Job Description

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.



Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.



Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.



This is an exciting opportunity to join the Private Office of the Commercial, Vaccines & Countermeasures Delivery directorate in UK Health Security Agency as a Private Secretary.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Supporting the Director of CVCD and the Deputy Directors of CVCD through delivery of an effective and efficient Private Office service, including support for meetings, drafting briefings, high quality correspondence responses, communications, and ensuring the Director of CVCD's priorities are taken forward



Providing a high-quality service for your portfolio area, taking a key role in driving delivery and ensuring coherence across the senior leadership team, business areas, wider agency and across Whitehall



Build and maintain strong relationships with the executive leadership of UKHSA and their Private Offices to collectively drive forward work, understand risks, engage with senior officials and help deliver operationally



Developing a team culture and environment of continuous improvement that supports the wider organisation to deliver



Offering ad hoc support to the wider Private Office team, including deputising for the Chief of Staff when required.



We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.



UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.



Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers



The Private Secretary is a pivotal and demanding role within the organisation, helping to advise the principal and deliver the Agency's priorities. They will lead on a portfolio of areas within the Private Office to support the principal, their senior leadership team, and colleagues across the group. This will involve commissioning and reviewing advice and briefing, ensuring that the principal's priorities are being taken forward, and that these are aligned to the Agency's and Ministers' priorities.



This role has line management responsibility for executive support/diary manager, as well as supporting the effective running of the office and the leadership of the business area.



The Vaccine and Countermeasures Delivery teams within CVCD play a critical role in delivering UKHSA's mission to protect and improve public health. These teams oversee the supply and delivery of a comprehensive portfolio of life-saving vaccines, countermeasures and immunisation products across the UK, spanning children's, adults', rapid response and seasonal programmes. Drawing on expertise from diverse disciplines, the teams ensure the seamless operational execution and optimal supply of regulated pharmaceutical products while adhering to GDP best practices and maintaining the resilience of these essential public health initiatives.



By coordinating and supporting the relevant internal and external workstreams across the UK, the team ensures all nations (where appropriate) are effectively represented and operationally prepared. This includes ensuring supply reaches the right place, at the right time, and in the right volumes, while supporting the mobilisation of those supplies into impactful delivery campaigns. Through extensive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, suppliers, clinical experts, and data analysts, the team drives continual improvement, fosters knowledge-sharing, and ensures better patient outcomes--all while delivering value for taxpayers.

Essential criteria:

The ability to work at pace on a range of competing priorities, whilst remaining calm under pressure and demonstrating resilience.



The ability to work flexibly and quickly develop expertise on new policy areas and exercise judgement often working with incomplete or inconclusive information and data.



Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and motivate people at all levels, building trust with stakeholders to achieve goals.



A proven track record of making a strong personal impact, demonstrating effectiveness and credibility to operate at a senior level.



Ability to grasp new challenges and concepts at pace.



Desirable criteria



We will only assess on desirable criteria in the event of a strong field of candidates and as a second stage after essential criteria have been considered.



Experience of working in Private Office or executive assistant in the public or private sector

Selection Process Details :

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1:

Application & Sift



You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 5 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:



Application form ( ' Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)



1000 word supporting statement



This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge , provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.



The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:



Meets all essential criteria



Meets some essential criteria



Meets no essential criteria



Candidates who meet all essential criteria and meet some essential will be shortlisted.

Shortlisting :

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:



Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and motivate people at all levels, building trust with stakeholders to achieve goals



If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment



Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.



Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2:

Interview (success profiles)



You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.



Behaviours will be tested at interview.



Interviews will be held week commencing 28th July, please note this date is subject to change.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

Delivering at Pace



Managing a Quality Service



Communicating and Influencing



Making Effective Decisions



Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.



Eligibility Criteria



Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).



Location



This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Canary Wharf office. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).



Additionally some work travel may be required to support the Director.



Security Clearance Level Requirement



Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.



Successful candidates will require Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) as a minimum with willingness and capability to work towards Security Check (SC).



You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting at this higher level and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.