Overview:
Are you a good communicator with a great eye for detail, who can demonstrate strong planning and organisation skills?
The Personal Assistant (PA) is part of the Private Office team, which provides support to the Strategic Leadership Team and Board and manages our responsibilities with respect to Freedom of Information, Complaints Handling, and Ministerial correspondence.
The purpose of the PA’s role is to provide support to the Deputy Chief Executive by ensuring effective management of their emails and diary and to provide secretariat support to the meetings which the DCEO attends. Support to the wider Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) is also required in the absence of their Private Secretary/PA.
You will be line managed by the Private Secretary to the Chief Executive.
This is a hybrid working role with your attendance at Pilgrim House, Aberdeen required based on departmental needs. However no fixed weekly attendance is currently in place.
The post is full time based on 37 hours per week with flexible working hours in a band between 07:00 – 19:00 (Monday to Friday).
Responsibilities:
Email management:
Making decisions on prioritisation of correspondence and meeting requests identifying and flagging urgent issues to the DCEO or, in their absence or if they are occupied, taking decisions on the most appropriate person to refer them to, giving due regard to security classifications and sensitivity, ensuring that they are followed up in a timely manner.- Drafting email responses on behalf of the DCEO and maintaining an efficient and effective filing and retrieval system through the use of eRDM.
Diary Management:
Actively manage the DCEO diary in an efficient and timely manner, prioritising internal and external meeting requests in order to make the best use of the DCEO time, including making decisions on attendance/location/appropriate delegation in the absence of the DCEO.
Planning internal and external meetings, visits across Scotland, the UK and overseas, and attendance at speaking events, receptions, etc. and making decisions/recommendations on cost effective travel and accommodation ensuring that budget limits and value for money are taken into account and that any travel/accommodation is booked for the DCEO and records of expenditure are maintained.
Plan, organise and co-ordinate events and meetings, liaising with senior internal and external stakeholders (e.g. Branch Heads/Chairs/CE/Director of industry representative organisations, contractors) as required, building agendas, preparing, collating and circulating meeting papers, attending meetings and taking accurate minutes of what may be technical discussions. Provide secretariat support to any meetings that the DCEO Chairs/attends which will include minuting sensitive meetings with stakeholders.
Ensuring that the DCEO is fully prepared for meetings and events, by proactively identifying where briefing/speaking notes are required and commissioning information from officials, liaising with officials to ensure briefings/speeches/presentations are produced in good time, and collating briefing packs.
Support DCEO to fulfil their line management duties, for example by organising annual appraisals and monthly conversations, maintaining confidentiality.
Manage and control the DCEO expenses, claims, and reconciliation of Electronic Procurement Card expenditure.
Wider Directorate Support:
Provide PA cover for the CEO and DCEO in the absence of their PS and PA (email and diary management as well as taking minutes of any meetings the CEO and DCEO may attend)
Develop and maintain an understanding of the strategic context in which the DCEO operates, and develop and maintain strong working relationships with key contacts at all levels both internally and externally.
Competencies
Communication & Engagement
Analysis and Use of Evidence
Self-awareness
Improving Performance
Essential Criteria & Qualifications:
1. Proven planning and organisational skills including the ability to balance competing demands.
2. Good oral and written communication skills with the ability to take accurate notes of meetings.
3. Good interpersonal and team-working skills with the ability to engage confidently with people at all levels.
4. Self-starter who can work on their own initiative.
Qualifications
No specific qualifications required for this post.
Provisional Interview Dates
To be confirmed.
Additional Information
How To Apply
For further information on this vacancy please download and review the “Person Specification” which you will find below.
Person Specification Band B
To apply, you must fully complete and submit an online application via this website before the closing date using evidence based examples to demonstrate your knowledge/skills (300 words). Remember, your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion.
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact rachael.hay@fss.scot
The Scottish Government is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any adjustments to our recruitment process, please let us know via ScottishGovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot
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