Independent service. Not affiliated with the Civil Service, Cabinet Office or GOV.UK. Official Civil Service Jobs site

civilservicejobs.app

Senior Executive Officer (SEO) jobs in the Civil Service

Mid-level management roles that often manage teams and projects, and may draft briefings for ministers.

Free tools:Find jobs that match your CV Check your CV for the Civil Service

Watch: every grade explained, with live pay · 1 min 49 s. Plays from YouTube when you press play. Watch on YouTube

From live adverts · 11 October 2026

231 live adverts right now, typically paying £46,000 to £50,300 (median £47,500). About 42% say they offer hybrid working.

Recruiting most

Ministry of Defence32
HM Revenue and Customs14
Cabinet Office12
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory8
Department for Work and Pensions7
HM Land Registry7

Where the jobs are

Most common job types

Behaviours most often assessed

Communicating and Influencing75%
Making Effective Decisions60%
Delivering at Pace53%
Working Together42%
Managing a Quality Service31%

Counts are adverts, not vacancies. Pay uses the midpoint of each advert's range and includes London and national roles. Read from public adverts by automated tools; always check the official advert.

Pay at SEO

Below the Senior Civil Service, each department and agency sets its own pay ranges within a framework the government sets each year, so SEO pay varies by department and often between London and national roles. The salary is always stated in the advert.

Behaviours expected at SEO

These are the behaviours most often assessed in current SEO adverts, with what the official Civil Service Behaviours framework expects for HEO and SEO roles:

Communicating and Influencing (75% of adverts)

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging way; give communication a clear purpose suited to the audience; share information and check understanding; deliver important messages respectfully.

Making Effective Decisions (60% of adverts)

Understand your level of responsibility and empower others to decide; use credible internal and external information; invite challenge; make difficult decisions confidently, even if unpopular; give strong, timely recommendations.

Delivering at Pace (53% of adverts)

Keep the team focused on top priorities; follow procedures while enabling innovation; monitor progress against milestones; reassess workloads promptly when demands conflict; give people space while keeping overall responsibility.

Working Together (42% of adverts)

Encourage joined-up teamwork within and across groups; build stakeholder relationships; develop genuine team spirit; put wellbeing support in place; seek input from diverse perspectives.

See all nine Civil Service behaviours and how they're assessed.

Applying at SEO

Adverts set out the essential criteria and which Success Profiles elements will be assessed. Many ask for examples of the behaviours listed. Our guides on personal statements and interview questions explain how to prepare.

Sources

Independent information, not official advice. Pay, grades and rules vary by department and change over time, so always check the official job advert.