Join FCDO Services and you’ll find a team who work together to protect people all over the world. We do that by providing a range of services – logistics to construction; IT to engineering – for UK government customers, and friendly foreign governments too. It means building embassies; providing governments with secure Wi-Fi; delivering diplomatic goods across continents; translating for leaders – and much more besides. On any given day, we’re working on all kinds of vital projects for government bodies worldwide.

Naturally, that means life is fast-paced – especially for our Chief Executive Officer. As our new Assistant Private Secretary, you’ll become the right-hand person to the CEO. You’ll be their go to for everything – from accompanying them to high-level meetings and business trips to advising them on key policies.

High security – and high impact

Ultimately, this role needs someone with extensive experience as an Assistant Private Secretary or a similar role. After all, you’ll be responsible for enabling the CEO’s ability to manage the decision-making process at the top of the organisation – decisions that will impact our government-level customers right around the world. What’s more, you’ll take on the management of a junior colleague, inspiring them with your capability, setting out best practice, and showing them how to take on their role with confidence.

Having already worked in a role like this, offering bespoke support to executives, you’ll be comfortable with our global scale, managing priorities and scheduling across continents and time zones. Whatever your background, nothing will faze you: you’ll be a pro at taking minutes at director-level meetings, and have a professional, positive attitude – always delivering excellent results. No matter the challenge, you’ll take every day in your stride, providing first-class secretarial support in a complex, sensitive and secure environment.

Bring experience and find responsibility

As the Assistant Private Secretary to our CEO, you’ll work alongside the rest of the Chief of Staff Directorate to ensure effective delivery of the CEO’s priorities. You’ll be in an incredibly visible position, working as a direct point of contact for everyone, from the most senior colleagues to external stakeholders across government.

Plus, you’ll be responsible for drafting the CEO’s weekly communications, ensuring key messages are clearly presented and issued on time. You’ll manage high-profile relationships on their behalf, having effective management of their administrative workload. You’ll even deputise for the Private Secretary and Head of Secretariat when they are absent, ensuring full oversight of all issues covered by the office. With that in mind, you’ve got to be a born communicator. So, whether it’s conversation or correspondence, you’re clear, accurate and persuasive in everything you do.

Provide accuracy that enables leadership

You’ve got an eye for detail, a head for translating policies, and you’re brilliant at taking information on board. That’s all vital, since you’ll hold a lot of responsibility and, by proxy, influence. So, you’ll be flexible, adaptable and approachable, with a knack for quickly picking up whatever’s needed of you – and what you don’t already know, you’ll be willing to learn.

You’ll listen to complex data and conversations, treat it all with confidentiality, and have the ability to process and relay information in a succinct and professional manner. And you’ll confidently manage any ad-hoc projects too, supporting in every way you can. It’s all part of how you’ll help us to uphold our customer promise: to be reliable, responsive and build relationships.

Support a business that protects people

Roles here pose incredible challenges. But because of that, it’s also the kind of opportunity you won’t find elsewhere: your work as the Assistant Private Secretary will support a organisation that protects people, information and government buildings worldwide. And alongside a range of benefits, including a Civil Service pension, you’ll find a sense of pride that’s hard to come by. In short, it’s your job bigger.

All our employees have to be security cleared before joining us, so you will need to undergo a vetting process if you’re successful in your application. This role would require you to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) clearance. You can find out more about vetting on our website.

London based posts attract a Location Allowance of £5,000 per annum.

FCDO Services are regulated by the Civil Service Commission.