About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a Government Executive Agency, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Our core objective is to deliver economic confidence. We are the government agency that provides services to those affected by financial distress or failure. We play a vital part in promoting long-term economic growth by dealing with financial failure and giving confidence to lend.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots. 

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.  

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.

Here at the Insolvency Service we are committed to protecting and enhancing the environment both locally and globally. The Agency has recently established its Environmental Policy and Sustainability Strategy, and the Sustainability Team is growing to ensure that we can deliver the objectives and targets that we have committed to therein.

We have identified six thematic areas that we as an agency are to address to drive our sustainability commitments: namely carbon and energy management, waste and resource management, biodiversity and nature recovery, sustainable procurement, a sustainable workforce, and transport.

As the Sustainable Operations Lead, you will provide support and promote opportunities to achieve the agency's sustainability objectives, and those of wider government.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the agency's new Sustainability Team. Reporting to the Environmental and Sustainability Manager in the Commercial, Finance, Sustainability and Property Directorate, you will help to embed sustainability principles across the agency and its property portfolio. 

Responsibilities

• Support the Sustainability Team in the delivery of the objectives and targets of the agency’s Sustainability Strategy and Framework.
• Support the implementation of a new Environmental and Health & Safety management system aligned to International Standards (ISO14001, ISO45001),
• Support the delivery of operational building level environmental and energy audits
• Work in collaboration with the Head of Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability Manager to develop initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of the agency's estate
• Analyse and benchmark energy and environmental performance data.
• Help to promote the staff environmental champions network to support more specific communities of practice across the agency.
• Assist with the development of information and promotional materials

Person specification

You will need to have:

• Analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written
• The ability to stimulate and manage change
• Project management skills
• The ability to establish effective networks both within and outside the organisation
• A knowledge and enthusiasm for sustainability.
• The ability to grasp complex and dynamic legislation

Essential Criteria:

You will: 

• Have knowledge of sustainability related statutory, regulatory frameworks and legislative or policy requirements
• Be able to lead key senior stakeholders, colleagues and suppliers towards sustainable solutions that support the Agency's Sustainability Framework.
• A good understanding of the property lifecycle and Facilities Management
• A desire to work with internal and external stakeholders.
• Be working toward GPP Core Accreditation at Chartered, Certified or Fellow grade (RICS, IWFM, CIOB, CEng, CEnv, RTPI, RIBA)

Home office: Any listed Insolvency Service location. Travel to other locations may be required, e.g. for team or client meetings.

Desirable:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in an environmental or sustainability related discipline.
• Experience of sustainable estates management.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,842, Insolvency Service contributes £7,787 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 and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500 word personal statement and Behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Your personal statement needs to be no more than 500 words. With reference to your CV, please explain why you have the experience, skills and/or qualifications required to undertake this role. Please make particular reference to the criteria in the personal specification. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview. 

We will test your experience as part of the sift process; if successful you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours and strengths. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed. 

Expected Timeline (subject to change) 

Sift – w/c 05 February 2024 

Interview – w/c 12 February 2024 

Location - MS Teams

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

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency 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

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

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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 

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

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 insolvencyrecruitment.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 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.