Assistant Private Secretary

Energy policy is something that touches on every aspect of our lives – at home, at work and at play. Energy fuels our society and our economy. That’s why our policy work is so important, and so rewarding. It protects consumers. It enables businesses. It influences the entire energy industry. And it helps to bring about the seismic societal and infrastructure changes that will be the foundations for a Net Zero future.

Rising prices and security of supply are challenging all parts of the energy sector to consider how we can collectively ensure that this crucial foundation for our society remains accessible to all. And as well as the complexity of the here and now, we continue to look to the future – ensuring that energy policies support a shift away from fossil fuels and that new, renewable energy sources are identified and developed into viable alternatives. And we are challenging the wholesale energy market to do more to ensure more efficient pricing and a better deal for consumers.

Ofgem are recruiting for an Assistant Private Secretary to join the Chair and CEO’s Private Office, a small, high-performing team providing policy, logistical and administrative support to a member of the organisation’s senior leadership team.

The successful candidate will fulfil a critical role within the Private Office, supporting the Chair and CEO and their Private Secretaries by providing accurate and timely advice and briefing, as well as logistical and administrative support as required. You will work across the whole of the organisation to ensure that it delivers effectively and efficiently in line with the Chair and CEO’s priorities.

• Supporting the Private Secretaries and Head of Private Office in the smooth and effective running of the Private Office.
• Acting as an interface between the Chair and CEO and the wider Department, supporting the Private Secretaries in delivering their steers to teams and ensuring they are fully actioned.
• Being the first point of contact for discrete aspects of the Chair and CEO’s portfolio, developing relationships with relevant teams across the organisation to support your understanding of relevant policies and issues in the subject area.
• Developing productive working relationships with teams across the organisation, collaborating with colleagues across grades to assist them in delivering against the Chair and CEO’s asks.
• Leading on the implementation, monitoring and refinement of effective and efficient processes to ensure the organisation provides briefings and other information required by the Chair and CEO in a timely way to a high standard.
• Attending internal and external meetings with the Chair and CEO ensuring they are properly briefed and subsequently allocating actions arising to teams with clarity.
• Working flexibly to support the wider team and form effective relationships with other Private Offices to ensure consistency and a commitment to excellence across the PO function.

Flexible Resourcing

Ofgem operates a Flexible Resourcing model where you will have the opportunity to work flexibly across Ofgem supporting on a range of projects or may have a longer deployment within a team where you have in-demand specialist skills, knowledge, and expertise. We will support you to learn and develop the Policy & Strategy skills and knowledge you need to build your career.

Key Responsibilities and Outputs

Policy Development

• Responsible for supporting the Private Secretaries in the production of high quality, timely, and robust analysis of core issue/s and policy options resulting in evidence based recommendations.
• Ensuring the advice produced for the Chair and CEO is well-drafted, concise and action-oriented.
• Supporting the Private Secretaries in directing key workstreams and projects, including contributing to effective internal and external stakeholder engagement by prioritising, scoping and delivering work.

Stakeholder Management

• Effectively communicating the benefits, challenges and trade-offs of policy proposals to senior colleagues and partners.
• Ensuring delivery by effective collaboration across teams, supporting professions and other sources of evidence and expertise to understand and manage risks and issues.
• Responsible for representing Ofgem externally, building constructive and supportive relationships to ensure challenges and issues are identified and resolved in consumers interests.

Key Stakeholders

Internal

• Colleagues within Ofgem, including senior management, legal and other teams and professions.

External

• Effective interaction with energy companies, other industry stakeholders and government departments/nations/agencies.

Please note this role will involve significant and ongoing travel to London.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. (LEAD)

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills. (LEAD)

• Demonstrable interest and/ or experience in public policy/energy/net zero.

• Demonstrative experience in engaging with/managing multiple stakeholders.

• Ability to manage different work activities or workstreams to keep projects on track.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Please refer to the Candidate Pack and Role Profile attached for full details.

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; Hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but is in review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

Job contact :

Name :
Ashlene Doherty
Email :
recrutiment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk