Are you a team player looking for a unique opportunity to grow your skills, gain qualifications, and work at the centre of Government?
We're looking for talented people to join us in Ministerial Private Office division as Assistant Private Secretaries (APS).
Assistant Private Secretaries provide a pivotal role within Private Office through management of all correspondence, Ministerial diaries, administration and logistical support for Ministers; playing a vital role in supporting the Scottish Ministers' schedules; and managing communication channels with the wider Scottish Government and external stakeholders.
Time spent in Ministerial Private Office will mean that you learn and understand the intricacies of Parliamentary and Cabinet business whilst observing decision making at its highest level in Government.
This is a Modern Apprenticeship opportunity, throughout the first 12 months the success candidate will be expected to gain a relevant SVQ qualification. Support will be provided by an internal assessor who will work with you on a monthly basis with time given to work on your qualification. We will invest in your potential by supporting your development and giving you opportunities to stretch in post.
Responsibilities
* Coordinate all diary requests, liaising with the Private Office team, communications colleagues, Special Advisers, policy teams, and external stakeholders to ensure effective scheduling and prioritisation.
* Oversee meeting arrangements, including logistical support and commissioning of Ministerial briefings.
* Maintain the Ministerial Database, process expenses, and handle purchasing activities for the Private Office via Oracle.
* Organise Ministerial travel in collaboration with the Scottish Government's travel provider.
* Handle Ministerial correspondence, determining appropriate response types, prioritising incoming and outgoing communications, and ensuring quality assurance in partnership with policy colleagues.
* Administer the Parliamentary Question process, working with Special Advisers to compile briefings for potential supplementary questions under tight deadlines.
* Coordinate Cabinet papers, ensuring timely and comprehensive briefing preparation for the Minister
Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Behaviours
* Communicating and Influencing – Level 1
* Working Together – Level 1
* Managing a Quality Service – Level 1
* Delivering at Pace - Level 1
You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here.
How To Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the three Behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.
Stage one (application sift): Candidates will have their applications assessed against all success profile criteria listed above unless there is a large number of applications, in which case, the following process will apply:
An initial sift will be conducted using the CV and supporting statement on the
Communicating and Influencing
Behaviour as listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against the rest of the Behaviours.
Stage two (interview and job simulation): If successful at application sift, you will be invited to an interview and job simulation assessment where we will test all criteria listed in the Success Profile above.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
Assessments are scheduled for w/c 13th October however this may be subject to change.
About Us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Working Pattern
The post is based in St Andrew's House, and involves working in the Scottish Parliament building.
In person support is required at least 3 days per week for this role.
The post is a full time role, but staff with different working patterns are invited to apply, and we will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for this post.
Security Checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further Information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Apply Before: 21st September (23:59)