About the job

Job summary

The responsibilities for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology for 2023 are as follows: 

• Positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement. 
• Driving innovations that change lives and sustain economic growth. 
• Delivering talent programmes, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support our economy, security and public services. 
• R&D funding. 

Our priorities are: 

Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world. 

Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent. 

Put our public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people. 

Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world. 

Deliver key legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI. 

Pass the remaining stages of the reformed Online Safety Bill to keep British people, especially children, safe online. 

Our Inclusive Environment 

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.  

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive. 

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process. 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation? 

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/   

Please note that DSIT are currently reviewing our terms and conditions and pay arrangements following Machinery of Government changes and as part of the outstanding August 2023 pay award.  Please be aware that there may be changes to the terms and conditions and pay ranges listed in this advert ahead of you starting in post. Any changes would be implemented in early 2024. 

Job description

An opportunity for three Senior Policy Advisors has arisen in the DSIT Technology Strategy and Security Team (TSS), which sits within the DSIT Technology & Innovative Regulation Directorate. TSS’s mission is to drive policy that helps translate UK science excellence into economic innovation, helping to grow the future sectors of our economy, from quantum to robotics to engineering biology. We operate as the DSIT centre of expertise on Deeptech and have recently expanded to include a new Technology Finance team, which has been set up to play a coordination, policy and sponsorship role, across DSIT, as well as working alongside the wider Whitehall A2F community and industry.

The successful candidates will be help deliver a coordinating function across the DSIT’s Access to Finance activity, covering Deeptech, Lifesciences and Digital, working closely with HMT, UKRI, DBT and IPO and acting as a front door for technology finance policy for other Whitehall actors, the finance community and DSIT’s key external stakeholders. By doing so you will build up a strong understanding of DSIT’s activities as a whole, and be able to provide insights into departmental activity, as well as horizon scan for gaps or opportunities.

The team also leads on policy sponsorship one of HMG investment mechanisms and will also undertake bespoke strategy and policy work where needed.

Successful candidates will need to be comfortable working closely with analysts to maintain a robust evidence base, develop and shape programme work where required. Stakeholder management, external engagement with key stakeholders and briefing will also form a key part of the role, with the ability to work collaboratively across the department, critical to successful delivery.

Given that these are new roles in a new team, the successful applicants will also need to be flexible as these roles may change over time.

Key Responsibilities

We have three roles in the team for Senior Policy Advisors:

2x Senior Policy Advisor, Technology Finance

Specific functions for both tech finance roles include:

• Forming part of a new DSIT team providing a coordinating function for access to finance (A2F) policy and acting as a front door for HMT, DBT, BBB and other X-Whitehall and external actors. This will require maintaining visibility of all DSITs A2F workstreams, and being able to provide timely briefing and responses to Ministerial/Senior Official requests.

• Developing high quality policy advice on technology access to finance policy, working across DSIT, UKRI and alongside analysts to commission and draw on robust evidence and analysis covering both equity and debt. This may involve proposing DSIT specific proposals or supporting DSIT teams to influence wider Whitehall activity covering issues such as barriers to investment into DeepTech or Lifesciences and the role of venture capital in scaling innovation, but could widen to include other horizontal issues such as patient capital, tax incentives and institutional investment.

• Working alongside DSIT colleagues to stakeholder manage the tech finance community, by building a network of formal and informal partnerships including VC’s, Angels and Pension Funds. Draw on feedback from and advocate for investment into DSIT’s sectors, allowing the Department to act as the voice of industry and facilitating closer engagement between investors and the research base, working alongside UKRI. Specific stakeholder responsibilities will be agreed once the team is established. Close collaboration with DSIT and other Whitehall colleagues will facilitate information sharing and minimise duplication.

• Work alongside deep tech sector teams to support access to finance work, responding to need as and when they arise and thinking through ways to address coordination or financing gaps in the science and technology ecosystem.

• Building relationships across Whitehall and with HMT, DBT and BBB to ensure that DSIT has sight of and feeds into relevant funding schemes and emerging SR bids. Provide support for any internal DSIT schemes supporting investment into science and technology.

• Representing DSIT at internal and external meetings and events. You may also be asked to support senior officials and ministers where needed.

1x Senior Policy Advisor, Technology Strategy

Specific functions for the Tech Strategy role may include:

• 
  Lead on the design and delivery of a Deep Tech pipeline function, generating an initial list of technologies for rapid scoping, working through the methods to do so including research, analysis, policy work and programmes as needed while drawing on expertise in and outside the department.
• 
  Work alongside other government departments including MOD, GO Science, UKRI and others to identify the next generation of deep technologies.
• 
  Working with the team leader, define and establish a new strategy function, planning the scope and focus of the team.
• 
  Deploy the strategy function to forecast and align Government activity with the cutting edge of technology development.
• 
  Build relationships with other strategy teams across Whitehall and in the department and take a lead on fiscal events (Spring Budget, Autumn Statement, Spending Reviews etc)
• 
  Represent DSIT at internal and external meetings and events

Person specification

The essential criteria for these roles are as follows:

• A background in science, technology, investment, business support or access to finance policy, including sector expertise in Deep Tech/Digital/Lifesciences

   OR

• Previous experience in a policy, strategy or economics function working for a government, consultancy, trade association, academia, industry, arms-length body or think tank.

• Strong all-round communication skills, including the ability to manage and draft high-quality briefing and brief seniors (verbally and in writing) on complex issues and interest and experience working with external stakeholders, including in person engagement.

• A collaborative approach to working with others and an ability to proactively facilitate collaboration across the Department and wider Whitehall.

• This is a fast paced and busy team. The ability to deliver at pace while keeping sight of the bigger picture is essential.

The desirable criteria for these roles are as follows:

• Experience building stakeholder relationships with a wide range of external partners or delivering a coordinating function across a large organisation.  

• Experience working with Ministers and Senior Officials.

The exact portfolio for these roles may change, and there is some flexibility to adapt its scope to support your ongoing professional development. There may also be a requirement to occasionally attend breakfast or evening events.

Benefits

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary Hybrid Working policy, which enables a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a number of behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 250 words) to explain why you are applying for this role and provide evidence which demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the requirements set out in the job description.

Candidates will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the CV. 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour questions 

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time. 

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 22/01/2024

Interview dates: w/c 29/01/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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. 

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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s 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.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.