Senior Private Secretary Office for Students

Office for Students -
Bristol

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Job details

Permanent | Full-time
£56,209 - £58,820 a year
3 hours ago

Benefits

Company pension

Qualifications

Project management
Presentation skills
IT
Communication skills

Full job description

Details

Reference number

472902

Salary

£56,209 - £58,820

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Other

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information

Location

Lime Kiln Close Stoke Gifford Filton Abbey Wood BRISTOL

About the job

Job summary

Bristol

£56,209 - £58,820

Plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Job summary

As Senior Private Secretary, you will play a central role in supporting the Chair and Chief Executives of the Office for Students. Working at the heart of the organisation, you will help ensure that they receive the right information, advice and support to lead the organisation effectively. You will coordinate complex and fast-moving priorities, provide high-quality briefings, and help ensure that key decisions and actions are delivered.

About us

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We regulate higher education on behalf of all students, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has a fulfilling experience that enriches their lives and careers. We have high ambitions and offer great opportunities to get involved in bringing that vision to life.

Job description

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre a busy Private Office function, supporting the Chair, Chief Executives and Chief of Staff on some of the most important issues affecting higher education.

The role is critical to managing the flow of information to senior leaders, preparing them for meetings and events, and ensuring that important organisational priorities are delivered effectively. You will work closely with colleagues across the OfS and with external stakeholders, building strong relationships and helping to navigate complex issues and competing demands.

The role combines strategic thinking with practical delivery. One day you might be preparing a briefing for a major stakeholder engagement, the next you could be coordinating action on a time-critical issue, supporting executive decision-making, or leading improvements to how the private office operates.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys variety, pace and making a real contribution to the leadership of the organisation.

Person specification

About you

We are looking for someone who can build strong working relationships, exercise sound judgement, and remain calm and organised when managing competing priorities.

Essential criteria:

Have an understanding of the work of the OfS and the context it operates in.
Strong writing skills and the ability to provide accurate and reliable information in a timely manner.
Ability to communicate complex issues effectively through both verbal and written communication.
Ability to take the initiative and make decisions relating to the operational parts of the role.
Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, showing openness, professionalism and an ability to support delivery of senior priorities through others.
Ability to prioritise work and deliver high quality outcomes under time pressure and in the face of competing demands.
Ability to exercise judgement, discretion and professionalism appropriate to a senior support role, enabling effective decision‑making and delivery through others.

Desirable criteria:

Understanding of the OfSs priorities, and the ability to utilise judgement and creativity to apply these priorities to decision-making in novel situations.

For the purposes of recruitment to the role, we are measuring the following core competencies:

Seeing the big picture

Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships

I continually develop and maintain an understanding of legislative, economic, social, political, environmental, technological and regulatory developments to ensure my activity is relevant to the wider context.
I identify and anticipate the work implications of changing priorities in my area.
I ensure that different perspectives and the views or needs of different groups (including all protected characteristics) are appropriately reflected in our work when achieving goals.
I recognise, appreciate and share the views and perspectives of a wide range of internal and external stakeholder interests.
I understand the impact of our regulation on the higher education sector, individual providers and students.

Communicating and Influencing

Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships

I actively deploy different methods for influencing others.
I act as a role model to others by communicating straightforwardly and with clarity, honesty, and enthusiasm to build trust.
I am open-minded and impartial in discussion so I can adjust my arguments to respect the diverse interests and opinions of others.
I deliver difficult or important messages with clarity and sensitivity.
I can articulate arguments and reasons in a clear and persuasive manner.
When required as part of my role, I constructively engage with providers, students and other organisations to inform the OfSs regulatory activities.
I show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same.

Delivering at pace

Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships

I ensure the delivery of timely, quality outcomes, through providing the right resources for tasks, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success.
I maintain my own level of performance in challenging circumstances and support others to do the same.
I adjust priorities and focus swiftly as the OfSs internal and external context changes, to keep whole team efforts on the top priorities.
I consider how my work impacts other teams across the organisation.
I translate strategic priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives for managers and teams.
I regularly monitor my own and my teams performance against milestones.

Managing a quality service

Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships

I use project management skills and techniques to achieve agreed results, including identifying risks and implementing mitigating actions.
I understand the financial position of my part of the OfS and the wider organisation, and maintain good financial and resource discipline.
I create regular opportunities for employees and stakeholders to help improve the quality of OfS service.
I deliver positive stakeholder service, informed by appreciating the complexity and diversity of their needs and the OfSs regulatory objectives.
I regularly reflect on the quality of the teams work, identifying opportunities for improvement where required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,209, Office for Students contributes £16,283 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

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 employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application process

There are 3 online application questions to complete, alongside providing a copy of your CV, which will allow you to demonstrate your relevant experience.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application stage, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.

We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. In a typical week, we expect colleagues to spend several days working from the office, balancing business needs, team collaboration and individual responsibilities

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 12 August at noon

Interviews: From 19 August

For information: the OfS does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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)
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

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

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.

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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Recruitment Team
Email : [email protected]
Telephone : 01179317444

Recruitment team

Email : [email protected]

Further information

Careers - Office for Students

Apply Now

Details

Reference number

Salary

Job grade

Contract type

Type of role

Working pattern

Number of jobs available

Contents

Location

About the job

Job summary

Job description

Person specification

Benefits

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Selection process details

Security

Nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

Diversity and Inclusion

Apply and further information

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Recruitment team

Further information

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