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The Honours and Awards team sits within Public Bodies, Appointments, Honours and Awards (PBAHA). It leads the administration of Honours nominations across Arts & Media, Sport, Community & Voluntary Service and Public Service, and the King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS). 

The Honours system has two rounds per year: New Year and Birthday. The team delivers each element of the process according to the cycle, working closely with Cabinet Office, independent committees and senior Civil Servants.

The KAVS is an annual UK-wide award scheme which rewards exceptional contributions by local volunteer groups. It’s the equivalent of an MBE and is the highest award which a voluntary organisation can receive.

The team is a highly collaborative one, sharing workload during peak times to meet deadlines and quality expectations. Exact responsibilities may flex over time to ensure all team members have appropriate workloads. You will be joining a team of nine people, led by the Head of Honours and Award

We are looking for a highly organised individual who enjoys working in a structured, process driven environment. You should have the ability to summarise information from a variety of sources, as well as experience of stakeholder management and project planning.

Both Honours and KAVS require the efficient management of a rigorous, time bound and transparent process that involves close working with high-level internal and external stakeholders. These include the Royal Household, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants and the KAV’s National Assessment Committee - chaired by Sir Martyn Lewis CBE - and Honours Committees. 

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Administrative support for the Honours & Awards team, including inbox monitoring, data management, paying invoices, scheduling meetings and providing regular progress reports.
• Acting as a first point of contact for members of the public and His Majesty’s Lord- Lieutenants across the UK
• Logging and sifting public nominations in line with agreed criteria
• Drafting citations for award nominees
• Working with the Palace on Royal Garden Party invites
• Supporting internal and external promotional activity, including the internal DCMS intranet, social media and KAVS website

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential Requirements: 

• Strong planning, coordination and project management skills  
• Excellent organisational skills showing the ability to prioritise work in order to meet tight deadlines
• The ability to communicate professionally, confidently and effectively with people at all levels
• Good written communication skills, able to summarise information from a variety of sources
• Ability and willingness to work collaboratively and flexibly

Desirable Skills:

• Familiarity with Google Suite or a similar Cloud based system.
• Creating content and using social media in a personal or professional context.
• Previous experience working on similar Awards/Departmental Honours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home

• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice

• 3 days of paid volunteering leave

• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave

• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year

• Occupational sick pay

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice

• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work

• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!