The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sits at the heart of the criminal justice system, working with partners to help keep the public safe. We deal with criminal cases at every level – including burglary, terrorism, domestic abuse and multi-million-pound fraud cases. We also work across borders to tackle cybercrime, human trafficking and drugs smuggling, and use our powers to confiscate the proceeds of crime at home and abroad.

Private Office is being restructured to ensure that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Director General Legal Delivery (DGLD) have the right support. As Assistant Private Secretary you lead a team supporting one of these principals. Using sound judgement, political awareness and strong stakeholder engagement, you ensure that their principal is well briefed, has effective diary management, is well supported, and is able to focus on strategic priorities. You report to the Head of Private Office and will work closely with the other Private Secretaries supporting and ensuring link up to the other two principals in the team.

You are also required to build strong and effective relationships internally (with corporate functions and in operational/legal roles) and externally (within Whitehall, particularly the AGO, and other operational partners). This will ensure accurate and timely information and advice is provided to the DPP, COO and/or DGLD, and ensure effective communication of their decisions, views, priorities, and objectives to the rest of the CPS. You support a service which ensure the DPP, COO, and DGLD remain visible and connected with CPS staff.

The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.

You must be aged 16 or over at the point of starting in this role. The expected start date is approximately 8–12 weeks after the application closing date. Candidates are expected to commence employment as soon as possible following the expiry of their notice period. Requests for significantly later start dates may not be accommodated.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Please note there will be some travel to accompany senior leaders on visits or meetings.

If you’re a current Crown Prosecution Service employee, you remain based at your permanent office location throughout the post. You’re expected to travel to the temporary office at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period – travel and subsistence may be applicable. If you have any questions, please contact Daisy.gabriel1@cps.gov.uk

Job description

Your roles and responsibilities:

to provide high‑quality strategic advice and be alert to activities or emerging issues with the principal’s portfolio, to support to drive forward the principal’s priorities.

to coordinate and prioritise the workflow into and out of the principal’s inbox, ensuring timely and appropriate action.

build effective relationships across the CPS, government departments and external organisations to maintain awareness of the wider operating context.

build and maintain strong working relationships with internal teams and external partners to ensure flow of information to/from Private Office and ensure the principal has the information needed to make robust decisions or interventions.

to ensure high quality briefings, documentation and administrative support, involving the right people, identifying risks, and resolving issues efficiently to ensure the principal is fully prepared for meetings and visits.

lead and develop direct reports, setting clear objectives and managing performance, attendance and welfare.

to proactively manage and coordinate the principal’s time and resource, working closely with diary secretaries and Assistant Private Secretaries to maintain a coherent forward look and highlight pressure points.

Person specification

To be eligible to apply, you need to:

have an understanding of working with senior officials and/or Ministers

It is desirable that you have the below experience but this is not required to apply:

building and maintaining productive relationships and effective networks with stakeholders across a department and externally.

Behaviours

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

Managing a Quality Service

Delivering at Pace

Communicating and Influencing

Seeing the Big Picture

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

Managing a Quality Service

Delivering at Pace

Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,615, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £10,897 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme