Head of Board Secretariat / Deputy Command Secretary, PJHQ
Private
Mr B Hutton
Via E-Mail:
Dear Barry,
Your correspondence dated 8th June has been considered to be a request for information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.
Job Descriptions:
Head of Board Secretariat / Deputy Command Secretary, PJHQ
Attached, at annex ‘A,’ is the job description for the posts ofHead of Boards Secretariat and Deputy Command Secretary, PJHQ.
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Annex ‘A’
HEAD OF BOARDS SECRETARIAT
GRADE:SCS Pay Band 1
LOCATION:MainBuilding, London
ELIGIBILITY: Open to substantive members of the SCS at Pay Band 1 level, though military officers at 1* level will also be considered in the event that no civil servant of sufficient quality is available.
BACKGROUND: The post was created in March 2008 to help support and strengthen the corporate leadership of the Department. It does so by:
-Providing co-ordinated secretariat support to the Defence Council, Defence Ministerial Committee, Defence Board, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Audit Committee, Defence Operating Board, and the ‘Gang of Four’ (PUS, CDS, VCDS and 2nd PUS);
-Running corporate support to the Top Office Group of Ministers, the G4 and CSA, including financial, HR, secretariat (PQs, FOIs, etc), information management, business processes, facilities and protocol.
-Leading work to improve the wider Department’s support to Ministers and senior leaders, for example in relation to secretariat skills and the ‘Working Better’ initiative.
RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The post holder manages a number of teams:
-The Boards Secretariat team, comprising 1x OF5, 1x OF4, 1x C1, 1x OF3 and 1x Sgt (to be replaced with a Band D in early 2011);
-The Business Management team and Ministerial Support Unit, comprising 1x C2, 1x D and 6x E1s;
-The Protocol and Operational VIP visits teams, comprising 1x B2, 2x C1 (one of whom is an augmentee), 1x OF4 and 1x C2.
They also work with PS/SofS and others on HR management across the Top Office Group.
In terms of Boards, the strategic goals are the effective management and co-ordination of their business so that the right decisions are taken at the right times. Continuous improvement of the communication of Board discussions and decisions is a major element of the post, as is improving how Board members work collectively together. The effective delivery of top level decision making on the SDR, and establishment and operation of any new senior governance structures, will be the focus over the next six months.
On corporate support to the Top Office Group, the immediate priority is to respond to the requirements of incoming Ministers in terms of the size, shape and cost of their Private Offices and wider support while continuing to contribute to Central TLB savings targets. A further period of re-organisation and business process change, led by the post-holder, is highly likely.
On wider Departmental work, a new programme to improve the way in which senior leaders are supported, to build on ‘Working Better’ will be needed in the autumn.
COMPETENCES / SKILLS / EXPERIENCE
People management – Level 2
Financial management – Level 1
Programme and project management – Level 1
Analysis and use of evidence – Level 2
Strategic thinking – Level 2
Communications and marketing – Level 2
In summary, the post holder will need to be able to command the respect of Ministers, senior officials and senior officers, and to lead an integrated civilian and military team in a demanding and pressurised environment. They must be prepared and able to lead, act and make decisions on their own authority. An understanding of internal communication techniques and previous experience of working in a Private Office would be desirable.
LINE MANAGER
PUS is the post holder’s line manager.
Deputy Command Secretary - PJHQ
POST: Deputy Command Secretary - PJHQ
GRADE:SCS Pay Band 1
LOCATION: PJHQ, Northwood.
Main Duties
The post holder will work to Command Secretary PJHQ. The Deputy Command Secretary (DCS) will have specific responsibility for the smooth running of all aspects of the Top Level Budget (TLB), which includes the PJHQ Headquarters, and the Permanent Joint Overseas Bases (PJOBs) - Gibraltar, Cyprus, BIOT and those in the South Atlantic. Responsibilities cover the full range of finance, secretariat, HR and other roles.
The post holder will be responsible for 6 teams: the Secretariat team that look after the PJOBs, the TLB Finance team, the TLB Commercial team, HR Business Partner, the Plans/Corporate Governance team and the Customer Estate Organisation.
Direct line management responsibility for 4 x B2s, 1 xOF 5, 1 x OF 4.
Key responsibilities
1. Secretariat Leadership of the PJOB Team
Ensure that the policy aspects of the PJOBs are fully reflected in the conduct of PJHQ business and in engagement with MOD and the FCO. Responsible for all aspects of Ministerial business affecting the TLB (from the Headquarters in Northwood to the PJOBs). The DCS will be expected to maintain close working relationships with the policy staffs in Head Office and the relevant FCO staffs. In addition, they will be expected to sustain close links with the Secretariat teams working to ACOS J9
2. Finance
Responsible for all aspects of the TLB finance function, and for the overall functional financial health of the all TLB outputs. Responsibilities include managing the in-year finances, preparing for and successfully delivering PR11, and ensuring that the accounts and technical financial returns are completed to the Centre’s satisfaction. The DCS will be expected to ensure that all of Command Secretary’s responsibilities as Senior Finance Officer are properly and fully discharged, and provide support – as her deputy - in ensuring the financial health of the organisation. The DCS will be expected to drive business improvements in the PJOBs, and the broader TLB change programmes.
3. HR Business Partner
Responsible for the HR Business Partner team and, through them, the staffs overseas, ensuring that Command Secretary’s responsibilities as Senior Civilian Workforce Adviser are discharged. The DCS will ensure that the issues thrown up by the Employee Engagement surveys are addressed within a context dominated by the Grimstone Review and the prospect of continuing workforce reductions. The post-holder will also take the TLB lead on Equality and diversity.
4. Commercial
Responsible for the TLB commercial team, with specific responsibility for contracting in the PJOBs, and overall responsibility for the health of the commercial function in CJO TLB. This will include ensuring that the commercial strategies employed overseas are satisfactory, and that the skills of the commercial staffs are developed to improve performance in line with the wider work set in hand by DCD.
5. Customer Estate Organisation
Responsible for the CESTO team who plan and organise PJOB estate work, ranging from day to day Facilities Maintenance work, under the current ISP contracts, to the larger projects – runway rebuilding, working and technical infrastructure and housing.
6. Plans and Corporate Governance
Responsible for the team who deliver the full range of Business Planning (including Management Planning), Corporate Governance (including Assurance and TLB Fraud Focal Point) responsibilities. Also responsible for the smooth functioning of the TLB Audit Committee.