Job Description
This role, covering diary management and executive support to two Deputy Directors, provides an opportunity to learn about the work of DIT’s Nations and Agri Food and Drink Directorate, as a key part of the DIT Wales and DIT Northern Ireland teams, and teams across the wider Exports and Investment Group, together with other areas of the Department for International Trade.
The successful candidate will engage and communicate with a range of diverse people across different areas of work within different market sector teams across the Export and Trade portfolios. We are looking for someone who is effective in managing their time, enthusiastic, resilient, and always keen to learn.
The role also requires you to be highly organised and able to juggle competing pressures effectively in order to prioritise a full workload. You will need excellent communication skills and be confident when talking to senior stakeholders and other senior officials. The successful candidate will build good personal relationships with other Executive Assistants both in the other Nations teams and in other Private Offices across the Department.
There will be opportunities to develop wider, policy-based skills as well as showcasing your strong administrative and organisational skills and operational delivery skills. There may also be opportunities to visit other teams within the Directorate, across the UK.
This role also provides a suitable platform for developing in-depth knowledge about the United Kingdom and devolution as well as working with the Devolved Administrations, and how international trade works, as well as the UK’s new Free Trade Agreements.
For this role, the Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases .
Job description
- Building and maintaining effective relationships across the teams, the wider DIT Hub in Belfast and Cardiff, other DIT teams, and wider government, as well as key stakeholders in the Devolved Administrations.
- Managing diary arrangements for the Deputy Directors, reflecting their priorities and using your own judgement to resolve clashes in meeting schedules; ensuring that both Deputy Directors are fully briefed and prepped ahead of meetings.
- Managing the Deputy Directors’ emails, using your judgement to prioritise tasks and flag urgent inquiries for their attention.
- Making travel arrangements in accordance with travel policies, ensuring that you choose the most cost effective and time efficient method, recognising the implications for public transparency and accountability.
- Organising team and Directorate meetings, acting as secretariat.
- Providing requisitioning, purchasing, budget and recruitment support for the team, and managing stationery orders.
- Liaising with the Deputy Director’s own team, the Director’s Business Support team as well as staff in other Private Offices in the Exports and Trade Group and elsewhere across DIT.
The role will be based in either Belfast or Cardiff. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.
Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average.
Appointments will be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences.
Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Able to manage and work under pressure.
- Good collaboration skills.
Desirable Criteria
- Able to write clearly and deliver concise messages, and suitably interact with senior stakeholders either in writing or orally.
Personal Attributes & Skills
- Able to juggle competing priorities.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pensionwith an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.Sift will take place 03/02/2023.Interviews will take place 17/02/2023.As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.Please align your CV with previous skills and experience. Maximum of 2 A4 pages. Maximum word count of 1000 words.The Personal Statement should concisely explain, in no more than 500 words, your motivation for applying to this role, and evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed on the Job Specification.In the event that there is a high volume of applications, a short sift will be conducted based on CV. 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/Access NI 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 (See complete description on Civil Service Jobs) stating the job reference number in the subject heading.For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email (See complete description on Civil Service Jobs) New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.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.Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.The Department for International Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.Please note – harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.Any move to the Department for International Trade 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
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via (See complete description on Civil Service Jobs) as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
Complete the “Assistance required” 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 an 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.
Vetting Requirements
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 of the last 5 years.Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.Checks will be made against:Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records.
Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
Security Services records
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
See our vetting charter.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standardchecks.
Nationality requirements
Further information on nationality requirementsThis job is broadly open to the following groups:UK nationals
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Codesets 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.
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.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veteransinitiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name :(See complete description on Civil Service Jobs)
- Email :(See complete description on Civil Service Jobs)
Recruitment team :
- Email :(See complete description on Civil Service Jobs)
Further information
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DIT by email: (See complete description on Civil Service Jobs).
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click hereto visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
DIT Candidate Pack Opens in new window(pdf, 608kB)DIT Terms Conditions - New Opens in new window(doc, 44kB)Attachments
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 15-37 per week
Salary: £25,661.00-£27,422.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexitime
- Life insurance
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Belfast, BT1 4JF: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Belfast, BT1 4JF
Reference ID: 263156
Apply
Go Back