U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Private Secretary
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Job Overview
Salary: £45,000 - £51,255 per annum
Contract type: permanent
Band: F / SEO
Closing date: Sunday 18th October at midnight
Role and Responsibilities
The Private Secretary sits within the Chief Executive’s Office team, who provide private office support and a governance function for the organisation. This high impact role requires navigating a wide range of complex issues and working closely with senior officials.
- Articulate The National Archives’ aims, activities and interests across government, the archives sector and beyond.
- Manage day-to-day interactions with ministerial private offices, responding to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions.
- Provide expert advice to the rest of the organisation on government-facing issues.
- Work closely with The National Archives’ Policy and Government Services teams to provide oversight and expert analysis of key policy, legislative and business initiatives across government and within The National Archives, particularly in relation to data and digital information policy.
- Collaborate with colleagues in the Archives Sector Leadership team, ensuring that the Chief Executive is well briefed on issues impacting the archives sector.
- Prepare briefings for the Chief Executive and write speeches and speaking notes for his external engagements.
Working Conditions
- Normal office environment
- Display Screen Equipment user
Person Specification
Essential criteria
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information concisely and with good attention to detail
- Proven ability to build strong trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders using diplomacy, tact and understanding of others’ priorities to achieve common goals
- Sound political judgement, with the ability to identify the different needs and agendas of different stakeholders and adapt your approach accordingly
- Good analysis, problem solving and project management skills, able to work on own initiative on complex issues and deliver high-quality products to tight deadlines
- Good knowledge of the workings of Parliament and/or government
- An understanding of the strategic issues facing The National Archives, and the environment in which the organisation operates
- A high level of integrity and confidentiality and a proven ability to deal with sensitive material
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Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within a private office environment
- Experience preparing speeches and presentations for a senior executive
Other Requirements
- A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.
Benefits
- Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development.
- Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year (rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years) and 10½ days public and privilege holidays per annum.
Reasonable Adjustments
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 The National Archives via careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
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)
- 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
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Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
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.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Contact Point for Applicants
Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team
Email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Further Information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact The National Archives via email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/
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