Details
Reference number
428060
Salary
£34,765 - £41,375
National - £34,765 - £37,080
London - £38,795 - £41,375
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading 'Salary'.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
DEFRA - COO - Finance
Type of role
Business Management and Improvement
Other
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Reading, York
About the job
Job summary
The Business Support Lead is a varied role in which you will provide comprehensive line management to a team of dedicated Executive Assistant (EA) resource, that supports Defra group Finance (DgF) Directors and Deputy Directors. You will also work directly with the Chief of Staff to develop and implement the Defra group Finance Workforce Strategy including building capability across DgF and supporting elements of the recruitment process.
You will be responsible for supporting and developing the EA's to ensure they have the right skills and capabilities to deliver a first-class service to the DgF senior leadership team.
You will be responsible for engaging with various Leadership Teams, G6 Line Management community and Building Capability Champions to identify workforce skills gaps. You will support the Chief of Staff in pulling together this information, along with insights from the annual People Survey and other sources of customer feedback, to recommend appropriate Learning & Development (L&D) priorities and interventions. You will then work with suppliers to deliver a fit for purpose, affordable L&D service offering. You will ensure that capability development is reflected in business plans and leadership discussion, and raise awareness of the Learning Platform and other available training.
You will work with the Chief of Staff and Team Leaders to coordinate recruitment requests and ensure maintenance and continuous improvement of the self service recruitment playbook, and Joiners, Movers and Leavers process. The Post holder will also work with the Chief of Staff and Leadership Team to ensure that the Fast Stream Process is utilised effectively and that a robust Managed Moves process is developed and coordinated.
Job description
Key responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
Line Management of Executive Assistants (EA's)
* Standard line management duties of 8 (EA's) (including recruitment, performance management, coaching, sickness absence, learning and development and professional development such as Business Administration Apprenticeships).
* Ensuring the team are deployed effectively to support members of the Finance leadership team.
* Ensure compliance across DgF EAs in relation to organisational charts, FTE numbers, distribution list and business continuity.
Supporting Strategic Workforce Planning - Capability Development, people Survey and Plan
* Engage with Senior Leadership team, the transformation landscape and suppliers to understand specific skills required to successfully run the finance function. Develop and implement a L&D plan that reflects this.
* Collate and facilitate analysis of annual people survey results and suggest improvement actions in line with the Workforce Strategy and People Plan.
* Plan and deliver building capability activities and projects along with analysis of success criteria.
Managing Learning & Development (L&D) service offer and budget
* In-year monitoring, analysis and management of the DgF L&D budget to ensure expenditure is aligned to Group L&D priorities and ensuring it achieves value for money.
* Monitoring and analysis of L&D Key Performance Indicators and ensuring risks and issues are tracked and monitored and escalated where appropriate.
* Working with Building Capability Champions to identify L&D trends (internal and external) and L&D interventions which support delivery of the workforce strategy.
* Work with the Assistant Private Secretary to develop and implement an L&D communications plan that ensures DgF colleagues are signposted to learning opportunities (including mandatory learning requirements).
* Management of applications for Professional Body Accreditations.
* Maintaining communications with relevant L&D providers and financial bodies.
Recruitment
* Lead on maintenance and improvement of the recruitment self-service playbook and Joiners, Movers and Leavers process.
* Work with the Chief of Staff to co-ordinate recruitment requests for approval.
* Work with the Chief of Staff to develop and manage a managed moves process.
* Manage the Fast Stream process and associated record keeping.
* Engage with Senior Leadership team, Finance Leadership Team and Strategic Workforce Plan to understand workforce gaps and future requirements for Fast Streamers.
Person specification
Skills required:
* Proven leadership and line management skills to plan, monitor and control resources and build a collaborative and motivated team of 8-10 people in disparate locations
* Excellent communication skills to motivate and manage team members, including promoting and enabling career development for the Executive Assistant community, managing performance any HR related issues
* Ability to quickly establish and maintain excellent working relationships with Senior Civil Servants to understand and influence their activities and requirements
* To be confident, self-motivated and demonstrate a passionate commitment to the business
* Bring a positive attitude to work, co-operating closely with team members and other departments to ensure that the team is performing to the highest levels.
* Effective negotiating, influencing, and persuading skills to balance competing senior manager requirements with available resource. Ability to resolve conflicts and create workable solutions.
* Ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders confidently, concisely, and effectively (at all levels).
* Good time management and prioritisation
* Being flexible, well organised
* Ability to multitask and challenge
* Ability to work confidently with information and data, using systematic approach to recording and storing on shared system.
* Ability to influence and persuade colleagues confidently and professionally
* Excellent organisational management skills
* Excellent written and spoken communication skills
* Developing staff so they are effective in role and reach their potential.
* Proficiency with the basic Microsoft applications including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, One Note, Teams etc
* Comfortable handling larger but simple data sets.
Experience Needed:
* Experience of having built and maintained strong effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (internal and external).
* Prove leadership and line management experience.
* Experience of planning and managing own workload, often with conflicting priorities, to deliver, both routine and project-based tasks on-time and to high quality standard.
* Experience of having worked within a team environment where objectives often overlap and require a flexible approach to working with others.
* Experience of identifying problems and developing and implementing workable solutions
* Evidence of the ability to practice and coach organisation managers in working with a high level of confidentiality.
* Knowledge and experience in employee engagement, and employee development.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Leadership
* Communicating and Influencing
* Managing a Quality Service
* Developing Self and Others
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Leadership
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,765, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,071 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* An environment with flexible working options
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
* A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, a 750 word personal statement on how your relevant skills and experience meet the job description and skills required and a behavioural statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Leadership. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the following behaviours Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, and Developing Self and Others .
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra's location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Criminal Record Check
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 Pre- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
* Contact Government Recruitment Service via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
* Complete the "Assistance required" section in 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 if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Internal Fraud Database Check
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.
NSV
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Higher Security Clearance
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
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 .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name : Melissa Williams (Chief of Staff)
* Email :
* Telephone :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email:
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here