We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
The MOJ’s Private Office division is recruiting permanently for two HEO Assistant Private Secretary roles. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.
Location:
Successful candidates will be based at 102 Petty France, London.
Ways of Working
At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:
- Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
- Flexible working patterns
- Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing over 80,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Private Office – who we are and what we do
The Ministry of Justice’s Private Office and Parliament Directorate is a supportive and collaborative group. It is also a busy and interesting place to work – it is the interface between Ministers, the Permanent Secretary and the rest of the Department and Whitehall.
Working in a dynamic and supportive team, the successful candidate will be a credible source of advice to the Permanent Secretary; coordinate and prioritise their portfolio responsibilities; anticipate and resolve issues – escalating when necessary; and support the wider team. In doing so, the post holder will develop an in-depth understanding of their policy and corporate briefs.
The Role
As Assistant Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary, you will help deliver the Department’s priorities, working in a fast-paced and exciting environment where strong team working is vital. You will gain invaluable experience at the heart of the Department’s decision-making process, working directly with the Permanent Secretary, Ministers, Special Advisers, senior officials, and external stakeholders.
You will work to a Deputy Private Secretary of the Permanent Secretary’s Office. You will need to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to provide trusted advice to the Permanent Secretary, understanding your own level of responsibility while empowering others to make decisions where appropriate.
There are two roles available – one on the Courts and Constitution Desk and one on the Prisons and Probation Desk.
You will also deliver on corporate responsibilities in the team, and to the Permanent Secretary.
Key Responsibilities
- Providing high quality advice and support to the Permanent Secretary, driving forward their priorities and supporting policy, operational and parliamentary work.
- Managing and prioritising reactive and strategic tasks, supporting the Deputy Private Secretary in the overall management of the desk.
- Building effective working relationships to provide leadership and an effective channel of communication for the Permanent Secretary with other private offices, the Department, the rest of Whitehall and the public.
- Using your relationships, judgement and understanding of wider contexts to support the Permanent Secretary in their work and to add value to the process and substance of decision making, ensuring financial and ethical probity.
Skills and Experience
We would encourage you to apply if you:
- Have impeccable organisational skills and can keep track of large amounts of information and different pieces of work, and are confident in taking a structured approach to information management;
- Have experience of building productive stakeholder relationships, often bringing together people with differing views to develop consensus and support;
- Possess excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, with an ability to communicate steers clearly and succinctly;
- Personal resilience, including the ability to adapt quickly to new demands and work flexibly to deliver quality outcomes.
- For the role on the prisons and probation desk, operational experience in the criminal justice system is desirable.
Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.
Experience
You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Behaviours
During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviours:
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Please also refer to the Civil Service Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Delivering at Pace. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, where they will be assessed against both behaviours and strengths.
Candidates invited to Interview
Please note that interviews will be carried out in person in London.
During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework.
You can refer to the Civil Service Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Interviews are expected to take place in September 2022.
Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.
Contact information
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the role:
Mollie Johnson, Deputy Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary – Mollie.Johnson@justice.gov.uk
Annex A - The STAR method
Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.
Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.
- Where are you?
- Who was there with you?
- What had happened?
Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.
- What was the task that you had to complete and why?
- What did you have to achieve?
Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.
Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.
- What results did the actions produce?
- What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
- Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?
Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.
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