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Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary for Government Communications

Government of The United Kingdom, City of Westminster

Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary for Government Communications

£81000-£117800

Government of The United Kingdom, City of Westminster

  • Full time
  • Permanent
  • Onsite working

Posted today, 28 Apr | Get your application in now to be one of the first to apply.

Closing date: Closing date not specified

Job ref: 27788e84b2184cdf8e74558d6af1510d

Location ref: City of Westminster

Full Job Description

  • Increasing the reach and impact of communications from government by shifting to an audience-first approach that connects citizens with what government is doing for them.
  • Modernising Government Communications with a new brand and channel strategy, increased digital capability, and greater collaboration across departments.
  • Strengthening leadership, accountability and performance across Government Communications.
    • The Principal Private Secretary will be instrumental in helping David to achieve these objectives. You will lead and develop our Private Office team, providing expert support to both the Permanent Secretary and the Director General for Government Communications. You will be the principal adviser to the Permanent Secretary and work closely with senior leaders and ministerial teams, both within Cabinet Office and across Whitehall, to deliver our transformation.,
  • Strategic leadership and advice: Serve as the principal strategic adviser to the Permanent Secretary, providing candid, well-judged advice on priorities, risks, opportunities and decisions. Ensure the Permanent Secretary's time and energy are focused where he will have the greatest impact.
  • Private Office leadership: provide inspiring, empowering leadership to the Private Office team - setting high standards, supporting professional development, managing performance and maintaining team resilience in a demanding environment. Be an active and visible leader within the central GCS team and with your peers in Permanent Secretary offices across Whitehall.
  • Governance and delivery: ensure the Permanent Secretary and Director General are supported by robust systems, high-quality briefings and effective governance arrangements. Maintain rigorous oversight of correspondence, submissions and the preparation of ministerial and senior official engagements.
  • Driving the transformation agenda: work closely with the Director General, Strategy Development Unit and senior leaders to ensure the Permanent Secretary's modernisation ambitions are translated into clear plans and that progress is tracked and reported effectively. Identify blockages early and take proactive steps to resolve them.
  • Senior stakeholder engagement: build and maintain trusted relationships with the most senior leaders across Cabinet Office, Whitehall and the wider government communications community. Represent the Permanent Secretary's office in key forums, broker alignment where there are competing priorities, and ensure strategic coherence across a complex stakeholder landscape.

    The successful candidate will be a strong leader, able to motivate and instil confidence with clear thinking, strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. You will develop a strong network of contacts across Whitehall and beyond, and draw on that network to secure the necessary advice, buy-in and quick decision-making to support a high performance, private office delivery team.
    • Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme Disability Confident About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to .

    Government Communications is undergoing its most significant transformation in a generation. The Permanent Secretary for Government Communications - a role created in November 2025 - is leading a radical modernisation of how the Government speaks to citizens, working with Civil Service leaders to drive a fundamental shift in how Government plans, delivers and evaluates communications., Government Communications is the professional body for communicators across the UK Government. With over 6,000 communicators working across ministerial departments, agencies and arm's-length bodies, we are one of the largest and most influential communications organisations. To find out more about what we do, go to https://www.communications.gov.uk/ This is an exceptional opportunity for a senior leader who wants to work at the very heart of an ambitious transformation programme. As Principal Private Secretary, you will be the Permanent Secretary's most trusted adviser and a key contributor to our modernisation agenda. You will lead a small, high-performing Private Office team and act as a strategic partner to both the Permanent Secretary and the Director General for Government Communications. You will operate with significant autonomy, exercise fine judgement on the most sensitive and complex issues, and engage credibly and confidently with the most senior leaders across the Civil Service - including the Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service, directors of Communications and ministerial teams across government.

Direct job link

https://www.jobs24.co.uk/job/principal-private-secretary-to-the-permanent-secretary-126755075

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Government of The United Kingdom

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