Vacancy -- Executive Assistant x4

'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.

The post holders will provide the Director with executive and operational support and advice enabling them to meet their objectives. The post holder will be an effective and efficient link between the Director and their staff.  The post holder will act as the initial point of contact for the Director with Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Ministers’ Private Offices, Permanent Secretary, Director General Offices, other Directors and Deputy Directors Offices, in addition to Senior Representatives of external stakeholder bodies.

The post holder will work closely with the Senior Executive Assistants, Executive Assistants and other Personal Assistants within the appropriate Group and attend networking events and meetings. 

The post holder will take full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Director’s office which will include:

• Acting as the initial point of contact for the Director with Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Ministers’ Private Offices, Permanent Secretary, Director General Offices, Directors and Deputy Directors Offices, in addition to Senior Representatives of external stakeholder bodies.
• Managing own and Director’s emails and telephone calls, managing the majority of onward work distribution without recourse to the Director and prioritising those which the Director needs to deal with personally. 
• If appropriate - Acting as Project Co-ordinator for Director
• If appropriate - Supporting Director on workforce planning
• Drafting letters and minutes on behalf of the Director and responding to correspondence and invitations.
• Organising all internal and external meetings for the Director ensuring that all relevant briefings are prepared in advance, making all associated travel arrangements within Wales, UK and overseas.   Create/assist with preparation of presentations using PowerPoint for delivery at conferences for internal and external audiences.
• Providing secretariat function, setting agendas, preparing papers, taking the minutes, and following up on actions at the Management meetings and any other meetings as required. 
• Managing discrete projects such as VIP visits and hospitality.
• Commissioning any briefing/information/responses required by the Director and quality assure draft replies/briefings before submitting to the Director.
• Operating an efficient and effective task management system to ensure that all deadlines for the Director’s outgoing and incoming business are met. 
• Liaising with Government Business teams on the co-ordination of responses particularly Freedom of Information requests, Written Assembly Questions and Oral Assembly Questions for approval by the Director.
• Managing and completing the Director’s travel and subsistence claims in a timely manner and managing the Government Procurement Barclaycard system. 
• Managing the Corporate Commission returns for the Division, eg Business Plan, Departmental Gifts and Hospitality, Overseas Register, Complaints Register, Conflicts of Interest, Business Continuity, etc.
• Handling and dealing with confidential information in relation to the HR dashboard, public appointment posts, staffing issues, performance management, sickness returns etc. 
• Establish and manage systems and procedures, including the use of Microsoft Teams, iShare and One Drive, to ensure the effective management and organisation of incoming business priorities.
• Maintaining an effective electronic filing system for audit trail purposes including iShare.
• Acting as a role model and working as part of a team with the Senior Executive Assistant, Executive Assistants and other Personal Assistants in the Group providing cover as required.
• Attending regular Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant meetings and PEARLS events.  PEARLS stands for Personal Executive Assistant Recruitment Leadership and Support, and is the network that the Welsh Government has for the PA Profession.

The post offers an opportunity to develop organisational and communication skills in a high profile area involving interacting with a wide range of stakeholders at very senior level, inside (appropriate Department), across the Welsh Government and also with our external stakeholders.  He/She will become a member of the team of EA/PAs within (appropriate Group) and become a member of the PA Group Profession.

30/11/2022, 16:00

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

The Welsh Government has adopted the social definition of disability, in which it is recognised that barriers in society act to disable people who have impairments or health conditions, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language. We are committed to removing barriers so that all (or potential new) staff can perform at their best.

We guarantee to interview any disabled person who meets the minimum criteria for the post. By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean that you must provide us with evidence, at each stage of the assessment process before interview, which demonstrates you generally meet the job description requirements. We are committed to the employment and career development of disabled people.

If you have an impairment or health condition, if you are neurodivergent or use British Sign Language and need to discuss reasonable adjustments for any part of this recruitment process, or wish to discuss how we will put in place any adjustments if you were to be successful, please email sharedservicehelpdesk@gov.wales as soon as possible and a member of the team will contact you to discuss requirements and any questions you may have.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

• Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
• For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.