Private Secretary

This is an Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity, available on a lateral move basis only. Applications are open to Core Scottish Government employees only.

Job Title – Private Secretary

Location – St Andrew’s House

Working Arrangement – You will provide regular in person support in Scottish Parliament, St Andrews House and support the Deputy First Minister when required. For this reason this post sits outwith the Scottish Government's standard hybrid working policy.

Grade - C2

Advert type - Level Transfer

Duration - Permanent

Eligibility - Expressions of interest are invited from substantive colleagues on level transfer at grade C2 from Core SG only.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered

Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Overview

Are you looking for a career move where you can work right at the centre of Government?

Ministerial Private Office (MPO) is one of the most unique and dynamic areas within the Scottish Government. The Deputy First Minister's Private Office (DFMPO) plays a critical role in supporting the Deputy First Minister in delivering Ministerial responsibilities across Finance, Local Government and wider cross-government priorities.

We are seeking a high-performing and politically astute leader to join us as C2 Senior Private Secretary to the Deputy First Minister.

This is a high-profile and rewarding role, combining direct strategic support to the Deputy First Minister with shared leadership and management responsibility for the Deputy First Minister's Private Office. Working closely with the C1 Private Secretary, you will help ensure the office delivers an exceptional standard of support across all aspects of Ministerial business.

You will work directly with the Deputy First Minister, Special Advisers, senior officials, Ministers and stakeholders across Scotland and beyond. You will play a key role in coordinating activity across the Deputy First Minister's portfolio, supporting the delivery of Ministerial priorities and ensuring the Deputy First Minister is equipped to make timely and informed decisions.

Alongside the C1 Private Secretary, you will provide leadership to the DFMPO, helping to foster a high-performing, collaborative and resilient team. You will contribute to the effective management of workloads, continuous improvement of private office processes and the maintenance of the highest standards of professionalism, governance and service delivery.

Private Office is an environment where political acuity, sound judgement and resilience are tested daily. You will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced and highly scrutinised environment, dealing confidently with complex and sensitive issues while maintaining a focus on outcomes, relationships and delivery.

Due to the nature of the role and the requirement to provide direct support to the Deputy First Minister, on site attendance at the Scottish Parliament, St Andrew's House and other locations is essential. This post sits outwith the Scottish Government's standard hybrid working policy.

Please note this vacancy will also require all candidates to obtain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Security Check (SC) clearance level.

Further information about NSV checks can be found on the UK Government website - National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK

Key responsibilities

• Provide direct strategic advice and support to the Deputy First Minister, helping to coordinate the delivery of Ministerial priorities across Finance, Local Government and wider Government business.
• Work closely with the C1 Private Secretary to jointly lead and manage the Deputy First Minister's Private Office, ensuring a professional, responsive and high-quality service.
• Ensure the Deputy First Minister is fully briefed and prepared for meetings, parliamentary business, visits, events and stakeholder engagements.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Special Advisers, senior officials, Ministers and external stakeholders to support the delivery of outcomes.
• Provide oversight and coordination of cross-cutting and high-profile issues, ensuring effective collaboration across Government.
• Use political acuity, strategic awareness and horizon scanning to identify emerging risks, opportunities and key delivery challenges.
• Lead and support private office staff, fostering an inclusive culture focused on teamwork, wellbeing and continuous improvement.
• Handle complex, sensitive and time-critical issues confidently, exercising
• Represent the Deputy First Minister's interests across Government and accompany the Deputy First Minister at meetings and engagements where required.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Experience:

• Experience of operating successfully in a complex, fast-paced environment, providing strategic advice and delivering outcomes through collaboration and influence.
• Experience of leading teams, managing people or coordinating the work of others to deliver high-quality results in a demanding environment.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with experience of building credibility and strong relationships with senior leaders, Ministers, stakeholders and partners.
• Strong political acuity and the ability to analyse complex information, anticipate issues and exercise sound judgement in sensitive or high-profile situations.
• A proven track record of managing competing priorities, delivering at pace and driving continuous improvement.

Behaviours:

• Leadership – Level 4
• Communicating and Influencing – Level 4
• Working Together – Level 4
• Delivering at Pace – Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. For this role you will provide regular in person support in Scottish Parliament, St Andrews House and support the Deputy First Minister when required.For this reason this post sits out with the Scottish Government's standard hybrid working policy

Further Information

Further information about this opportunity is available from Peter.creevy@gov.scot

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and an Expression of Interest (maximum 750 words) outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team. Please align this to how you meet the behaviours and experience listed in the Success Profile above.

Vacancies close at 11:59pm on the date displayed in the table, unless otherwise stated on the job advert.

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.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview.

Interviews are to be confirmed.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

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 observing the Civil Service Codeand 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.

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.

In addition to the standard pre-employment checks, this vacancy will also require all candidates to obtain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Security Check (SC) clearance level. This type of check normally includes meeting a minimum UK residency period, which for SC level is 5 years.

Further information about NSV checks can be found on the UK Government website - National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK

If you have any questions about this, please contact ScottishGovernmentRecruitment@gov.scot

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.