Want to make an impact at the very highest levels? Welcome to the Chief of Staff Office, where we work directly with the Chief Executive and Executive Directors. It’s here that you’ll play a vital role in the smooth-running of the CEO’s Private Office, supporting on everything from VIP visits to finding better ways of working. No matter if you’re a school-leaver, career-changer, or looking to enhance your current skills, you’ll discover work with purpose here – and all kinds of opportunities to carve out a stellar career with us.

But who are we?
At FCDO Services (formerly known as FCO Services), we work with government-level customers to protect the UK’s interests at home and overseas. We do that through a wide range of services, all delivered to the highest security standards, including construction, digital solutions, communications, logistics, and counter-eavesdropping. And in everything we do, we always keep our customer promise: to be reliable, responsive, and build relationships.

So what will you do?
As our Apprentice Business Administrator, you’ll work closely with the CEO, Private Secretary and Assistant Private Secretaries, supporting on whatever is needed. It means we’ll turn to you for lots of different things, all of them crucial to helping us run a tight ship. For starters, there’s the general office management and day-to-day admin support, keeping everything moving swiftly and efficiently. As part of this, you’ll make sure we’re taking full advantage of IT applications such as Microsoft Teams or OneNote. If you spot room for improvement in how we work, tell us – and we’ll listen.

Other days, you might be supporting high-level Ministerial meetings, or drafting correspondence on behalf of the CEO. In fact, with your keen attention to detail, you’ll be responsible for managing all correspondence sent to the CEO: prioritising, annotating and forwarding items for review by the Private Office team. Alongside all this, you’ll also get involved in planning VIP visits to our offices at King Charles Street and Hanslope Park, and providing logistical support for any ad hoc projects.

With this apprenticeship, you’ll not only get a grounding in the strategic direction of FCDO Services, but see first-hand where your own career could take you. If you succeed, you’ll come away with both a Level 3 apprenticeship qualification – and the chance to land a permanent role in the team. In short, you’ll find a role where you’ll build your skills and widen your options – all with the benefits of a career in the Civil Service. So we think it’s fair to say that by joining us, your future just got bigger.

What we look for
This apprenticeship is open to everyone, but you must:

• Be a British Citizen who’s lived in the UK for the last three years before the first day of your apprenticeship (usually September of the year you’re applying)
• Be at least 16 years old by mid June 2021
• Have at least two GCSEs (or equivalent e.g. O Levels, Functional Skills Level 2) in Maths and English at grades 9-4 (A*-C)
• Be able to plan and manage your own workload
• Be proficient using the Microsoft Office suite – Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Have good communication skills, able to work collaboratively as part of a team
• Be genuinely interested in business administration

If you already have a qualification at the same or a higher level, you may not be able to apply unless the apprenticeship qualification provides learning and skills that are materially different to what you’ve studied before.

It takes a diverse team to protect a diverse world.
The vital work we do takes an incredible community of colleagues, with different skills, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We support every individual, so that you always know you’re welcome and valued. It’s what makes us a Disability Confident employer. And a Stonewall Diversity Champion. And Employers for Carers. And it’s how you know you’re joining an inspiring, inclusive organisation.

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

IMPORTANT: For further information on these roles and the assessment and interview dates, please download the Candidate Information Pack x 2 and Role Profile highlighted below.

FCDO Services are regulated by the Civil Service Commission.