Length of employment: 2 Years Job Summary: The Media and International Directorate (MINT) covers broad and exciting policy areas. As Head of the Director's Office you will have an important role in supporting an d driving them forward. Our objectives include: Promoting future-proofed, innovative and appropriately-regulated media sectors that serve the needs of audiences, and driving sustainable and inclusive growth Ensuring that people are adequately protected from potential harms in media and advertising and helping to protect trust in the UK information environment Supporting a free media, underpinned by high-quality journalism and a diverse, sustainable press sector helping democracy and local communities to unite and thrive. Progressing a review of BBC's Charter that aims to ensure the BBC thrives well into the future Maximising opportunities internationally and using cultural diplomacy to promote and protect DCMS sectors and boost the UK's soft power We pride ourselves on our inclusive and respectful team environment, with ample opportunities to get involved in corporate work such as our social committee or staff networks. Job Description: We are looking for a highly motivated individual to manage the running of the Media and International Directorate, including the office of the Director. This is a fast paced and dynamic role with great opportunities to work closely with DCMS's Senior Leadership Team in an exciting environment and a key priority area for the Secretary of State. You will handle the affairs of the Director, to whom you will act as close and trusted Private Secretary, and will lead on Directorate business management. You will ensure the Director has the support he needs, help prioritise his workload, and act as the key link with the rest of the Directorate, particularly the SLT. You will oversee the effective running of the Directorate, leading on business planning and fiscal events, coordinating central commissions, governance and risk, finance and resourcing, working closely with the corporate business partners. There will also be the opportunity to take on policy projects for stretch, when capacity allows. The ideal candidate should be strategic, be able to make effective decisions under tight time constraints and demonstrate sound leadership and judgement skills in a team that needs to deliver at pace. You should be able to communicate effectively with senior members of the directorate and will need to be able to build excellent relationships across DCMS and Whitehall. This is a high profile and varied role that offers excellent development opportunities and which will allow the successful candidate to gain experience and engage with senior leaders at the heart of DCMS and Government. Your responsibilities will include: Running the Directors' Private Office Provide leadership to and line management of two Band C Executive Assistants who manage the diaries of the Director and Deputy Directors, including oversight of their various corporate responsibilities Ensure the smooth running of the office of the Director including managing inbox and ensuring that items are escalated to him appropriately Build strong and trusted relationships with the Director and across DCMS, working closely to progress joint priorities and understanding where the directorate's work fits into these. Ensure that the Director is appropriately briefed for all meetings, deputising for him where requested and attending and taking minutes if required. Business management for the Directorate Lead on governance, including setting the agenda and commissioning papers for the Programme Board and maintaining the MCI risk register Lead on HR and resourcing with HR business partner, ensuring effective oversight of staffing and recruitment data to facilitate Senior Leadership Team decision-making. Support SLT with annual business planning and fiscal events by co-ordinating input from MCI and tracking implementation Ensure effective financial management by overseeing the requisition process, acting as the key point of contact for the Finance business partner Communicate senior priorities to the wider directorate and help to facilitate good channels of communication between the directorate and the SLT Opportunity for policy work Opportunity to develop policy skills through ad hoc projects Benefits DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We're committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include: Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years' service A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice 3 days of paid volunteering leave Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay generous paternity and adoption leave Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year Occupational sick pay Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more! Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions. The ideal candidate will have the following key skills and experience: Essential criteria: Demonstrating a strong understanding of the work of your organisation, with alertness to emerging trends and issues that impact the work area. Showing strategic and innovative thinking. Ability to consistently deliver results under time pressure, while regularly monitoring own and the teams work against milestones. Acting promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance. Ability to support a senior leader to ensure they have the right tools and information to deliver, and to make sure a broader business management function enables a team to work smoothly. Demonstrating sound judgement and displaying confidence when making difficult decisions. Understanding own levels of responsibility and empowering others to make decisions, where appropriate. Desirable criteria: Experience as a private secretary or leading office of a senior executive We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Beth Hiles, and will take place on: Thursday 22 May, 4.30 pm The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions. Please register your interest by filling out this Registration form by 2 pm on 22 May and you will be sent an invitation. Please note that the session will not be recorded and will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk To apply for this vacancy, you will need to submit the following documents which will assessed against the experience success profile : A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the \"Job History\" section on the Civil Service Jobs application form. A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed however these will not be considered in the assessment of your application except in circumstances where there are a high number and calibre of candidates. For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application. In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application. For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the 'Application and Interview Guidance' document attached to the job advert. The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and will include a presentation, which will be provided prior to interview. The behaviours to be tested at interview are: Seeing the Big Picture Delivering at Pace Making Effective Decisions Managing a Quality Service You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. There will be two-stages to the interviews for the role, with the highest scoring candidates from the first-stage being invited to the second. Robert Specterman-Green, Director of Media and International, will take part in the second-stage interviews. As part of your second-stage interview, you will be asked to de liver a short oral presentation as well as being asked questions on your experience. Full details of this, including the topic, length of time, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview. The first stage of the interview process will be held virtually and the second stage interview will take place, in person, at 100 Parliament Street. For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack. Further Information If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only. Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the 'Candidate Information Pack' attached. If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting Reasonable Adjustment We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment, please: Complete the 'Assistance required' section on the 'Additional requirements' page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or a verbal test rather than a written one. Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Accessibility If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. 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