About the job

Job summary

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers with a vision to be a world-leading provider of public sector valuations. As one of the largest employers of surveyors in the country, our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.

We champion the values of professionalism, integrity, respect and innovation. We are committed to providing a collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages every colleague to contribute, grow and excel together. With opportunities to drive your own development and growth, we empower our colleagues to succeed by ensuring support at every step of their career journey.

Job description

Agricultural Principal Valuer – Role Overview

The role sits within the District Valuer Services (DVS), part of Chief Valuer Group (CVG).

DVS is the business stream tasked with providing a range of statutory and non-statutory functions. These are: 

• Provision of advice on valuations and apportionments for national taxation purposes.
• Provision of valuations and property advice for Other Public Bodies (OPBs) to support their implementation of a wide range of regulatory and legislative functions.
• The delivery of government policies and estate strategies in situations where there is a property requirement related to the exercising of a public function and or public money is involved.
• This majority of the work is untied and undertaken on a contractual ‘earned funding’ full cost recovery charging basis. Some is fix funded.

This technical surveying role is based within the National Taxation sector. The National Taxation team provide valuations and advice for National Taxation purposes on behalf of HMRC.

You will report directly to the National Taxation Sector Head. This exciting opportunity will include leading and delivering high-profile complex casework for taxation purposes.

With a range of national complex agricultural casework to manage, you will provide technical guidance to clients and undertake case reviews with team members advising on valuations and sharing technical knowledge.          

Agricultural Principal Valuer – Key responsibilities

• Deal with a large complex portfolio of work requiring extensive agricultural experience of valuations for taxation purposes.
• Maintain and apply an advanced level of agricultural valuation surveying knowledge to casework activity, reviewing high profile or complex valuations and project management. 
• Provide technical guidance and support to colleagues working on agricultural casework.
• Valuation of agricultural property for IHT casework is a key part of the role. The role requires the ability to advise caseworkers, Team Leaders and Unit Head plus HMRC, our client, on the correct application of these valuable reliefs in the context of the facts of the case.
• Manage all associated communication and engagement with stakeholders including DVS’ clients, taxpayers and their agents and collaborating with all internal stakeholders across DVS.
• Ensure the quality standards of recording of charging data are adhered to and undertake Quality Assurance audits on sample of cases ensuring timeliness standards.
• Manage the professional development of colleagues via coaching and mentoring and support individual colleagues within the team to ensure delivery of improved business results.
• Develop and maintain the ability to operate in a number of roles including acting as an expert witness with appearance before the tribunals, representing the VOA in Alternative Dispute Resolution cases and providing support to caseworkers acting in those roles.
• Undertake 100-day reviews and provide guidance / case progression advice to caseworkers and team leaders.
• Contribute to the successful delivery of team timeliness results on national taxation (HMRC) to meet or exceed SLA and KPI targets.

Person specification

We are seeking a candidate with advanced agricultural surveying knowledge, with a strong understanding of relevant legislation and case law relating to agricultural valuations for taxation purposes. The successful candidate will possess exceptional negotiation skills in complex and challenging valuation cases, applying technical expertise and capability. This role will require the candidate to have strong organisational skills with the ability to build strong, credible relationships, engaging with and influencing, stakeholders at all levels.

Essential Requirements

• Qualification requirement of full RICS Professional membership (MRICS or FRICS).
• Full membership Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) or a willingness to work towards this.
• Full knowledge and understanding of Agricultural and Business property reliefs (APR & BPR) from Inheritance Tax, and how they are applied in practice to a huge variety of scenarios.
• Experience in UK agriculture and rural property market with a good background knowledge of farming systems in the UK regions, prepared to keep up to date with current farming developments. This includes thorough knowledge of the various agricultural tenancy codes and land occupation arrangements.
• Effectively manage communication and engagement with a range of stakeholders.
• The ability to understand and challenge the needs of the client in the exercise of delivery of high value/complex work.
• The ability to coach, support and provide feedback to individuals in order to improve their performance and achieve their potential.
• Identify, escalate, and mitigate/manage risks and issues appropriately, ensuring that these are raised at the right level to improve customer satisfaction and taxpayer experience.
• Possess an awareness of the wider political, economic, social, technical, environmental, and legislative agendas that impact agricultural valuations.
• Full UK driving licence is required.
• The successful candidate will be expected to travel and spend time in other VOA locations in connection with their role. This may include overnight stay and so a willingness to travel is essential.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,631, Valuation Office Agency contributes £14,750 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

If you can meet our person requirements above, we are keen to hear from you.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

A CV setting out your Job History, Full Qualifications, Previous skills and experiences.

A Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words) please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the ‘Essential Criteria’ outlined in the advert when providing your answer.

Sift - 26/07/24

We will assess you on your CV and Personal Statement.

Should there be a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be made on CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Interviews - 12/08/24  - Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change. These will be confirmed should you be invited to interview.

Interviews are currently taking place using Microsoft Teams Video. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview. 

We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description and Strengths, technical questions and a presentation.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

Presentation 

You will also be required to conduct a 10 minute presentation, this will be used to assess your technical knowledge. Information on the presentation topic will be provided to you if you are shortlisted for interview.

Application Hints and Tips

For more information on Success Profiles, tips on how to write a successful application and find out more about what’s involved in the application process please visit About the application process , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Further Information

Internally this job will be referred to as G7 Agricultural Complex Caseworker for National Taxation.

As part of the application process you will be asked to tell us which of the locations available you can work in. You will be able to specify up to 3 options. Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only.

Successful candidates must select one of the locations noted in this advert as their base office and will be expected to undertake regular travel to this location under the Agency’s hybrid working policy.

A full UK Driving Licence is essential to this role. However, if you are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 and do not hold a full driving licence, we will consider your application. Please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk with your details to discuss this further.

Any move to VOA 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

The VOA is an office-based organisation that supports flexible working. By default, everyone in the VOA is a hybrid worker with options to work in the office, at home or out and about, depending on the work they’re doing that day and where it’s best done.

VOA employees only:  If you are currently in receipt of DTA as a result of a VOA office closure/restructure and it is agreed for you to take up this role in your current location, you may continue to receive DTA for the remainder of the period you can claim for.  Please check with the Vacancy Holder on preferred locations for this role before you apply.

Pre-employment Checks

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland: If location is in England will be DBS, Scotland will be Disclosure Scotland) 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk  

If you would require a Certificate of Sponsorship from the VOA to undertake this role, please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk before submitting your application.

Reasonable Adjustment

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, please click here for more information:

Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk) and contact voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.

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

Terms & Conditions

Voluntary terms apply.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 6-month reserve list as standard. 

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

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

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

Concerns/Complaints

The Valuation Office Agency’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address: resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.

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.