Secretariat Support Officer

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.

Our Corporate Strategy sets out an ambitious approach to how we can become the best IP office and the Strategy Directorate plays an important role in helping the office to deliver this, through providing Secretariat and Committee support. The role of Secretariat is to assist the Chief Executive and Executive/Non-Executive Directors in ensuring the appropriate governance of the Office.

An integral part of the Secretariat team, the Secretariat Officer will assist the Head of Secretariat and Secretariat Manager to delivery for the IPO Board, Transformation Programme Board and Sub Committees of the Office, ensuring consistent quality of service.

The Secretariat Officer will assist the Secretariat Manager to commission papers, manage agendas, action logs and produce minutes for the Sub Committees of the Office. The Secretariat Officer will maintain a professional and proactive relationship with meeting Chairs, Executive and Non-Executive Directors, and other appropriate internal and external stakeholders. The Secretariat Officer will assist the Secretariat Manager and Head of Secretariat, ensuring efficient and effective decision making in the best place at the best time. This is a high profile, fast paced role where seeing the big picture and using that knowledge to make appropriate decisions is essential.

Working location

This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport office

The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.

The postholder will:

• Assist the Head of Secretariat and Secretariat Manager to provide governance support to the IPO Boards and Committees, ensuring that meetings are planned effectively, that papers are commissioned and prepared and a forward plan of work is maintained.
• Manage agendas, actions, minutes and papers in line with the forward plan of work and meeting terms of reference. Ensuring papers presented are to the required quality and have director approval.
• Produce meeting minutes, ensuring they accurately and appropriately summarise discussions, decisions and actions, adhering to minute writing styles and standards.
• Ensure the Secretariat inbox is managed ensuring all correspondence is addressed within appropriate timescales.
• Build and maintain professional and proactive relationships with meeting Chairs, Executive and Non-Executive Directors, and other appropriate internal and external stakeholders
• Assist the work of the wider Strategy directorate, helping to deliver against objectives

Benefits:

• A very generous pension scheme with 27.1% employer contributions.
• 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave;
• The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups
• A variety of support functions including our excellent Staff Counselling Service which is a source of support for all staff at the IPO
• A flexible working scheme which has no core hours and excellent opportunities for home, part-time and term-time working;
• Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments
• Excellent development opportunities;
• Opportunities for secondments, both internal and external;
• Opportunities to join many civil-service clubs such as the Sports and Social Association, Motoring Club (CSMA), which provide numerous discounts to members

When working at Concept House, Newport the following benefits are also available:

• Free car parking is available on site;
• On-site facilities including gymnasium, shop, restaurant

Please note that benefits may be subject to change.