Senior Private Secretary
Bristol or London (with regular travel to Bristol)
£56,209 - £58,820 (plus London weighting of £3,566 where appropriate)
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.
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.
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:
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Have an understanding of the work of the OfS and the context it operates in.
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Strong writing skills and the ability to provide accurate and reliable information in a timely manner.
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Ability to communicate complex issues effectively through both verbal and written communication.
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Ability to take the initiative and make decisions relating to the operational parts of the role.
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Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, showing openness, professionalism and an ability to support delivery of senior priorities through others.
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Ability to prioritise work and deliver high quality outcomes under time pressure and in the face of competing demands.
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Ability to exercise judgement, discretion and professionalism appropriate to a senior support role, enabling effective decision‑making and delivery through others.
Desirable criteria:
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Understanding of the OfS’s 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.
Communicating and Influencing
Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships
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.
Managing a quality service
Level 3: Managing and influencing complex team or project relationships
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.
