Private Secretary

Job Title - Private Secretary
Business Area/Directorate - Ministerial Private Office
Location - St Andrews Office
Working Arrangement – There is an expectation for this role that you will provide regular in person support in St Andrews House, the Scottish Parliament and support the Cabinet Secretary on events both domestically and internationally. For this reason this post sits outwith the Scottish Government's standard hybrid working policy.
Grade - C1
Advert type -Temporary Promotion or Level Transfer
Duration - 12 months
Eligibility - Applications are welcomed from eligible colleagues in bands A-C for this vacancy.
Sponsorship: Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
Are you looking for a career move where you can work right at the centre of Government?
Ministerial Private Office (MPO) is one of the most unique and fascinating areas within the Scottish Government. We have an exciting opportunity for a C1 Private Secretary to join the Climate Action and Rural Affairs Private Office on a temporary basis. The role will involve working in a high profile and closely scrutinised environment with unparalleled access to Ministers, Special Advisers and a complex array of internal and external or stakeholders.
Ministerial Private Office skills and experience are highly sought after which will serve anyone well for their future career. Time spent in Ministerial Private Office will mean that you learn and understand the intricacies of Parliamentary and Cabinet business whilst observing decision making at its highest level in Government. You will lead a highly performing team to ensure that a first class service is delivered to the Cabinet Secretary and policy colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Operational leadership of a portfolio Private Office including management and countersigning responsibility for B Band and A Band team members.
• Being well prepared and informed to ensure successful management and delivery of all Cabinet Secretary business (with oversight of junior Ministerial Business), enabling Ministers to discharge their functions.
• Supporting the Cabinet Secretary on official engagements, meetings and visits by commissioning timely, accurate policy and operational advice and ensuring subsequent recording and follow up.
• Ensuring timely communication flow to ensure that the Cabinet Secretary’s views are accurately and sensitively communicated to SG policy colleagues.
• Managing internal and external stakeholder relationships with diplomacy and confidence, including delivery of regular outreach sessions to portfolio policy colleagues.
• Development and implementation of processes to ensure smooth functioning of the Private Office, alongside a continuous improvement approach with a particular focus on compliance and working flexibly within and across portfolio teams.

Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.
Experience:

• Strong leadership skills with ability to give honest, motivating messages about priorities, objectives and expectations.
• Ability to communicate difficult messages with clarity, persuasion and sensitivity.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to build and maintain a network of colleagues.
• Strong political acuity with an ability to analyse complex information and exercise careful judgement.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing – Level 4
• Working Together – Level 4
• Leadership – Level 4
• Delivering at Pace – Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role.
There is an expectation for this role that you will provide regular in person support in St Andrews House, the Scottish Parliament and support the Cabinet Secretary on events both domestically and internationally.For this reason this post sits outwith the Scottish Government's standard hybrid working policy.
You are eligible to claim overtime for any hours worked in excess of 35 per week.
If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
How to Apply
Please submit a CV and an Expression of Interest (maximum 750 words) outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team. Please align this to how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above.
Vacancies close at 23:59pm on Wednesday 14 October.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
If you have questions about your application please contact [email hidden]
Selection Process
All applicants will be invited to an informal discussion with the hiring manager. There will be no formal testing or assessment.
Discussions are expected to be scheduled for w/c 19 October 2026.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principlesand we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service observing the Civil Service Codeand working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Security checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Equality statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guidefor further information on our recruitment and application processes.
Apply before: 14/10/2026 (23:59). This role is open to internal candidates and common citizenship organisations only.