Assistant Private Secretary

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll help solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, enabling millions of people to access the services they need.

Within GDS, you will join the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), a directorate comprising 85 staff and aiming to grow to 140 staff by the end of financial year 2025/26. The directorate is led by David Knott and four Deputy Directors. The directorate has recently overseen a number of key departmental priorities, ranging from delivering the State of Digital Government Review, to the AI Playbook, to strengthening how Government does digital procurement, and protecting public sector website domains, amongst other priorities.

We are recruiting for two Assistant Private Secretaries, each of whom will support 2-3 Senior Civil Servants. Both roles will be line-managed by the current G7 Head of Office. Through being part of a close-knit team, you will also gain exposure to the wider work of the directorate, including workstreams you may be particularly interested in.

The Assistant Private Secretary role is a challenging one with a high level of exposure and responsibility. You will provide proactive, timely and accurate support to both of your Senior Civil Servants by:

• supporting the Head of Office in integrating the directorate within wider GDS, including building links with wider Private Offices
• building and maintaining strong, proactive, and supportive relationships with teams
• working with the directorate’s leadership team to understand and progress priorities, both directly and through others
• commissioning, researching, and providing high quality briefing and advice
• accompanying your Senior Civil Servants to meetings, visits, and following up on actions where required
• identifying and brokering solutions to issues raised with your Senior Civil Servants, pre-empting where possible
• developing the directorate’s culture through organising all-staff events, ensuring alignment with GDS and DSIT communications, and driving wider engagement initiatives
• proactively managing the inboxes and diaries of both Senior Civil Servants
• supporting the Policy & Governance team by assisting with Parliamentary Questions, FOI responses, papers for key forums, and other similar requests
• providing secretarial and administrative support, including arranging travel, logistics, and other ad hoc duties.

We look forward to receiving an application from you if:

• you have exceptional, proactive communication skills
• you take the initiative and work things out independently, drawing on support when needed
• you’re forward-thinking, proactive, and highly dependable
• you’re great at building and maintaining strong relationships across teams
• you’re open and eager to learn – you seek out opportunities to grow
• you’re very detail-oriented and highly organised
• you’re highly resilient, able to manage and deliver competing demands at pace and in a pressured environment
• when needed, you’re willing to go beyond your remit to help problem solve for the directorate
• you’re able to see the big picture and link your responsibilities to the overall goals of the directorate

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.

Seniority level: Associate

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Administrative

Industries: Government Administration