Private Secretary to AI Opportunities Director
Join to apply for the Private Secretary to AI Opportunities Director role at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Private Secretary to AI Opportunities Director
Join to apply for the Private Secretary to AI Opportunities Director role at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Job Summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
London
Job Summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.
Our Inclusive Environment
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We supportcandidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 D&I Strategy.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm
You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/
Job Description
AI has the potential to fundamentally change society and the economy and plays a vital role in achieving the governments missions. It is estimated that the widespread adoption of AI could increase annual productivity by up to 1.5 percentage points. The AI Opportunities directorate sits within DSIT and is responsible for ensuring the Government, businesses, and the UK population are able to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation moment.
In January 2025, we published the AI Opportunities Action Plan that aims to build a UK sector that can scale and compete globally, boost technology adoption across the economy, and ensure the necessary infrastructure, talent, and data access to drive AI adoption in both the public and private sectors. The Plan included 50 actions in total focused on UK AI Capabilities, AI adoption, and Sovereign AI, which we are responsible for delivering as a whole.
We are looking for a highly motivated and organised self-starter to take on the role of Private Secretary to the AI Opportunities Director. This role sits at the heart of the business unit, working directly to the Director, enabling strong leadership and critical oversight of a fast-paced and priority policy area.
To be successful in this role, you will need to be highly organised, remaining on top of multiple critical priorities at once, alongside resolving new issues quickly and effectively, or escalating as appropriate. It will be essential for you to build trusted relationships with a range of stakeholders and demonstrate confidence engaging with senior stakeholders both internal and external to government.
Additionally, you will be expected to use your sound judgement and policy skills to advise teams on the best way to engage with senior civil servants (SCS) and ministers in DSIT.
While this role requires high degree of autonomous working, the Private Secretary will sit within our Corporate team in the Directorate, which ensures the business area is set up to deliver its vision for AI Opportunities.
We are a fun, diverse and vibrant Directorate committed to supporting our staff’s development and well-being, as well as delivering excellent work. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are keen to welcome new team members who will contribute to our friendly and inclusive culture.
AI has the potential to fundamentally change society and the economy and plays a vital role in achieving the governments missions. It is estimated that the widespread adoption of AI could increase annual productivity by up to 1.5 percentage points. The AI Opportunities directorate sits within DSIT and is responsible for ensuring the Government, businesses, and the UK population are able to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation moment.
In January 2025, we published the AI Opportunities Action Plan that aims to build a UK sector that can scale and compete globally, boost technology adoption across the economy, and ensure the necessary infrastructure, talent, and data access to drive AI adoption in both the public and private sectors. The Plan included 50 actions in total focused on UK AI Capabilities, AI adoption, and Sovereign AI, which we are responsible for delivering as a whole.
We are looking for a highly motivated and organised self-starter to take on the role of Private Secretary to the AI Opportunities Director. This role sits at the heart of the business unit, working directly to the Director, enabling strong leadership and critical oversight of a fast-paced and priority policy area.
To be successful in this role, you will need to be highly organised, remaining on top of multiple critical priorities at once, alongside resolving new issues quickly and effectively, or escalating as appropriate. It will be essential for you to build trusted relationships with a range of stakeholders and demonstrate confidence engaging with senior stakeholders both internal and external to government.
Additionally, you will be expected to use your sound judgement and policy skills to advise teams on the best way to engage with senior civil servants (SCS) and ministers in DSIT.
While this role requires high degree of autonomous working, the Private Secretary will sit within our Corporate team in the Directorate, which ensures the business area is set up to deliver its vision for AI Opportunities.
We are a fun, diverse and vibrant Directorate committed to supporting our staff’s development and well-being, as well as delivering excellent work. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are keen to welcome new team members who will contribute to our friendly and inclusive culture.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
This is a varied role, with new and interesting challenges to tackle arising each day. Core responsibilities include:
* Keeping up with the latest developments across AI Opportunities teams to ensure the Director maintains critical oversight of the business area;
* Attending priority meetings with the Director to provide readouts and ensure actions are allocated and carried forward, as required;
* Effective management of the Director’s inbox to support effective prioritisation and timely responses to incoming commissions and requests;
* Working with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on cross-cutting and emerging issues to resolve or escalate, ensuring Director input and sign-off is provided as appropriate;
* Building relationships and working effectively across the directorate, at all levels, to ensure Director input and sign-off is provided as appropriate;
* Managing relationships with ministerial and SCS private offices to align work with top departmental and ministerial priorities;
* Line management of an EO Diary Manager to deliver a quality service to the Director, including ensuring a seamless service during periods of leave;
* Chairing directorate stand-ups, forming the weekly newsletter, and creating daily box notes for the Director;
* Working closely with the central team in the directorate, which ensures the business area is set up to deliver its vision for AIO.
Essential Criteria
For this role, essential skills and experience includes:
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, communicating concisely and coherently to a variety of audiences;
* Excellent organisation skills and a strong attention to detail, prioritising work effectively and delivering consistently under time pressure and in a complex working environment;
* Demonstrable planning and time management skills, confidently taking the lead to resolve problems and ensure individual and team priorities achieved;
* A track record of building strong and trusted relationships with a range of stakeholders, regardless of seniority;
* Ability to maintain an awareness of strategic priorities and proactively aligning your work with these;
* Experience of handling sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.
Note, this role is advertised as London-only due to the number of in-person meetings with the Director, as well as office duties such as welcoming visitors and admin tasks for the Director.
The successful candidate will be required to obtain SC vetting due to the location and access to the Director’s mailbox.
Desirable Criteria
Previous private office and line management experience is desirable, but we welcome applications from proactive and motivated individuals seeking to apply their strong organisation, communication, and problem-solving skills to this exciting role too.
Behaviours
Well assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Delivering at Pace
* Making Effective Decisions
* Seeing the Big Picture
Alongside your salary of £44,195, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £12,803 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
* A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
* Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
* A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
* An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
* Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to set out how your skills and experience meet the key essential criteria outlined (and desirable criteria, where relevant) in the Skills and Experience section.
Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.
To help you to prepare for your interview, for this campaign behaviour questions will be shared in advance of interview if you are successful at sift stage. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared.
The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared with you in advance, including any follow-up questions, and other elements listed in the job advert, for example, experience, abilities, strengths and technical skills. The panel will be looking for examples of your own work, experience, and ability so do try and avoid using AI written answers without any human oversight.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in ourDSIT Candidate Guidance. ADSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the Contact point for applicants section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
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-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 Demystifying Vetting website.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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) (opens in a new window)
* 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 (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 Commissions recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 Commissions recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 : Andy Lewis
* Email : andy.lewis@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.
Seniority level
* Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Employment type
Full-time
Job function
* Job function
Administrative
* Industries
Government Administration
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