Private Office Diary Managers

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you able to effectively communicate through written and verbal communication?
Can you work flexibly, adapting quickly to changing demands?
Do you want the opportunity to work at the heart of the Department for Transport's (DfT) Private office?
If so, then this is the perfect role for you!, Please note – at time of publication of this advert there are currently no vacant positions. Due to the changing and evolving nature of Private Office, vacancies can open up on a regular basis. Therefore, this campaign will create an active working merit list in order to fulfil demand as it arises., The role in Private Office is varied, challenging and enjoyable. You will work in a fast-paced, high-profile environment and provide vital support both to the team and the Minister, Special Advisors or Permanent Secretary, acting as the interface between them, the Department, and the rest of government.
Hours will vary throughout the year and are balanced with shorter working days during parliamentary recess. A Private Office allowance of 20% on top of basic salary is payable to reflect the extra hours worked.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
+ Liaising with policy officials, press office, parliamentary branch, other offices and your own team to ensure your principal’s diary is suitably organised to deal with a wide range of commitments.
+ Leading on logistics for your principal’s visits and trips, such as organising travel and accommodation.
+ Monitoring your principal’s inbox daily to respond promptly to all queries and requests.
+ Acting in a co-ordination role across the office, leading on elements such as commissioning briefing.
+ Leading on invitation processing from external stakeholders, supporting your principal to attend a variety of events, conferences and meetings.
+ Completing the transparency return for your principal, keeping account of financial spend and international trips taken.
For more information, please see the attached Role Profile., A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.
We will be holding an open hour for this role on: Monday 13th January 2025 14:00 - 15:00 (join at this link ) where you will be able to find out more information on this role and ask questions.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Delivering at Pace, As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, Personal Statement (500 words) and evidence 1 behaviour. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please tailor your CV to suit the role.
In your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:
+ Experience of managing competing demands, for example managing a busy diary..
+ Experience of organising and co-ordinating, such as events, diaries or logistics.
For your Behaviour example please provide evidence of when you have demonstrated the following behaviour:
+ Delivering at Pace.
Your Personal Statement will be limited to 500 words. The behaviour example will be limited to 250 words.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the behaviour example which is Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
The sift is due to take place from 21st January 2025.
Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 10th February 2025.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
+ An interview.
This interview could be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., 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.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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.

We are looking for talented individuals with a passion for working with others to join the Private Office team supporting Ministers, Special Advisors and our Permanent Secretaries. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the very heart of the Department and gain invaluable experience of how Ministers, Parliament and a large government department work. It also enables you to work across government departments and gain an insight into the inner workings of government., To be successful, you will need to be someone who can confidently connect with internal and external stakeholders, both verbally and in written format. You can engage effectively to build relationships with stakeholders, officials and other Ministerial offices. You will also be able to demonstrate discretion when discussing your principal’s daily commitments.
You will have excellent organisational skills, with high attention to detail, you have the capability to effectively plan travel arrangements and be a highly effective time manager. You will demonstrate resilience, good judgement and the ability to remain calm when arrangements change at short notice.
You are responsive to moving components in the diary and confident in your own ability to apply good judgement when making fast-paced decisions. You work well independently and as part of a team.

Please note, the above example is based on the London minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.