Business Support Diary Manager

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the UK's largest government department, supporting millions of citizens every day through critical public services. Within DWP, People and Place Group plays a vital role in ensuring the organisation attracts, develops and supports the talented people needed to deliver these services.

We are recruiting a Business Support Diary Manager to join our People and Place Group supporting senior leadership teams within People Services and Resourcing (PSR).

As a Business Support Diary Manager, you will be part of a high-performing Business Support team, where you will provide critical support to the Business Support Manager and two Deputy Directors within the PSR function.

The Business Support Diary Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth and efficient coordination of senior leaders’ time, priorities, and commitments. This role provides high-quality administrative and organisational support, managing complex diaries, scheduling meetings, and acting as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.

The postholder will use strong judgement, attention to detail, and forward planning skills to balance competing demands, anticipate scheduling pressures, and proactively resolve conflicts. They will ensure leaders are fully prepared for meetings through effective briefing coordination and will support wider business operations such as travel arrangements, event logistics, and general administration.

Working in a fast paced environment, the Business Support Diary Manager enables leaders to focus on strategic priorities by providing reliable, flexible, and professional support. The role requires excellent communication skills, discretion, and the ability to build strong working relationships across teams and organisational boundaries.

We are looking for a highly organised and proactive individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and takes pride in delivering an outstanding service.

Job description

The roles and responsibilities for the Business Support Diary Manager will include but not be limited to:

• Acting as a trusted point of contact, providing confident, professional support and helping them maximise the impact of their time and priorities
• Ability to work at pace, managing multiple priorities, demands and deadlines in a busy environment, demonstrating organisational and planning abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise confidently and professionally with senior leaders and a wide range of stakeholders ensuring discretion and sound judgement when handling sensitive information
• Problem‑solving approach, taking initiative to remove barriers, identify solutions, and support the smooth running of leadership activity
• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in diary entries, meeting logistics, and coordination of briefing materials
• Supporting planning and coordinating leadership meetings, events, engagement activities and wider business operations.
• Strong diary management skills, with proven experience coordinating complex, high‑volume schedules and adapting to rapidly changing priorities. Experience producing or coordinating briefings, agendas, or meeting packs. Knowledge of travel and event coordination, including logistics planning
• Strong proficiency in digital tools, such as Outlook, Teams, Excel, and other organisational or scheduling systems
• Team oriented mindset, working collaboratively and flexibly to support colleagues and wider business operations
• Understanding of large organisational structures, including navigating multiple teams and governance processes
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, simplify ways of working and enhance the effectiveness of the Business Support function.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Excellent Diary and Time Management Skills: Proven ability to manage complex and demanding diaries, prioritise competing requests, coordinate meetings, and ensure efficient use of senior leaders' time. [LEAD CRITERIA]

• Strong Organisational and Administrative Capability: Demonstrable experience in managing multiple tasks simultaneously, maintaining accurate records, and delivering high-quality administrative support in a fast-paced environment.

• Effective Communication and Stakeholder Management: Ability to build positive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels, handling enquiries professionally and communicating clearly both verbally and in writing.

• Planning, Prioritisation and Problem Solving: Ability to anticipate issues, respond to changing priorities, and use sound judgement to resolve scheduling conflicts and operational challenges with minimal supervision.

• Digital and IT Proficiency: Experience using Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel, to manage diaries, organise meetings, maintain information, and support business delivery.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Excellent Diary and Time Management Skills
• Delivering a Quality Service

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

• Excellent Diary and Time Management Skills

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,137, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £9,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually