Business Manager and Private Sectary to the Director General

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. The Department works with businesses, consumers, regulators and partners across government to create the conditions for a strong and competitive economy.

The Domestic and International Markets and Export (DIME) Group within BIST plays a vital role in advising, supporting, and promoting UK businesses to grow and export, delivering economic growth through our services and policy interventions across the UK and overseas.

The DG DIME Private office is a small and agile team of 3, led by the Head of Private Office and supported by a wider operational team. The office supports two Director Generals who work in a job share.

Working in Private Office is really rewarding and a fun place to work, but you will need to be resilient to the challenges that arise. To be successful, you must be able to build networks across all levels and communicate effectively in writing and verbally. You will be empowered to make decisions and so must demonstrate excellent judgement in the face of uncertainty, competing views and demands. This is an exciting and stretching role with significant developmental opportunities.

As the Business Manager and Private Secretary to the Director Generals, you will play a central role in supporting the effective running of the DG DIME Private Office.

Working closely with the Director Generals’ Head of Private Office, Assistant Private Secretary, and operational team. You will develop an understanding of the Director Generals’ priorities, so you are able to advise on key decisions and communicate these effectively. You will work closely with the Director Generals’ Senior Leadership Team to ensure the Director Generals are using their time in the most effective and focused way.

You will own the Director Generals’ diary, manage conflicts autonomously and horizon scan so upcoming challenges are managed in an effective and timely manner.

You will also support coordination of cross-cutting activities and returns, ensuring alignment with wider departmental priorities.

Additionally, you will coordinate high-quality briefings, submissions and visit programmes, and ensure the Director Generals are prepared for meetings, travel and engagements. The postholder will need to exercise sound judgement, anticipate issues, resolve competing demands and maintain momentum across multiple workstreams.

The role will also provide strong operational and administrative support to the Director Generals, including managing travel and visit logistics, processing expenses, maintaining accurate records and filing systems, and responding to transparency and information requests in line with departmental requirements. The postholder will also develop a positive relationship with the Director Generals, building up trust through clear communication and developing a sufficient knowledge of their policy portfolio to give advice when required. The postholder will build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, represent the office professionally and handle sensitive communications with discretion. They will work creatively and collaboratively to unblock issues, support commissions from the Director Generals, horizon scan for risks and opportunities, and help ensure the Director Generals’ engagements are strategic, well planned and aligned to DIME priorities.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually on MS Teams. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how your experience and skills provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours, Experience and Strengths as well as a desk-based exercise.

This exercise will be to assess how you would deal with some of the scenarios we come across in private office. We'll provide you with this information 30 mins ahead of the interview and ask you to talk us through how you would prioritise and action the information.

We aim to follow the below timelines for sift and interviews

• Sift – week commencing 14th September
• Interviews – week commencing 21th September

However, this is subject to change.

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has been renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK’s world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5-years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.