About the job

Summary

The DWP Communications Directorate (CD) supports Ministers and officials by providing professional communications advice and delivery to help meet DWP’s business priorities and those of the Government of the day.

The role of the Director’s Office is to support the Director of Communications as a member of the Government Communications Service (GCS) and as the Head of Profession for DWP.

The Office also supports colleagues within the Communications Directorate, including recruitment and learning and development, while ensuring steps are in place to keep them informed of changes.

The Office provides help and support to allow management to make key strategic decisions on Campaigns activity and the running of the Communications Directorate in line with compliance of both DWP and Government Communications Service governance.

Staff within CD strive to develop and improve their professional capability and to embody a culture of continuous improvement with the aim of ensuring the DWP Communications Directorate is recognised as the best across Whitehall.

The Director’s Office and Business Support Team are key to achieving all this.

Job description

The Assistant Private Secretary, Resource and Governance Manager roles are accountable for the proactive management of the Director of Communications inbox and diary which requires discretion and includes making decisions on the prioritisation of work, meeting deadlines and coordinating meetings with other Private Offices.

This role works closely with No 10, the Government Communications Service, senior stakeholders within DWP and across Government.

The Director’s Office manages correspondence and Parliamentary Questions received in the Directorate. Applying business knowledge and experience to consideration of security policies, DWP and GCS standards and controls and providing quality assurance.

This role ensures colleagues across the Directorate understand the part they play in protecting the data of DWP customers and staff. Working with Data Protection Officers across Government to ensure accountabilities are in place and are communicated across the business, enabling effective risk ownership and mitigation to support the delivery of DWP objectives and the management of security risks.

Working closely with the Communications Directorate Resource/Recruitment Manager, this role manages recruitment activities ensuring the Directorate has the appropriate finance and resources in place to deliver business needs.

As a leader within the DWP Communications Directorate you will:

Apply professional expertise to deliver business benefits for the Department, champion value for money and compliance for all financial and governance related activity across the Directorate.

Operate in a culture of openness and honesty demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment and by delivering results.

Provide support and advice to staff and stakeholders to understand the impact of governance across DWP and other Government Departments and help them to contribute significantly towards the process.

Engage in a timely and proactive manner across the portfolio areas to predict and forecast more accurately the ebb and flow of resource requirements.

Engage with colleagues across government, including with GCS, Strategic Resourcing, CSR, HR and Finance colleagues to explore opportunities for joined up working.

The post holder will be required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility for this post.

Responsibilities

We are looking for someone who has:

Recent experience of working with senior colleagues in a fast-paced Government or a similar Communications environment with the ability to juggle multiple priorities at once.

Strong attention to detail and critical thinking with the ability to understand complex issues.

Recent experience of managing a Director’s or senior manager’s busy diary and email inbox, including making decisions on the prioritisation of work and delegation to relevant stakeholders e.g. Impacts meetings which must be attended, delegating actions to the right people.

Outstanding written and oral communication skills.

Recent experience of working with senior stakeholders, understanding the full implication of any correspondence, and having to alter, rectify, improve or completely re-write.

Recent experience of communicating with colleagues across a large organisation, using your networks, judgement and understanding of the wider context to support a senior leader in their work, adding value to the process and decision making.

Recent experience of engaging confidently with stakeholders at all levels to convey clear messages on behalf of senior leaders.

Recent experience and understanding of Government policies, ensuring compliance with General Data Protection Regulations, Data Transfers and experience of handling Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests in either a government or similar type of environment.

Experience of working with vacancy holders and managing the recruitment/resource requirements of a busy government department or similar, including end to end processes.

Important: Experience of working in a government communications environment will be an advantage, but not essential.

Please note – If there are a high number of applications an initial sift will be carried out based on the first Four Essential Criteria listed above.

In return for all of this, we will ensure that you are fully supported and have the opportunity to develop your career.

DWP is committed to creating an organisation and workforce which is as diverse as the customers we serve. As such, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of gender, race, disability, age or sexual orientation.

All offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of BPSS and National Security Vetting. Candidates should not resign from their current job until these checks have been successfully completed.