Diary Manager to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Diary Manager to join our team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and we'd love to hear from you!
We are looking for an outstanding candidate to join ministerial private offices in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This is an exciting and stretching role with a high level of responsibility and profile across the department and wider government. We are looking for enthusiastic, driven, organised, and committed candidates who want to deliver on the wide-ranging priorities of the department and the wider government agenda. The successful candidate will have direct responsibility for the Minister’s diary, including commissioning briefing and liaising with stakeholders to arrange visits. The role is fast-paced and rewarding, offering regular interaction with Ministers and senior colleagues. A private office allowance is available for this role., As a Diary Manager your responsibilities will include:
+ Working closely with the Minister and understanding their needs and priorities.
+ Supporting the smooth running of the Minister’s diary, managing and prioritising conflicting requests for meetings.
+ Commissioning briefings for meetings from policy officials, ensuring these are of a high standard and compiling these each day.
+ Supporting the Minister with the logistics of external events and visits, including commissioning speeches where required.
+ Managing invitations from external stakeholders, commissioning advice from policy officials and agreeing which invites the Minister should prioritise.
+ Supporting the visits team and private secretaries in organising visits.
+ Building excellent relationships with other Ministerial Offices, Special Advisers’ office, and senior colleagues., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.
As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage.
Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).
Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions, for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
When writing your application, remember:
+ The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
+ Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
+ If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
At sift, we will be assessing
Behaviour 1 Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour): Can you tell me about a time you delivered a priority whilst also balancing other tasks?
Behaviour 2 Seeing the Big Picture: Please provide an example of when you have demonstrated this behaviour.
Behaviour 3 Communicating and Influencing: Please provide an example of when you have demonstrated this behaviour.
There is a 250 word limit per question.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:
Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace
Strength: The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.
In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements:
+ Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace
+ Strengths
We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.
EO salary, There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:
Sifting is envisaged to take place w/c 09/12/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
Reserve List
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance):
Important note
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the MHCLG Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you.
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by MHCLG. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.
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.
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).

Do you have excellent time management skills with the ability to filter and manage your workload?
Would you say you have excellent attention to detail?, + You will have the ability to work with accuracy, paying attention to detail.
+ You will have the ability to work proactively and flexibly, anticipating requirements in advance.
+ You will have excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise duties, manage time and work calmly under pressure.
+ You will have the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
+ You will have the ability to build and maintain good working relationships with staff at all levels.
+ You will have the ability to work with integrity, diplomacy and tact and be able to recognise and handle sensitive information.
+ You will have a high standard of written and oral communication skills.

Alongside your salary of £31,176, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £9,031 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%, Any move to MHCLG 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