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Assistant Private Secretary

Job details
Posting date: 09 May 2025
Salary: £38,138 to £39,994 per year
Hours: Full time
Closing date: 25 May 2025
Location: Darlington
Company: Government Recruitment Service
Job type: Permanent
Job reference: 403584/1

Summary

This is a great opportunity for a proactive individual who is a confident communicator to work in a busy office with colleagues from across the UK and overseas.

The Director General (DG) for Domestic and International Markets and Exports (DIME) is responsible for advising, supporting and promoting British business to grow and export. DG DIME is structured as a job-share between Joanna Crellin and Isobel Stephen. DIME teams are based across the UK and Overseas. We have several hubs in England, Scotland, NI and Wales as well as 9 overseas regions each headed by an HM Trade Commissioner (HMTCs).

DIME leads for DBT leads on making the UK a great place to start and scale a business, and is responsible for developing the Small Business Strategy, one of the Department’s top ministerial priorities. The Group is also responsible for driving national exporting performance, supporting businesses in every corner of the UK to sell their products and services overseas, leads the delivery of DBT’s export and investment support across the English Regions as well as the delivery of DBT’s export and investment support across DBT Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We also work closely with the wider diplomatic network, through our HMTC teams based in countries in their region, in a joined-up and coordinated government effort overseas to promote UK trade and prosperity. 


As the DG’s Private Secretary, you will work closely, as part of the DG Private Office team, with the Director General’s Executive Leadership Team, DBT Private Office network and teams within the DG Group, to deliver on the DG and Ministerial priorities. Alongside the Senior Private Secretary and Business Manager, the successful candidate will be able to effectively manage multiple workstreams to maintain a quality service for the Director.

As Private Secretary, you will be responsible for owning a significant portfolio of work within the DIME group. Specific responsibilities will include:

  • Work with the Executive Leadership Team to support an efficient leadership operation that reinforces the DG’s objectives.
  • Understand, articulate, and progress the Director General’s priorities, working creatively to solve problems and unblock barriers to progress, working effectively with colleagues across DIME and DBT at senior and working level, including Ministerial offices. 
  • Ensure high quality of briefings, submissions and visit programmes at pace. 
  • Alongside the Senior Private Secretary, lead on commissions that come from the Director General. Coordinate with teams to agree and negotiate required outcomes.
  • Build relationships with and energise colleagues from a range of teams through understanding individual team’s needs and objectives. 
  • Keep the Director General informed of issues within your portfolio, building relationships with the relevant teams and horizon scanning for potential risks and opportunities.
  • Task managing the Business Manager and working with them to ensure the Director General’s engagements are strategic and managed effectively.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.