Wales Office
Job Description for Various Roles
Job Title
Various Roles
Pay Grade
EO
Salary
£29,303 - £31,061 (National) / £33,551 - £35,564 (London)
Ty William Morgan, Cardiff, CF10 1EP / Gwydyr House, London, SW1A
Location
2NP
Multiple roles including permanent and 18 Month Fixed Term Contract
Contract
with possibility of extension or permanency. Loan from other Government
Departments also considered.
Clearance
CTC (See Additional Information)
About the Wales Office:
The Wales Office is the face of the UK Government in Wales and the voice of Wales in
Westminster. We support the Secretary of State for Wales and the Ministerial team in
representing Wales at the heart of Government. We work in partnership with other
Government Departments and other stakeholders to deliver a stronger Wales within a strong
United Kingdom.
Our departmental values are Commitment, Collaboration and Quality. These shape how we
operate in a challenging, demanding and fast paced environment which requires flexibility,
transparency and professionalism.
The Office is based over two sites, with one base in Cardiff and another in London. The roles
which are currently being advertised as part of this campaign are based in Cardiff as part of
our commitment to the Government’s Places for Growth programme. (Posts with a London
location may be offered where this is an essential requirement of the job role)
As an accredited smarter working organisation, we offer considerable flexibility around ‘the
way we work.’ We have an attractive employee benefits package which includes a
commitment to investing in the learning & development of our staff.
About our teams:
Our teams operate flexibly across a wide range of reserved and devolved policy areas,
working to identify opportunities to benefit Wales within emerging UK Government policy and
acting to identify issues and resolve challenges across governments and stakeholders. This
provides our staff with opportunities to gain experience across a range of areas.
Team members will often be called upon to provide briefing for Ministers or senior officials and
provide understanding and insight on the impact of current events on their policy areas.
Description:
We are recruiting for various roles at Executive Officer (EO) level, which may include:
• Policy
• Private Office (Ministerial and Special Adviser support teams)
• Ministerial events and visits
• Possibilities to work on new programmes such as ‘Brand Wales’ looking to increase
international trade and investment for our key sectors.
Additional posts may become available and therefore a reserve list will be held for 12 months
from which further appointments may be made.
Purpose of the Role:
The post holder will play an integral role working with key stakeholders across Whitehall,
Welsh Government and Wales, to progress the Secretary of State’s priorities. You will need
to work at pace to often challenging deadlines with an ability to draw together different sources
of information and make sense of it for busy Ministers. You will need to be proficient in keeping
abreast of the latest developments within Wales and throughout the rest of the UK.
As a small Department, whether you are based in Cardiff or London, you will have direct
access to the Ministerial and Special Adviser teams which makes working at the Wales Office
a unique and fulfilling place to begin or further your civil service career.
Key requirements & responsibilities could include:
• Providing high quality advice and written and oral briefings to the Secretary of State
(and Ministers.
• Replying to written correspondence from Parliamentarians, external groups, or
members of the public, for example, and supporting Ministers to prepare for
Parliamentary engagements, such as Welsh Affairs Committee appearances and
Welsh Orals sessions in the House of Commons.
• Planning, co-ordinating, and leading on high-quality events and visits for Ministers,
including the Secretary of State, to deliver policy and communication objectives.
• Identifying and recce-ing venues ahead of Ministerial visits and commissioning policy
and communications teams to develop accurate advice and engaging communications
plans.
• Accompanying Ministers around the UK (mainly Wales), ensuring they are
well supported and briefed.
• Working with other Government Departments across Whitehall, Welsh Government
and wider external stakeholders in Wales to ensure that Welsh interests are fully
reflected in UK Government policy.
• Researching key information to support Ministers, Special Advisers and Senior
Officials.
• Travel and some out of hours working may be required to provide support on Ministerial
visits or when attending stakeholder meetings.
The job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered
from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the
postholder.
Should you be offered a role from this campaign, a full job description will be provided.
Person Specification
In your Statement of Suitability, please evidence how closely you match the essential criteria
and where applicable, please confirm role preferences from those listed in this job advert.
Essential:
• Strong time management and organisational skills to deliver work independently to
tight deadlines, whilst keeping stakeholders updated on progress.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams and to establish effective
relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong time management and organisational skills to deliver work independently to
tight deadlines, whilst keeping stakeholders updated on progress.
• Flexible approach with an ability to solve problems, identify and
mitigate risks, and work collaboratively to overcome challenges.
• An understanding or experience of government, public sector, or corporate
communications.
Desirable:
• Practical experience of project management, digital communications, organising
events and visits, and working with stakeholders.
• Welsh Language skills.
• An understanding of Welsh devolution.
• Geographical knowledge of Wales.
Recruitment Process:
This campaign will be undertaken using the Civil Service Success Profile framework. You will
need to provide evidence in your application to cover the following behaviours:
• Managing a Quality Service (Lead Behaviour) (Application & Interview)
• Communicating and Influencing (Interview Only)
• Delivering at Pace (Interview Only)
• Working Together (Interview Only)
In the event of a high volume of applicants, we will sift only on the lead behaviour to create a
shortlist for interview.
Strengths may also be tested at interview, but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Information
The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Staff recruited to work at the Wales Office
will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf.
This role requires at least CTC level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance
(CTC) must be resident in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security
Clearance. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years),
you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
If you do not meet the above requirement, you may still be considered for the role if, for
example:
• You have been serving overseas with HM Armed Forces or in some other official
capacity as a representative of HM Government.
• You were studying abroad.
• You were living overseas with parents.