Portfolio Support Manager

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

About the job

Job summary

About us

Digital is the currency not just of the present, but of the future. This role therefore represents an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced, varied role with broad visibility and personal profile across the department’s cutting edge digital, data and technology (DDaT) directorate. 

The DDaT Private Office sits within Business Operations and combined into one sub-team together with Policy & Strategy. 

This is an opportunity to be part of an exciting, friendly and high-profile team. Having recently grown in number to reflect the priorities of an enlarged directorate delivering against core DBT missions, including to drive improved efficiency and productivity through innovation, this is an exciting opportunity to help shape a new role in an evolving team. 

We are responsible for supporting the Senior Leadership Team to oversee, engage and inspire their portfolios. 

Job description

About the role

You will be responsible for a wide range of tasks centred around two functions. Firstly, working to support the Deputy Directors of Data and Technology in setting clear, strategic direction. Secondly, managing x2 Executive Officers (EOs) in their roles delivering administrative support, including by overseeing team resilience and development.

Main responsibilities 

You will be:

• Coordinating portfolio-level input for cross-directorate activities to Business Planning, team meetings and reporting updates. Also includes compiling and narrating cross-portfolio input for commissions; e.g. briefing, presentation, Freedom of Information (FoI) and Parliamentary Questions.
• Helping to organise and join-up teams within and across portfolios by working collaboratively and actively building networks, including proactively keeping abreast of new developments (e.g. wider departmental impacts)
• Establishing a high-level understanding across portfolio activities, priorities and challenges so that you can represent portfolio interests at cross-cutting meetings and act as a First-Point-Of-Contact, Front Door into the portfolios.
• Managing a sub-team of x2 EOs in their roles delivering administrative support, including by overseeing team resilience, development and HR requirements.
• Ad hoc administrative assistance for the Senior Leadership Team to balance day-to-day demands, including providing resilience cover during EOs’ holiday absence.

Person specification

It is essential that you: 

• Be a strong communicator with an ability to build a high-level knowledge of data and technology portfolio priorities and delivery milestones to inform and coordinate commissions.
• Be highly organised in uncertain contexts with an eye for detail and an ability to work at pace; calmly coordinating effective delivery even during the busiest times.
• An ability to identify and handle potential risks, understanding when to tackle issues directly and when to escalate, and demonstrating sound judgement in your advice to colleagues and Chiefs (Deputy Directors).
• An ability to build excellent collaborative working relationships across the Directorate; issuing clear instruction and helping teams to balance commissions against routine delivery objectives.
• An ability to prioritise and co-ordinate reactive work with longer-term proactive assignments.

It is desirable that you have: 

• Experience of Task or Line Managing
• Previous experience working in a strategy or coordination role.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk
• Email : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

Read Full Description