Defence Digital Executive Assistant

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Watch to find out more about what we do.

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Are you a strong team player, with great customer management skills, someone who enjoys forming team relationships? Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, responding to questions and prioritising requests?

If so, we have a really great opportunity for a hardworking person to join us in Defence Digital. This is an exciting role, with lots to learn, but you’ll be working with a skilful team of people who will support and help you get off to a great start working in the UK’s MOD.  Whatever your background, you’ll be adaptable, motivated, collaborative and enjoy working at pace.

The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills, be organised, with effective and efficient administrative skills; and will adopt a positive and flexible approach to their work.

**Please note that due to security and information access restriction, the role is only open to a sole BRITISH national**

Person specification

It is key that the successful candidate is comfortable working directly with senior leaders, is able to prioritise effectively, plan ahead and develop good working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.  You’ll be comfortable communicating with people at all levels of the organisation, anticipating their needs and using your natural curiosity to look for efficiencies to help you, and your team, work better.  It is crucial, that you have confidence in dealing with confidential and discrete information.

Responsibilities:

• Provide a high level of diary support, actively handling the Directors calendar, making decisions on, and identifying priority meeting requests.
• Control a number of email inboxes, reviewing and highlighting priority emails but also responding and taking the lead on more regular enquires, either yourself, or directing to the relevant leads.
• Manage records accurately, maintaining an up to date filing system, ensuring records are stored in compliance with departmental policies and process. This will also include records such as annual leave, shared drives, travel claims and hospitality records.
• Prepare relevant papers and information for the Director including daily folders, meeting papers, submissions, and letters.
• Provide clerical support to high level meetings, preparing the relevant meeting materials for attendees, taking, and distributing minutes and maintaining action logs.
• Handling effective communications, ensuring leads have instructions and tasks, and maintain an overall situational awareness.
• Proactively look for and assimilate information from a variety of sources, collate papers and briefs for meetings, and use your own initiative to source relevant information, spot issues and raise them early.
• Manage the travel requirements of the Director and accommodation bookings as required.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support including taking minutes, shredding, printing, booking refreshments, booking, and escorting visitors.
• Provide secretarial support and administrative support to the Director’s Deputy Heads, including the management of diary and meeting requests, meeting room bookings and the booking in of visitors.

When submitting your application, you should highlight your experience in line with the below essential criteria:

• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Experience of working in a customer-focused environment and the ability to proactively respond to emerging issues, identify and communicate solutions and make effective decisions.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering to tight timelines, with the ability to quickly adapt to uncertainties and competing priorities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

We offer a generous total package to our employees which includes the following:

• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King's birthday
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• Employee Assistance Programme to support your well-being
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms
• Benefit Pension Scheme: Civil Service pension
• Please see Benefits link for more info: Civilian Discover My Benefits (mod.gov.uk)

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Professional Framework Statement  

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.  Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

Learning & Development

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
• Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD

Hybrid Working

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity.  Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office will also count towards this level of attendance.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the vacancy holder (see advert for contact details). The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

‘London locations may attract locational allowances. The ‘Inner London Weighting RRA Allowance’ is £3,250 per annum and the ‘Outer London Weighting RRA Allowance’ is £1,750 per annum.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.