About the job

Job summary

The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has always been at the front line of this endeavour. As such, the Home Office plays a vital role in the security and economic prosperity of the United Kingdom.

The mission of the Mission and Borders (M&B) Group is to guide the UK’s immigration, borders, asylum, and citizenship system, to ensure it is run in a coherent, end to end manner, providing great customer service and applying fair but firm controls, in line with ministerial objectives for the New Plan for Immigration.

To achieve our aims, we work closely with Customer Services (Visas and Immigration & Passport Office), Asylum and Protection and Borders and Enforcements Directorates as well as other partner organisations and government departments.

The M&B Group prides itself on being an open and supportive workplace. We actively embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity, to enable us to reflect the communities that we serve. We provide people with the opportunity to work at pace and deliver in stretching roles. As part of M&B Group you will learn a lot in your day-to-day work and benefit from a range of excellent wider learning and development opportunities.

This is an exciting role within the Organised Immigration Crime Unit (OICU). Established in March 2023, OICU a fast-growing Unit within the System Strategy and Design Directorate in the Migration and Borders Group.

The Unit is the single hub for strategy and policy on organised immigration crime (OIC) and provides clear direction and coherence on OIC matters within the Home Office and wider government. The OICU mission is to deliver innovative interventions to disrupt OIC, end to end, and break the business model of the organised crime groups that facilitate it.

This role is based in the Funding and Performance team. We are a small, friendly team (based at several locations nationally) with responsibility for overseeing a £74.1m portfolio of funding across two years to drive improved tackling of OIC across law enforcement and beyond. This is a high profile and fast-paced role, and the post holder will need to drive forward delivery in order to deliver OIC priorities.

Job description

We are currently recruiting for two Senior Executive Officer (SEO) - Assistant Programme Managers to be a part of the Organised Immigration Crime Unit (OICU). 

This role will give you great exposure to an area which has a lot of Ministerial focus and No.10 Priority, balancing political requirements with effective programme management skills. You will get the chance to grow your skills in financial analysis, benefits management, stakeholder engagement and broader programme management whilst dealing across a complex stakeholder landscape spanning the National Crime Agency, Policing, Border Force and beyond. You will be supported to undertake development opportunities and get involved in corporate activities, as well as wider relevant L&D and support for your own personal development.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Communications: Developing and maintaining communications with project managers, ministerial private offices, law enforcement and other stakeholders, building effective and collaborative relationships.
• Financial control: working with finance business partners and delivery leads to monitor in-year spend, managing risks and identifying future spending plans.
• Risk Management: Manage risks and issues, including those that are strategic and politically sensitive, ensuring regular reporting and escalation as appropriate to the Senior Civil Service, Ministers and No10.
• Benefits Management: Work with project leads to identify, track and deliver benefits from Project Invigor.
• Programme Performance: Proactively monitor programme progress and report on its overall progress through the governance framework. Support the G7 Programme and Delivery Leads by agreeing focus of governance meetings, draft Chair’s briefs and updates for senior managers and Ministers as required.
• Dependencies: Map programme dependencies and identify owners, build dependency management into the programme's governance cycle.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

Person specification

The post will require a self-starter with excellent people skills and high levels of independent initiative and tact. We are looking for a motivated professional with the intellectual skills to grasp the complexities and public pressure of the work that we do.

Previous experience of project or programme management is desirable, with a specific focus on financial skills and benefits management given the need to manage and influence work within delivery partners outside of the Home Office.

The jobholder will need to be able to adopt and maintain a flexible approach, as our work can be dynamic, with competing priorities requiring team members to reprioritise and change focus to support one another.

Essential criteria

- Proven track record working in Programme delivery, project delivery, consultancy or similar environments.

- Strong stakeholder management skills.

- The resilience to manage multiple projects concurrently, with the ability to work flexibly in a high profile, fast-moving and rapidly changing area of delivery. 

- Strong analytical skills with an eye for detail, able to interpret and digest detailed and complex information from wide-ranging sources and present it to differing audiences with clear recommendations.  

- Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable criteria

- Previous experience working in a high-profile, politically sensitive environment alongside Senior Officials and Ministers.

- Experience managing or supporting funding and/or managing the benefits of projects, programmes or operational delivery.

- Previous experience in the Migration and Borders System.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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 and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process candidates will be required to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability (of no more than 1250 words). In addition candidates will be required to provide evidence of the behaviours 'Seeing the Big Picture' and 'Changing and Improving' (Max 250 words per behaviour).

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

Your Statement of Suitability should be aligned to the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants

The sift will be on the Statement of Suitability and the behaviours 'Seeing the Big Picture' and 'Changing and Improving'.

In an event where a high volume of applications are received, an initial sift will take place using the lead behaviour 'Seeing the Big Picture'. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be either progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be tested on all Behaviours outlined in the job advertisement and Strength-based questions.

Sift and interview dates

The sift will take place week commencing 11th March 2024.

Interviews will take place week commencing 25th March 2024.

Interviews will take place remotely. Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Please note: DV clearance or a willingness to undergo DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role. Successful candidates will be permitted to start with SC whilst they undergo the DV clearance processes.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK. As stated in the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland recognise the birth right of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

A 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.  

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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 

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• 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. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

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

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.