This is a brilliant opportunity to develop business administrative and project delivery skills, working across a variety of areas with different stakeholders.

You will spend the majority of your time on:

Business support and communications, including:

• Internal communications and events
• Supporting with stakeholder events and communications
• Inbox and diary management

Knowledge management, including:

• Managing the approach to storing, organising and naming documents consistently in the division
• Maintaining documentation on ways of working and processes
• Coordinating knowledge sharing across the programme and wider division

Governance, including:

• Helping to ensure that key programme documentation is up to date
• Coordinating reporting activity, including managing responses to adhoc requests for information
• Helping with board secretariat duties as needed

Recruitment, including:

• Assist with civil servant recruitment activities
• Assist with contingent labour recruitment activities as needed
• Assist with onboarding, induction and offboarding activities

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate that they meet the majority of this essential criteria:

• Is motivated and can manage a varied workload.
• Can work at pace and respond flexibly to emerging priorities or urgent tasks.
• Has the confidence to make recommendations and understand when to escalate and seek the views of others.
• Has great communication skills.
• Is agile in their approach to working.
• Enjoys working in a team and establishing good relationships with all around them.

Apprenticeship Eligibility Statement

This role includes completion of the Business Administrator Apprenticeship (Level 3). This apprenticeship will take twelve to eighteen months to complete (pro rata for part time) and will equip you with the opportunity to develop and make the most of your skills. You will be expected to maintain the commitment required to complete your training. 

To be eligible to apply for the apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria: 

• Must have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date.
• Not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time.
• Candidates need to make sure they do not have pre-existing qualifications at the same or higher level in a similar subject as the apprenticeship.
• Part of this apprenticeship is to complete a level 2 English and Maths functional skills qualification. If you have already achieved GCSEs in English and Maths at Level 4 (grade C) or above you will not need to complete functional skills.

Please note: This is a Level 3 Business Administrator qualification, please do not apply if:

• You already have the skills and knowledge that is covered in the contents of the apprenticeship standard.
• You have already worked in an administrative/business administration role, or your previous learning, and/or work experience covers the contents (Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours) of the apprenticeship standard.
• You have a degree in Business Management/Business Admin. 

At the enrolment state, the individual's eligibility will be checked by the training provider.  

If you are unsure of your eligibility, please review the content of the apprenticeship standard on the IFATE website: Business administrator / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, and assess whether your skills, previous learning and previous work experience has already covered much of this content. If it has, you’re unlikely to be eligible for the apprenticeship.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role. 

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.