Head of Private Office


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£58,478 - £64,743
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Nottingham
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	19 Aug 2026
Closing date:	14 Sept 2026

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Summary

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.

Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

Striving for excellence - We always aim to deliver great results
Empowering through respect - We insist on fair treatment for all, always
Acting with integrity - We consistently do the right thing
Succeeding together - We rely on each other to achieve success

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

To act as the strategic engine and trusted advisor to the Director and the guardian of the Directorate’s delivery. You are responsible for ensuring the Director’s priorities are driven forward, integrating business operations, advising on sensitive issues and ensuring consistent join up across the wider business ensuring digital tools are optimised across the organisation. This role requires you to provide independent advice, challenge assumptions and manage the interface between the director, their executive team and external stakeholders.

We are looking for an experienced Business Integrator who understands how a complex organisation functions and how digital tools can support these functions. You will bring broad experience in operations, strategy and finance to act as the Director’s Critical Friend.

This is a recruitment for multiple vacancies across our directorates - Strategy, Investment, capital projects, Workplace Services, finance and COO. Upon appointment, successful candidates will be mapped to the role that best aligns with their individual skills, experience, and professional strengths. See the attached overview of our GPA structure and how the CEO Business Support function connects across our Directorates.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic advice and decision support

Act as a sounding board and independent challenger to the Director. You are expected to "provide input and challenge" on complex issues, testing the Director's thinking before ideas are presented to ExCo or the Board.
Provide "high-quality, timely, and accurate advice" on sensitive issues. You must anticipate how the Director's decisions will land with Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and the CEO, navigating conflicting views and priorities on the Director's behalf.
Operate with the trust of the Director. You will attend meetings and make decisions in their absence, ensuring the Directorate’s momentum is maintained without the Director needing to be in every room.
Responsible for briefing the director on problems before they become crises, working with other heads of office to solve issues laterally.
You will implement consistent and contemporary data collaboration tools across the directorate to facilitate agile cross directorate collaboration.

Strategic Alignment

Understand, articulate and drive forward GPA priorities within the Directorate. Ensuring the strategic priorities are clearly translated into the Directorate’s plans.
You act as the "bridge," preventing the Directorate from operating in a silo.
Act as the final quality gate for all submissions and papers. You ensure they meet the corporate standards.
Maintain a 6-12 month forward look, anticipating emerging risks or cross-cutting issues that the Director and CEO’s office needs to be aware of, and briefing the team proactively.

Functional Leadership & Standards

Implement the private office standards within your Directorate. This includes enforcing consistent processes for commissioning, correspondence, and reporting to ensure that the directorate operates with organisational and management excellence
Work with the CEO’s Chief of Staff to manage resources across the wider function. If another area is under pressure, you facilitate the "flexing" of your office’s resources to support the wider agency.
Lead the professional development of the Directorate’s support staff, ensuring the SEO and EOs have clear development plans and ensure staff are proactive.

Operational Delivery & Digital Optimisation

Drive forward and improve the standard agility behind information gathering and report writing through the agency’s Digital Ecosystem within the Directorate. You ensure the Director and the support teams are utilising consistent and agreed AI tools, shared CRMs, and automated trackers to drive efficiency.
Oversee the Directorate’s operational machinery, including budget management, workforce planning, and gift/hospitality compliance, ensuring full adherence to central governance.
Leading any special projects, the Director may wish for you to undertake on their behalf.
Actively participate in business planning on behalf of the Director.

Stakeholder Management & Decision Making

Act as the primary point of communication between the director and the wider agency, ensuring information moves smoothly and accurately.
Represent the Director in internal working groups and with senior stakeholders. You are empowered to make decisions within parameters agreed with the Director.
Actively collaborate with other Heads of Office to resolve friction between Directorates without needing to escalate to the Directors.

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