Private Secretary

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfill our potential.

Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 4000 people, including nearly 3000 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-functional professionals to provide our corporate services. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film. On our website you can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.

The Private Office and Governance Division directly support the Permanent Secretary, the Executive Team and the Non-Executive Board Members in the effective running of the department.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of government, supporting the work of the Treasury Solicitor and the Executive Team, made up of four Director Generals and two Directors. We benefit from exposure and insight into the key issues across government, supporting a team of high-performing individuals working across stimulating portfolios.

We are a supportive, enthusiastic, and collaborative team made up of colleagues with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. You will be expected to play a leadership role in modelling these behaviours and to contribute to the team environment. You should be engaging, trustworthy, supportive to peers and senior colleagues, and a team player willing to get stuck in.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Private Office of the Strategy, Performance and Transformation Director at the Government Legal Department. The Director’s Private Office team sits within the Chief Operating Officer Group Private Office as part of the wider GLD Private Office team. We are a small and friendly team with a strong emphasis on working together, upholding the core values of our department and going the extra mile.

The role of Private Secretary is pivotal in ensuring the seamless functioning of the office and the effective implementation of its mission to deliver on GLD’s Strategy.

This role involves working closely with various teams across GLD, ensuring that the Director's priorities are meticulously actioned and followed. By preparing briefing packs and coordinating pre-briefs, you will be ensuring that the Director is thoroughly prepared for key events, meetings, and visits. You will be a key link between the Director and the Executive Team, ensuring that the Directors’ priorities are at the forefront of your actions. The role also involves representing the Director within and outside government, fostering strong relationships with partners and stakeholders, including other Private Offices across Whitehall, and acting as a vital communication link between the Director, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and the Executive Team.

Key responsibilities

• Directly supporting the Director with a high-quality Private Office service.
• Being a trusted advisor, particularly on navigating legal issues across government, drawing on all our teams within GLD to provide input and advice in an often-ambiguous environment.
• Supporting your Director in the provision of advice, ably working at pace across the department to ensure this is provided in a timely manner.
• Working with senior figures in the GLD to embed good working practices and ensure the correct information flows reach teams at the right time.
• Engaging at the most senior levels within GLD and across Whitehall, developing and maintaining strong working relationships, including playing an active role in meetings and participating in the Private Office network across Whitehall.
• Using your relationships, judgement, and understanding of the wider context to support the Director in their work and to make sensitive decisions on their behalf.

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential at either application or interview. You can read more about Success Profiles and how they are used as an assessment method before completing your application.

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the big picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Key Skills and Experience

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, coupled with the ability to rigorously prioritise to achieve shared goals, working at pace
• An ability to provide highly effective, client focused service to senior officials and stakeholders, acting with political sensitivity and exercising good judgement.

• A track record of working and communicating confidently across boundaries and within a complex stakeholder environment, making a strong personal impact, and the credibility to operate at a senior level.
• A flexible outlook and approach, demonstrating personal resilience and strong attention to detail.

Desirable

Desirable criteria will be used when there is a need to distinguish between candidates who are closely tied or the same after the initial consideration of essential criteria, at sift and / or interview.

• Experience of working effectively with senior stakeholders; a strong ability to influence at all levels, and to work collaboratively to resolve difficult issues working in a senior leader support office setting.
• An understanding of, and / or experience working in any of the relevant disciplines (HR, Digital and Data, Finance, Strategy, Comms, Operations) would be advantageous

Sponsorship and Visas

Visa sponsorship will not be given to candidates except where they are existing civil servants employed by GLD who meet the Home Office/UKVI requirements for sponsorship. If you are an existing civil servant employed by GLD who requires sponsorship, you should confirm your eligibility for sponsorship for this role before applying. Individuals should seek Home Office guidance on how a new position within the organisation may affect their sponsorship eligibility.

Candidates with Limited Leave to Remain may apply but must have at least 12 months remaining on an existing visa which permits them to work for GLD when employment begins. Candidates must ensure that their current visa covers the full period of employment or that they are eligible under a non-sponsored immigration route that allows them to remain employed by GLD for the duration of the role.

The expectation is that applicants have an existing visa, which at the point they start work with GLD has at least 12 months remaining on it. The share code provided as part of pre-employment checks must relate to a visa that gives you the right to work in the role for a minimum of 12 months. The 12-month requirement must be met by your existing visa and cannot be met by relying on a visa application that is still awaiting a decision.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK and hold an appropriate visa or use an alternative immigration route covering the full period of your employment. GLD will not be able to sponsor this role when your current visa arrangements expire, and you will not be able to continue your employment with GLD through sponsorship. Please allow three months for the onboarding process from the point of offer.

Candidates with Indefinite Leave to Remain may apply.

You will be asked to confirm your immigration status and visa type as part of the application process. If you do not meet these requirements, your application will be fail the eligibility pre-sift for this vacancy and your application for this role will rejected

Security Clearance Level

All GLD employees must hold BPSS. If successful for this post you must hold or be willing to obtain SC level clearance for this role. You can start this position while obtaining this clearance level, however continued appointment will be conditional upon obtaining the required security clearance. More information can be found about the vetting and clearance levels before completing your application.

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

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

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits of working for the Civil Service

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Learning and Development at GLD

GLD has a comprehensive learning and development offer for all employees.

We offer a programme of in-person/hybrid and virtual sessions providing learning on profession-specific, soft skills, technical skills, and different topics. We also support colleagues through a range of different professional qualifications.

Cross-Functional Professional

We support all Professions with building their careers and capability aligning with the wider Civil Service offerings for each Profession.

There are also talent and development opportunities offered throughout the year these include:

Senior Leaders and Future Leaders Schemes – cross Civil Service accelerated development schemes.

Beyond Boundaries – cross government development programme designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks required to build a satisfying and effective career in the Civil Service.

Mentoring and Coaching – we encourage all colleagues to share their knowledge, capability, and experience.

Apprenticeships - We have a range of apprenticeships on offer across all professions with the opportunity for all employees to explore a profession specific apprenticeship to support their development in role.

• 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%

Job contact :

• Name : Active Campaigns
• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk

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