This is a high-profile and challenging leadership role at the heart of Government. The post-holder will lead Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and Civil Service Chief Operating Office (COO) Private Office team, act as her principal adviser, and work closely with very senior officials and Ministers within the Cabinet Office and across Whitehall to drive forward government priorities.
As the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service, Cat Little, is responsible for reforming government to make it more productive and improve delivery, as well as leading the Cabinet Office.
Specifically, her role is to:
Key Responsibilities
* Rewire the state to make it more productive and agile, through tech transformation, better regulation, and reforms of the Civil Service and arm’s length bodies.
* Support and challenge departments to ensure that the Government’s delivery and reform priorities are implemented with pace and rigour.
* Lead the Cabinet Office as Permanent Secretary, working closely with the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and his Ministerial team to set and deliver our objectives; ensure we have the right capability; and have robust financial management, accountable directly to Parliament as Accounting Officer.
* Provide inspiring, confident, kind and empowering leadership to the private office team.
* Provide strategic advice, support and challenge to Cat Little, both as Civil Service COO and Permanent Secretary, to enable her to undertake her wide-ranging responsibilities.
* Work collaboratively with very senior stakeholders across the Cabinet Office, the Civil Service and external partners to advance business objectives, ensure strategic alignment and brokering resolutions where there are conflicting views.
* Be an active leader within the Ministers, Accountability and Strategy Directorate, across Private Offices in the department, and across Permit Secretary offices in government.
Person Specification
* Highly developed communication, networking and negotiation skills, with the personal presence and credibility to secure confidence at the most senior levels across the Civil Service and beyond, including in central departments.
* Experience of remaining calm, collaborative and maintaining the well-being of your team and selves while working in a dynamic and challenging environment.
* Experience of working collaboratively with, and delivering through, a large and diverse group of internal and external stakeholders, showing excellent stakeholder management skills.
* Demonstrable experience of juggling competing priorities and difficult challenges in a clear and logical manner, using your strategic awareness to make sound judgement calls in an uncertain and ambiguous environment.
* Excellent management and leadership skills with a proven ability to lead across boundaries and run high‑performing, motivated teams to deliver on a challenging agenda in a fast‑paced environment.
* Recent experience of working in or closely with the Cabinet Office.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Ability to prioritise work effectively and adapt rapidly to changing priorities or needs.
* Experience of working in or leading a private office environment.
* Knowledge of the Cabinet Office and the Centre of Government.
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