About the job

Job summary

Are you an economist looking to undertake analysis that has real impact, develop your skills and build your own capability to further your career?

Do you want to be involved in fast paced and varied analytical work which has a direct impact on decisions made by senior leaders?

We are looking for enthusiastic, skilled and adaptable people. We provide comprehensive training, a collaborative, innovative environment that encourages continuous self and professional development.

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.  

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. 

Job description

The Research and Policy Analysis team is a small, multi-disciplined analytical team, whose outputs reach the highest levels of decision making in the Agency, offering the opportunity to take responsibility and lead high impact projects. The team leads on analysis at all stages of the policy cycle, which will include developing rationale for interventions, options appraisal, consultation support, impact assessments, evaluation, and post-implementation reviews. The team is also working on implementing the changes brought about by the updated better regulation framework.

The role will require strong analytical skills and will involve explaining complex issues to non-technical audiences. The broad range of work will mean the post holder will need to be adaptable and be keen to build experience and skills in new areas. Creativity and suggesting new ways of working is highly encouraged and supported within the team, allowing the successful candidate to bring their own unique perspective to the role.

Main Responsibilities 

• Report directly to the Head of Research & Policy Analysis.
• Lead and manage analytical projects, including impact assessments, across a variety of policy areas.
• Helping to implement the changes brought about by the updated Better regulation framework, including working towards options assessments.
• Work with non-analyst colleagues to bring analytical rigour to the whole process of designing an intervention.
• Communicate and promote the value of analysis.
• Provide analytical support and advice on projects, including communicating uncertainty and the robustness of the evidence base.
• Keep up to date with latest developments in government guidance; such as Magenta book, Aqua book, Green book and Better Regulation.

Person specification

You will have experience in:

• Analysis – Proven analytical experience in the policy cycle.
• Project Management – Ability to lead a project, adjust timescales and manage stakeholders.
• Communicating & influencing– Strong verbal and written communication skills, communicating outputs and uncertainty with non-technical audiences and showcasing the value of analysis to decision making.
• Providing economic advice –  Provide economic advice and theory to non-technical audiences, such as to determine a rationale for intervention.  

Essential 

Applicants must be a member of the Government Economic Service (GES), or be eligible to join the GES.
This means they will need to have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics. They also must have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,880, Insolvency Service contributes £11,307 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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete Behaviours and Technical skills. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour "Delivering at Pace". Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

We will test your Behaviour's and Technical skills as part of the sift process, if successful you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours and technical skills. 

Candidates selected for interview will be requested to provide a 10-minute presentation to assess their technical skills. The presentation title will be communicated to candidates in advance.

Candidates will be assessed against the GES Technical Framework 2022 at the SEO level

For further details on the GES Technical Framework 2022, please see the attached document.  

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 20 May 2024 

Interview – w/c 10 June 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. 

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 an 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.