About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a self-starting individual with excellent collaboration and communication skills to join the CSC and support the Corporate Services Manager and Business Manager as the Business Support Officer. If you have excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and a commitment to providing excellent corporate and financial services we want to hear from you.

This is an exciting opportunity to work across the breadth of government and make vital contributions to the effectiveness of the Civil Service. The Civil Service Commission works with senior civil servants, government departments and the Civil Service Commissioners to ensure the Civil Service operates within the standards set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (2018) and upholds the values set out in the Civil Service Code: honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality.

We are an expert, friendly and impactful team with a highly collaborative ethos. Our excellent staff survey results reflect the emphasis the team places on well being and providing stretching career development opportunities.

Job description

The Strategy, Finance and Corporate Services team is a small dynamic team providing a range of crucial business and operational support to the secretariat, Commissioners and other senior stakeholders, improving processes and ensuring compliance with finance and governance regulations.

Your focus will be on supporting our Finance Officer with payments to our Commissioners and other senior stakeholders, supporting our Corporate Services Manager and Business Manager in ensuring that Audit and Risk Committee meetings are well organised and run smoothly, assisting in recruitment and the onboarding of new team members and a wide variety of other corporate and financial tasks. You will play a critical role in helping to build and maintain capability levels within the team ensuring that they are able to deliver priorities for all three independent offices.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in improvement initiatives and working groups across the secretariat.

If you are passionate about delivering quality business support that enables the delivery of the Commission's , ACOBA's and OCPA's key priorities and objectives we would like to hear from you.

Person specification

Person specification:

• Working with the team to manage the Commission's finances, including timely and accurate payment of Commissioner expenses following Cabinet Office guidance, updating financial forecasts and assisting with the preparation of the end of year accounts.
• A key activity will be helping the Corporate Services Manager with the production of the Annual Report and Accounts from concept to laying in Parliament.
• Assisting with the organisation of the Commission's Audit and Risk Committee meetings and the Civil Service Commission's Board meetings.
• Supporting the other members of the team in implementing audit recommendations.
• Publishing updates on the CSC website, ensuring that the information on the website is accurate and up to date.
• Providing support with communications and event organising.
• Supporting the Corporate Services Manager with onboarding new starters and internal recruitment.
• Supporting the wider team as required.

Essential Criteria

• You will be comfortable working with figures and spreadsheets.
• You have strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with a range of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and personal resilience with the ability to balance multiple competing priorities, work with flexibility, often under pressure, ensuring that progress continues, and key stakeholders are kept informed.
• The ability to make judgements based on evidence within a framework of codes and guidance.
• Ability to contribute to a positive team culture, being an ambassador for ACOBA, OCPA and the Civil Service Commission Secretariat.
• You are comfortable using IT, including Microsoft, Outlook, Google Doc and Gmail.

• Additional information:

  A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,000, Cabinet Office contributes £8,640 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 and Strengths.

Selection Process
This vacancy is based in the Civil Service Success Profiles and your Behaviours and Strengths will be assessed. You will be required to provide evidence of the following four Behaviours in your application for the role:

1. Managing a Quality Service

2. Communicating and Influencing

3. Delivering at Pace

4. Making Effective Decisions

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, 'Managing a Quality Service'.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – w/c 15/4/2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 22/4/2024
Interview location - 1 Horse Guards Road, London

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

Any move to Cabinet 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 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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 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 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.

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. 

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.

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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.