Business Support Lead

Posting date:	22 September 2025
Salary:	£34,765 to £41,375 per year
Additional salary information:	National - £34,765 - £37,080 London - £38,795 - £41,375 For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading 'Salary'.
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	01 October 2025
Location:	Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	428060/6

Summary

The Business Support Lead is a varied role in which you will provide comprehensive line management to a team of dedicated Executive Assistant (EA) resource, that supports Defra group Finance (DgF) Directors and Deputy Directors. You will also work directly with the Chief of Staff to develop and implement the Defra group Finance Workforce Strategy including building capability across DgF and supporting elements of the recruitment process.

You will be responsible for supporting and developing the EA’s to ensure they have the right skills and capabilities to deliver a first-class service to the DgF senior leadership team.

You will be responsible for engaging with various Leadership Teams, G6 Line Management community and Building Capability Champions to identify workforce skills gaps. You will support the Chief of Staff in pulling together this information, along with insights from the annual People Survey and other sources of customer feedback, to recommend appropriate Learning & Development (L&D) priorities and interventions. You will then work with suppliers to deliver a fit for purpose, affordable L&D service offering. You will ensure that capability development is reflected in business plans and leadership discussion, and raise awareness of the Learning Platform and other available training.

You will work with the Chief of Staff and Team Leaders to coordinate recruitment requests and ensure maintenance and continuous improvement of the self service recruitment playbook, and Joiners, Movers and Leavers process. The Post holder will also work with the Chief of Staff and Leadership Team to ensure that the Fast Stream Process is utilised effectively and that a robust Managed Moves process is developed and coordinated.

Key responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

Line Management of Executive Assistants (EA's)

• Standard line management duties of 8 (EA’s) (including recruitment, performance management, coaching, sickness absence, learning and development and professional development such as Business Administration Apprenticeships).
• Ensuring the team are deployed effectively to support members of the Finance leadership team.
• Ensure compliance across DgF EAs in relation to organisational charts, FTE numbers, distribution list and business continuity.

Supporting Strategic Workforce Planning - Capability Development, people Survey and Plan

• Engage with Senior Leadership team, the transformation landscape and suppliers to understand specific skills required to successfully run the finance function. Develop and implement a L&D plan that reflects this.
• Collate and facilitate analysis of annual people survey results and suggest improvement actions in line with the Workforce Strategy and People Plan.
• Plan and deliver building capability activities and projects along with analysis of success criteria.

Managing Learning & Development (L&D) service offer and budget

• In-year monitoring, analysis and management of the DgF L&D budget to ensure expenditure is aligned to Group L&D priorities and ensuring it achieves value for money.
• Monitoring and analysis of L&D Key Performance Indicators and ensuring risks and issues are tracked and monitored and escalated where appropriate.
• Working with Building Capability Champions to identify L&D trends (internal and external) and L&D interventions which support delivery of the workforce strategy.
• Work with the Assistant Private Secretary to develop and implement an L&D communications plan that ensures DgF colleagues are signposted to learning opportunities (including mandatory learning requirements).
• Management of applications for Professional Body Accreditations.
• Maintaining communications with relevant L&D providers and financial bodies.

Recruitment

• Lead on maintenance and improvement of the recruitment self-service playbook and Joiners, Movers and Leavers process.
• Work with the Chief of Staff to co-ordinate recruitment requests for approval.
• Work with the Chief of Staff to develop and manage a managed moves process.
• Manage the Fast Stream process and associated record keeping.
• Engage with Senior Leadership team, Finance Leadership Team and Strategic Workforce Plan to understand workforce gaps and future requirements for Fast Streamers.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About 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.