Executive Assistant to the Chief Scientific Adviser and Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser

☞ Department for Business, Energy & Industrial...

View: 117

Update day: 07-05-2024

Location: London

Category: Science Labor Pharmaceutical / Chemical / Biotech

Industry: Government Public Administration

Job type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £27,675 - £31,200 a year

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Job content

Reference number

133333

Salary

£27,675 - £31,200

Grade

Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

Policy, Delivery & Private Office / Chief Scientific Adviser’s Office

Type of role

Administration / Corporate Support
Science
Secretarial

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of posts

1

Location

London

About the job

Summary

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is focused on building a stronger, greener future by fighting coronavirus, tackling climate change, unleashing innovation and making the UK a great place to work and do business.

We are committed to ensuring that policy decisions are informed by robust analysis of the best possible evidence, including science. The department is responsible for the overall R&D system in the UK and we also work on a wide range of exciting policy areas, from Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence, and Automotive, to Energy, Life Sciences and Quantum Technologies.

Do you want to apply your degree in a scientific, analytical or allied field to supporting delivery of science advice in BEIS? We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity to support the work of BEIS’s Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and Deputy CSA. This is an interesting and multifaceted Executive Assistant role. Scientific advice in government has never been so much to the fore, and this job gives rare insight on some topical science and policy areas.

The CSA provides independent, impartial scientific advice and assurance on all aspects of BEIS policy to ministers, the Permanent Secretary and the Department. Working closely with the Government CSA and network of departmental CSAs to support UK science, the CSA draws from a range of expertise.

BEIS sponsors UKRI, the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation, and has a broad and exciting policy agenda that touches most parts of UK society and the economy.

Job description

As Executive Assistant, you will be responsible for ensuring the CSA and Deputy have key meetings prioritised in the diary, supported by relevant papers and briefing in OneNote. You will also work with Secretariat teams being set up to manage CSA led governance structures, helping with meeting arrangements and papers as needed. You will work on your own initiative, with guidance and support from your line manager and in collaboration with colleagues. You will ensure that policies and procedures are followed, for example in the booking and management of travel.

Responsibilities

Your key responsibilities will be

1. Diary Management

  • Running the CSA’s and Deputy CSA’s diaries, ensuring they are kept up to date through monitoring of the shared calendar and inbox, and interaction with colleagues.

  • Building knowledge of priorities and current issues to aid decision making.

  • Forward planning, thinking creatively to find solutions to issues.

  • Preparing daily packs in Microsoft OneNote with all the key information for meetings.

2. Inbox Management

  • Keeping on top of e-mails so that urgent matters can be prioritised.

  • Judging when to refer to colleagues and when to act independently.

  • Anticipating and providing any additional information the CSA/Deputy CSA may need.

3. Office Management

  • Leading on corporate responsibilities in the team, such as business continuity and ad hoc returns.

  • Booking travel and accommodation when required.

4. Secretariat Support

  • Making meeting arrangements for CSA led governance board/groups.

  • Collating and circulating papers, and other activities, including liaising with internal policy and science teams, as well as external stakeholders, in industry and academia.

5. Finance

  • Timely processing of the CSA’s expenses in Oracle, including dealing with receipts.

  • Compiling quarterly transparency returns.

Person Specification

We are looking for a self-starter who can take ownership of their work and make effective decisions, referring upwards when appropriate. Educated to degree level in a scientific, analytical or allied field, you will need to be able to prioritise and remain resilient in the face of changing priorities, keeping track of disparate pieces of work to ensure that all are progressed in a timely manner. Your excellent attention to detail and ability to proactively plan ahead will help you to deliver work with energy and pace. You will show flexibility when needed, prioritising and adjusting plans while not letting important but more routine tasks slip.

Interacting with colleagues at all levels of seniority, both internal and external, you will have strong interpersonal, communication and networking skills to build and maintain productive working relationships. Experience in a similar role is highly desirable. This is a particularly rewarding role for someone with a background or interest in science.

Working in the CSA’s Private Office

We will provide an encouraging environment to the successful candidate. We are mindful of individuals preferences and circumstances and are committed to work/life balance. We actively encourage learning and development to support achievement of individual and team goals.

Qualifications

Degree or Level 6 NVQ in a scientific, analytical or allied field

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

BEIS offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

  • A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, home working and compressed hours.

  • Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

  • 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.
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Deadline: 21-06-2024

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