 3 days of paid volunteering leave.
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave.
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
• Occupational sick pay.
• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks.
• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work.
• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!

Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.

Job contact :

Name :
Mike Beech
Email :
[email protected]

Recruitment team :

Email :
[email protected]