Head of Office and Private Secretary to the Chief Analyst

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - We are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at DWP accessible to you. Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
This is a challenging, fast paced and high-profile post in DWP’s Chief Analyst’s (CA) Office. The CA's Office provides support and business management for Central Analysis and Science Strategy (CASS) unit, Working Age Modelling & Forecasting (WAMForD), Analyst Resourcing and Capability (ARC) building, Data as Statistics (DaS), and the wider Analytical Community across DWP of c.900.
The Private Secretary and Head of Business Support will play a key role setting the environment to enable the Chief Analyst to focus on their top priorities and discharge their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
Places for Growth and Social Mobility
As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers.
As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location., The post holder will be responsible for leading the CA’s Private Office and ownership of a broad portfolio across the directorate’s remit. You will lead across a diverse set of activities, ensuring the success of the Central Analysis and Science Directorate’s (CASD) delivery and enabling the Director and SLT to focus on the most important strategic priorities.
The post holder will need to engage effectively and enhance relationships with stakeholders including Lead Analysts, Heads of Profession, Private Offices, Ministers, and analyst customers across DWP.
The roles and responsibilities for the Head of Office and Private Secretary include, but are not restricted to:
+ Lead the Private Office team to support the Chief Analyst in the delivery of their objectives, priorities, long-term strategic planning and day to day needs, ensuring the wider private office team are providing proactive, high-quality support and advice.
+ Maintain oversight and understanding of Chief Analyst’s priorities, refocussing resource and activity as required, anticipating issues and acting as a trouble-shooter, identifying and taking steps to mitigate risks.
+ Commissioning work and advice to enable timely decisions to be taken to ensure the Director and wider directorate is provided with the right advice at the right time to enable evidence-based decision-making engaging subject matter experts, often on technical issues, to understand issues and develop concise and easy to understand briefing, for example programme boards, departmental priorities, etc.
+ Reviewing, filtering and challenging strategic and technical advice to the Chief Analyst enabling them take timely and well-informed decisions on key issues in the directorate, group, and department.
+ Building and maintaining strong and effective relationships across the complex stakeholder environment that makes up DWP (Finance Group colleagues including Finance Executive Team, Analyst Community) to identify issues early.
+ Support CASD and wider analytical community including 20 lead analyst areas, with general business management activities, such as leading strategic workforce planning and forecasting, as well as general budget oversight, to ensure a joined-up approach across the directorate and effective business continuity planning.
+ Ensuring the smooth running of the Chief Analyst’s Private Office, including line managing a small team (including Diary Manager and wider Business Support Team), ensuring effective administration across the directorate and support for the Chief Analyst.
+ Secretariat to CASD SLT, Senior Analyst Leadership Team and Analyst Head of Professions., Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Personal Statement
A strong applicant will be able to demonstrate clearly in their Personal Statement, within the 1,000 word count, how their skills and experience meet the Essential Criteria that is outlined in the Person Specification in the advert.
We recommend that you make full use of the word count to demonstrate as well as you can, how you meet the criteria for the advertised roles. We are interested to hear about what and how you have achieved your deliverables in your application content. Please read and understand the essential criteria as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against.
CV – A CV setting out your career history. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last 2 years.
We will assess both your Personal Statement and CV based on the evidence you present in both. A single combined score will be provided as part of the sift stage.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - You cannot upload a CV, and you should use the electronic application form via Civil Service Jobs to copy and paste your CV information.
Should a large number of applications be received, the vacancy holder may decide to conduct an initial sift first, using the lead Essential Criteria – “Previous experience in either a Private Office role, Secretariat role (minimum management level) , Analytical role and/or a Governance role (Lead criteria).
In the event of this happening, only Candidates who pass this will progress to a full sift on the remaining Essential Criteria.
Candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to attend an interview.
Stage 2 – First Interview:
If you have been successful in sift stage, you will be invited to attend an interview. This will take place via Microsoft Teams and should take approximately 45 minutes.
The interview will consist of a presentation, and questions that assess the three behaviours listed within the advert.
Presentation – Candidates will be required to deliver a 5 minute presentation followed by 3 minutes for questions. Details of the presentation and what it will be assessed against will provided to those candidates that have passed the sift and will be provided ahead of the interview itself.
Behaviours - You will be assessed against the behaviours listed in the advert at interview only. You may also be asked follow up questions by the interview panel. When preparing for the behaviours section of the interview, it may help to use the STAR model to explain the situation, the task, what action you took, and the end result.
You will need to produce evidence of ID at the interview.
Stage 3 – Second Interview:
Dependant on the number of candidates reaching the minimum pass mark following the 1st Interview, the panel may take a decision to raise the pass mark to reduce the number of interviews at the Final Interview Stage (stage 3). Candidates need to pass the required standard at both interviews to be considered for a role.
The second interview will include the Director (Chief Analyst). This interview will further assess your skills and experience against the essential criteria listed within this advert. Candidates will be provided a single score for this stage of the process.
Timeline
Sift: Week commencing 26th August
Interviews: Week commencing 9th September
Please be advised that the above dates are indicative only and are subject to change.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP 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
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
NSV
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
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).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate all the below essential criteria in their application for this role.
+ Previous experience in either a Private Office role, Secretariat role (minimum management level) , Analytical role and/or a Governance role (Lead criteria).
+ Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, being able to work effectively across a range of tasks and under pressure.
+ Excellent ability to work proactively, flexibly and manage you and your teams time efficiently.
+ Strong ability to upwardly manage to ensure the Director and Deputy Directors can effectively execute their roles.
+ Excellent communication skills and ability to manage and effectively engage stakeholders and senior officials from across DWP.
+ Ability to use data and evidence and insight to effectively influence and inform senior leaders on a wide range of issues in a fast paced and concise way.
+ An ability to build trust-based and collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across dispersed multi organisation teams, to identify issues early., + Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Making Effective Decisions

+ 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 average employer contribution of 27%