About the job

Job summary

National Location: £25,976 £30,264

Outer London Location: £27,722 £32,505

Inner London Location: £29,737 £34,453

Minimum of 30 hours over 4 days

About the Organisation:

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for protecting every member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and other health threats.  

This role sits within UKHSA’s award winning Commercial Directorate, which played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Truly dynamic, our teams operate at significant pace in a commercially complex environment to procure a diverse range of goods and services in a highly competitive global market.    

UKHSA’s Commercial teams continue to play a central role in priority activity, supporting the response to health threats such as Mpox (Monkeypox) and Strep A as they occur, and ensuring a resilient infrastructure to secure the UK in the strongest position to protect the public from future threats to health.    

Location

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.* 

Job description

This position sits within the Commercial Operations, the team that are at the heart of ensuring that the Commercial function operates to the best of its ability.

The Commercial Management Support Officer will play an active role in supporting two workstreams (Standards and Change and Communication and Engagement), within the Commercial Management Office. Your primary responsibilities will include, but are not exclusive to:

Standards and Change

Key projects within Commercial are vital to ensuring that the Commercial Directorate improve their performance, which is regularly assessed and reported against Government Standards and the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework (CCIAF). This will include extensive stakeholder engagement, to capture and update evidence for the Cabinet Office portal to support UKHSA’s bid to develop their maturity rating. In collaboration with the Project Manager and Continuous Improvement Officer to develop and enhance process efficiencies to further develop UKHSA’s continuous improvement.

Working alongside the Project Leads and Programme Managers within the Commercial Control Tower to ensure they follow strict standardisation and where appropriate, signpost and support via the Standards and Change SharePoint.

When required, support the Change Management team as a secretariate, facilitating workshops, taking meeting notes and support the cadence of the People and Change Champion Network. Working alongside the Change Manager to monitor project success.

Communication and Engagement

Communication channels within Commercial are varied across different commissioning avenues, and therefore it is critical that all distribution lists, shared inboxes and data logs are relevant, up-to-date and managed efficiently. You will have a pro-active approach to initiating, managing and sharing accurate data collated from Commercial events and relevant communication channels.

You will be a key contact for all stakeholders both internally and externally, particularly in supporting team away days and conferences and therefore excellent communication skills are required. You will provide organisation and secretariat support including preparation of events, minute taking and providing accurate data to inform Senior Leadership Team decisions.

Responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Organise meetings and provide secretariat and project support including preparations of papers, minute taking and creating/updating action plans and high-level presentations to inform Senior Leadership Team decisions.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with internal and external stakeholders as and when required in an appropriate timely manner.
• Provide administrative support for team away days and conferences.
• Triage emails and queries from the business through centralised mailboxes.
• With support of the Project Lead’s, facilitate workshops, recording progress against the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework and Change Management Strategy.
• Support team members and signpost to the Commercial Standards and Change SharePoint, to support with standardised documentation and guidance.
• Manage the SharePoint hub and subsequent folders, ensuring version control and GDPR compliance.
• Support the Commercial Communication and Engagement Officer in management and sharing of accurate data collated from Commercial events and relevant communication channels.
• Maintain all Commercial distribution lists, ensuring these are relevant and up to date.
• Raise Purchase Orders (PO) as when required (training will be provided).
• Update UKHSA Members list via Microsoft Azure for Data Access Power BI & Insight (training will be provided).

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words. Please set this out in two clear statements:

The first will consist of a 250-word statement on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing at sift stage. If there is a large volume of candidates then we will be using the lead behaviour to longlist at sift.

This will be followed by a 500-word statement where you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description).

Essential:

• Experience of stakeholder engagement gained in either a project delivery, corporate function, policy, or other business area
• Ability to work independently on multiple tasks in a fast-paced/fast changing and sometimes ambiguous environment with a keen attention to detail.
• Good communication skills with the ability to build effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an understanding of the use of different channels and formats for different audiences.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to develop and implement effective administrative processes.
• Good analytical skills and the ability to interpret and present basic data.
• Strong capability in using Microsoft Office applications, specifically Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint.

Desirable:

• Capability in using Microsoft Azure for Data Access Power BI & Insight
• Awareness of planning, scheduling and working with relevant governance processes.
• Awareness of risk and issues management, quality management, change and continuous improvement including sharing best practice and lessons learned.

Benefits

Working for the UKHSA

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. This will be used in the sifting process and will be scored.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. 

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

We will be using the following behaviour as the lead behaviour at interview and sift stage:

• Communicating and Influencing

When assessing strengths, we want to find out whether you and the job role are a good fit. We will look at what you enjoy doing and what you do well and often. By ensuring that the role is the right fit for you, you are more likely to enjoy it and perform well.

For further information on the selection process, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 1st April 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews: TBD

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. 

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.