To apply direct for this role please visit Civil Service Jobs and quote ref no. Estates is at the forefront of delivering one of the biggest property programmes and operations in the UK. We are the leading edge of Government property transformation and operational delivery. The purpose of Estates & Locations is to provide HMRC with an estate which is the right size and shape to meet both its current and future needs of our HMRC colleagues and wider Government departments who use our spaces. We are a customer centric team which exists to offer high quality, inclusive services to enable our colleagues to perform at their best by providing working environments in which they want to work. Job description The Private Secretary role offers a great opportunity to support the Director of Estates, working as part of the Estates & Locations Programme Private Office actively supporting all aspects of work across the wider business aligning with other Private Office teams across HMRC and wider government. The Director relies on their Private Secretary to help them carry out their role and drive forward their priorities. The role requires a highly motivated and adaptable individual who has the drive and capability to deliver high quality work to strict deadlines and manage demanding and often complex priorities, collaborating with a range of senior leaders and other Private Offices across the Civil Service.? You will be required to display high levels of judgement often dealing with senior leaders on high profile and critical matters, frequently working closely with the Senior Leadership Team and their Personal Assistants to drive key deliverables and ensure alignment and consistency. The Private Secretary will use their strong communications and excellent organisation, prioritisation and interpersonal skills to support the Director in all aspects of his role. As the Private Secretary you will be responsible for leading the day-to-day private office support for the very busy Director of Estates which incorporates (but is not limited to): Owning the inbox/systems that are put in place to manage the flow of information. Initial triage of all emails to determine appropriate responses (i.e. cascading readouts, commissioning, or taking forward actions on behalf of director). Flagging high priority actions, and delegating work to deputy directors and their offices as appropriate.? Supporting the Director by maintaining a strong oversight of key and emerging issues. Including management and tracking of actions as required. Attending meetings with the Director to make notes of actions to provide a read out and actions. Understanding the Directors priorities and using initiative to see the bigger picture across the directorate to action emails, solve problems at pace and prioritise work responsibilities. Using good working knowledge of the directorate and the portfolio to make decisions regarding delegation and sign off of products to Deputy Directors and supporting them to empower their SLT. Being able to place requests to right people and being seen as a point of escalation by the directorate. Draft email replies, being able to challenge assumptions and handle sensitive information appropriately and discreetly. Responsible for ensuring papers and reports are prepared and scheduled for review, ensuring colleagues across the directorate have correctly organised necessary papers and briefing for meetings.? Direct line management responsibilities of the Diary Manager. Working with the Head of Private Office to maintain processes to ensure sustained ways of working across the private office and the wider directorate. Drafting communications on behalf of Director. Ensuring performance reporting requirements are met including supporting on recruitment. Deputise for the Head of Private Office as required. There will be an element of 5pm cover, shared between the Directors Private Office Team. There will also be the need for overnight travel and occasional out of hours working as the business needs dictate.? Person specification We are looking for someone who - Thrives working in a fast-paced, highly pressured environment with tight deadlines and changing priorities, taking responsibility for prioritising work to deliver results where no two days or weeks are the same? Confident communicator who can engage with a wide variety of people including senior leaders on the Directors behalf. Ability to manage and influence upwards when delegating work, commissioning briefings, following up on action points. Demonstrable experience in problem solving at pace, and ensure all deadlines are met. Good eye for detail and delivers quality outputs. From time to time can manage a portfolio of work/specific projects, to be agreed with the Head of Private Office and the Director. Ability to understand the bigger picture when commissioning briefings and delegating work. Comfortable working within a small private office team. Providing leadership across the wider directorate PA community, building strong relationships with the team. Good organisational skills. Resourceful and resilient, in particular calm when working under pressure Good working proficiency with Office 365 and how to manage SharePoint sites. Willingness to learn and develop self and others. Would you like to make a real difference using high levels of autonomy and often dealing with senior customers on high profile and critical matters, working closely with the Senior Leadership Team and their Private Offices to progress key work and ensure alignment and consistency. In return we will invest in your development and give you access to some exciting activities that will help progress your career to new heights. Essential Criteria Experience working in a Private Office supporting a Director, or significant experience supporting one or more Deputy Directors, (SCS level if applying internally to Civil Service), in a large or complex team. Evidence of working in a fast-paced, highly pressured environment with tight deadlines and changing priorities. The ability to prioritise and re-prioritise work using sound judgement to understand the risks. (?Please ensure evidence and examples provided fully demonstrate this requirement) Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the confidence to clearly communicate on the Directors behalf. Discretion and the ability to act with sensitivity and integrity as a trusted member of Private Office. Ability to work autonomously and make informed decisions on behalf of the Director and Head of Private Office. Desirable Criteria Previous experience of working in a Facilities or Estates Management environment would be beneficial but is not essential. Additional security information The candidate must be Security Check (SC) cleared or willing to undertake this - appointment is conditional upon achieving the required level of clearance.