Influential Private Office Assistant to a Minister

Want to build influential relationships and help support the delivery of a Minister's priorities?

Please note there are x2 vacancies available.

We are looking for two highly organised and enthusiastic individuals to join a busy and high-profile Private Office, supporting the Advocate General at the heart of Government. This is a varied and fast-paced role that offers the opportunity to work closely with the Minister, balancing competing priorities while helping to identify and implement improvements to ways of working. Success in the role will require strong attention to detail, the ability to work independently and collaboratively, and confidence in building a sophisticated understanding of the stakeholders, organisations and issues relevant to the Advocate General's work.

You will play a key role in developing effective relationships and communicating with the Minister, senior officials across Government, including No.10, and a range of external stakeholders, enabling the office to anticipate and respond quickly to emerging issues.

The Advocate General is a UK Government Minister and Law Officer. She provides legal advice to Government departments on a wide range of issues, including human rights and constitutional matters. She is the Government’s principal legal adviser on Scots law and the Scottish devolution settlement. She is also a member of a Cabinet committee and undertakes parliamentary work on behalf of Government.

The Advocate General is based in Edinburgh, with regular visits to London.

In addition to supporting the Advocate General, the Office of the Advocate General (OAG) is the UK Government’s Scottish legal team. It has staff based in Dover House in Whitehall and Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh.

Private Office is an energetic, small but busy team with exposure to a wide variety of the most high-profile and interesting matters within Government. It is the interface between the Minister and her department, wider Government and external stakeholders. Private Office currently comprises a Senior Private Secretary and Assistant Private Secretary based in Whitehall, and two Assistant Private Secretaries based in Edinburgh.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the delivery of a professional and high-quality private office service to the Minister: leading on logistics for meetings and engagements; timely provision of information and briefings; support for meetings and engagements; making travel arrangements; effective and strategic diary management, including leading regular meetings with the Minister to coordinate the diary.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships across the department, wider Government, and external stakeholders, being assertive and confident in advocating and driving forward the Minister’s priorities as well as protecting and promoting her interests.
• Engage with the wider office and other departments to secure the timely provision of effective advice and support to the Minister.
• Lead on various portfolio areas in Private Office.
• Contribute to delivery of the wider responsibilities of Private Office as appropriate, including cover for the Senior Private Secretary.

Post holders will be based in Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh. The roles involve:

• Some travel to London, and occasional travel accompanying the Advocate General on visits to other parts of the UK or abroad.
• Some evening and weekend working, with a team rota for evening and weekend duty.
• In-person working when business needs require and in accordance with in office attendance policy.