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.
Private Office – Senior Private Secretary to the Advocate General, Lord Stewart of Dirleton KC
Overview
The Advocate General for Scotland is a UK Government Minister and is one of the three UK Law Officers. Along with the Attorney General and the Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Advocate General provides legal advice to all UK Government departments on a wide range of issues including human rights and constitutional law. The Advocate General is the UK Government’s principal legal adviser on Scots law and its senior representative within the Scottish legal community. The Advocate General is the Minister responsible to the UK Parliament for the Office of the Advocate General. There is no requirement to have a legal background or a background in Scottish affairs for this role.
The private office is based in Dover House, Whitehall, but the role will require regular visits to Parliament and some travel to the UK Government’s hub in Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth House. Lord Stewart has an office in all three of these locations. It is a small team comprising the Senior Private Secretary, the Assistant Private Secretary and the Diary Secretary. You will report to the Legal Secretary to the Advocate General who is based in Dover House with his Legal Secretariat.
As the head of private office, you will work on the highest profile issues as part of a dynamic and supportive team and will gain invaluable experience working at the heart of the decision-making process, working directly with the Minister, Senior Civil Servants across the Department and Whitehall, including No.10 and a range of external stakeholders on a busy and stimulating portfolio.
Your role will include some core work in managing collective agreement, the Minister’s membership of the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee, and line management of an HEO Assistant Private Secretary and EO Diary Secretary.
Flexible working
The role is a busy one, but we are committed to making flexible working a part of private office. Currently we are working in a hybrid office/home working, with usually 3 to 4 days in the office per week, except during very busy periods. We want to continue this and although you will sometimes need to work outside normal hours (for which private office allowance is provided to compensate), we expect at least 1 or 2 days of home working will be possible in the role.
Job Description
The key responsibilities of the role include:
- Leading the Private Office, including managing a HEO Assistant Private Secretary and an EO Diary Secretary, whilst ensuring excellent service to the Minister.
- Lead responsibility for a range of high-profile policy areas.
- Forging strategic working relationships with legal and policy colleagues to ensure priorities and wider areas of responsibility are developed and progressed in an effective and timely manner.
- Proactively working to continually assess and refine Private Office processes and procedures to ensure Ministers are supported in the most effective way possible.
- Identifying, forging, and maintaining a range of strategic working relationships with colleagues across the UK Government and the Scottish Government.
Essential criteria
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Experience of building and managing relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers at all levels including officials in the senior civil service.
- Experience of working with senior stakeholders in a large complex organisation.
- A clear and demonstrable ability to work at pace in a high profile and rapidly changing environment.
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience in a private office environment.
- Experience of working closely with Ministers and/or senior officials on high profile issues.
- Experience of team and/or line management.
£55,720 - £64,135
Working Arrangements & Further Information
The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.
For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.
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.