CEO Private Secretary

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UK Research and Innovation

Salary: £43,116

Hours: Full time

Contract Type: Open Ended.

Location: Caxton House, London. The role can also be based at any UKRI site providing that you can commit to attending the London office (Caxton House) in person an average of 2 days per week

Job Overview

The UKRI Chief Executive Office (Private Office) directly supports the CEO - Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser - and enables an efficient two-way flow of information and ensure all areas of the organisation have access to the CEO when required. These are high profile, demanding positions at the very heart of the organisation, providing individuals with exposure right across UKRI, its scientific communities and Government partners. They play a critical role in UKRI's success and have a direct impact on the delivery of its key priorities.

As one of the CEO's Private Secretaries you will form a core part of this team . The exact nature of this role will vary according to business needs and may change over time, but currently you will lead on all aspects related to the smooth internal running of UKRI as well as several high-profile, cross-cutting areas of work. This includes the finance, HR, legal, operations and digital, data and tech remits. It also includes UKRI's work on commercialisation, place-based spend, life sciences, and our work on people, culture and talent - a top priority for the CEO. You will also lead on the CEO's relationships with a number of UKRI's councils and their Executive Chairs.

Across all areas in your portfolio, you will provide advice and challenge directly to both the CEO and UKRI's senior leaders. This is a varied and challenging role, which requires the post-holder to be able to build trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across academia, business, and Government. You will be expected to deliver at pace, communicate and collaborate effectively, and have a real attention to detail in order to ensure that the CEO and wider organisation are both well supported. You will need to demonstrate integrity as well as understand the need for, and exercise, discretion and confidentiality .

This role would suit someone looking to develop their career towards senior leadership roles in the future. It will provide you with outstanding exposure to, and opportunity to influence, strategic priorities and decision making at the most senior levels. You will be supported to develop in line with your aspirations wherever possible.

Key Responsibilities

• Acting as the key link between the CEO and teams across the organisation working in your area of responsibility.
• Leading on the CEOs relationship with multiple UKRI councils, supporting Executive Chair one-to-ones and wider engagements.
• Leading on cross-cutting UKRI priorities such as our people, culture, and talent agenda, driving forward the CEO's priorities and providing advice.
• Building strong and trusted working relationships with internal and external senior stakeholders across your portfolio.
• Maintaining a clear awareness of upcoming issues and decisions across your portfolio, making judgements as needed to ensure the CEO remains well sighted and engaged with, while heading off emerging problems as early as possible.
• Anticipating the CEO's needs to prepare strategic and timely briefing as needed.
• Leading preparations for several key UKRI leadership meetings, including setting agendas for senior discussion and driving forward actions.
• Concise and accurate note taking for internal and external meetings within your portfolio.
• Line management responsibilities as required to support the smooth running of the CEO team.
• Working flexibly as required to support colleagues across the team. Contributing to the overall functioning of an effective, efficient, and friendly Private Office.

This role requires an individual who:

• Is highly organised and able to work in fast-paced, uncertain environments;
• Has strong written and oral communication skills, able to communicate effectively with colleagues at all levels;
• Displays strong judgement, evaluating how and when to engage with and escalate issues; and
• Has strong diplomatic skills and emotional intelligence that can be drawn upon to provide advice, challenge, and deliver difficult messages whilst maintaining strong relationships;
• Displays discretion and tact when handling challenging and sensitive issues; and
• Is independently driven, capable of working with initiative, energy, and drive to deliver for the CEO.
• Is able to provide some light duty cover on weekends as part of the CEO office's weekend duty rota (averaging one weekend in four on a flexible basis).

Key Dimensions

Resources

• Plan and manage both your own and your team's workload to deliver your objectives
• Be prepared to provide or seek assistance from across other team members as required

Budget

• Budget areas and responsibilities are considered as part of the overall CEO office budget

Management

• Task management across the team as required

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent organi s ational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience developing trusted relationships senior stakeholders and ability to work effectively within a team
• Experience with horizon scanning and aligning workstreams with organisational priorities
• Ability to work under pressure, against competing priorities, and to tight deadlines

Desirable

• Experience working as a Private Secretary or in similar roles directly supporting senior decision makers
• Experience with any of the areas of finance, HR, legal, operations or digital, data and tech.
• Knowledge of the research and innovation policy, strategy, and funding landscape and/or wider political context.

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). .

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ' How we support EDI in the workforce '.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.