About the job

Job summary

Do you enjoy working with Data?

Are you passionate about providing technical support to your colleagues?

Do you want to contribute to keeping people safe in their workplace?

If so, this could be the job you are looking for...

You will be part of a Compliance Reporting & Quality Assurance Team within Defra Group Property (DgP), who provides fit for purpose and value-added estates and Facilities Management (FM) services to the Defra Group. Working with a wide range of data sources including, databases, portals & audits you will be responsible for supporting the Senior Compliance Managers and wider team members to monitor, test and report on all aspects of Supplier Performance across a multi-million-pound FM contracts. Contracts in support of estates services (e.g., Facilities Management and Estates Asset Management Services) are primarily outsourced, with the DgP team providing the Intelligent Client Function both strategically and operationally to its Customers & Stakeholders. There are some 308 premises or holdings across the estate, including offices, laboratories, and Land. Your work will also provide support to the FM Work Experience Teams ensuring they are accurately informed on the standards of FM service delivery by the service provider across the estate. You will maintain excellent relationships with Informed customer and Service provider counterparts.

Job description

The successful candidate will champion and in collaboration with the service provider be accountable for developing options and strategies relating to benefits realisation, continuous improvement plans, and programme of customer survey delivery. You will provide business management services to Defra Group Property, ensuring GDPR compliant handling and management of a centrally managed Estate and FM Services focused data intelligence and Management Information (MI) repository. Inclusive of developing and delivering intelligence-based M.I and data reporting systems regime.

You will build an excellent knowledge of your own work area and establish a working level knowledge of the other functional delivery areas, building relationships to ensure the team is operating to strategic principals, current legislation, and best practice. You will be a team player who is able to work on their own initiative, constantly aiming to provide a better service. This role will also work closely and collaboratively with customers and stakeholders to provide Management Information (MI), and guidance to the facilities operational units to ensure that our buildings are safe, secure, legally compliant and have minimal environmental impact.

You will also be accountable for providing technical support to DgP colleagues as required and for providing MI and data which helps the development of DgP related policy and processes. Quality of services delivered to customers is a key deliverable for Defra group Property and made clear to our Customers and Stakeholders. This will include supporting the coordination, alignment and associated data analysis relating to the delivery of Supplier and Intelligent Client Function (ICF) internal auditing regimes.

Person specification

• With suppliers agree a regular programme/frequency of meetings to measure and review delivery of benefits realisation, continuous improvement and customer survey plans and strategies
• They will focus on future supplier and customer service improvement, delivering excellent stakeholder management skills and building good relationships
• Through data analysis identify key trends relevant to current service delivery standards inclusive of capturing and reporting on successes, identifying customer concerns, areas for improvement and taking actions to address these
• Monthly meetings with service providers, informed customers, and subject matter experts (SME’s) as required
• Ensuring data accuracy that is capable of presentation at National, Agency, Regional and site/service specific levels as required
• Source and coordinate all relevant and required data capture, and management processes
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for effective data handling and exchange
• Development and maintenance of a catalogue of Process Maps and Flow charts
• Ensure best practices are followed when storing, organising, cleaning, and mining data are applied
• Design and build of data dashboards or other analytical products to communicate complex analysis
• Support and contribute to the production of an annual Quality Assurance report

Essential skills and experience

• Experience of technical data interpretation. Data Analytics and CAFM systems, Excel, Power-Bi, Maximo or similar
• Excellent written, IT based presentational and verbal communication skills
• Experience of working within a FM/Estates focused service delivery, business support team or external service provider environment
• Good team player
• Excellent customer service and relationship management skills. Including strategic supplier and Customer relationship management. Which includes practical experience of Customer Satisfaction Survey techniques and continuous improvement methodologies
• Data Handling, Storage, Management, systems, process and GDPR conventions
• Product & Systems Design & Development
• Delivering efficiencies and Continuous improvement through national contracts
• Providing professional / technical expertise to support operational priorities in line with legislation and organisational policies and goals

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,648 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, Ability and Experience.

Online tests

After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test and Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. 

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests and application is 23:55 on 1 February 2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 1 February 2024. 

While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible. 

It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet. 

Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits. Click https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reasonable-adjustments-for-online-tests-a-candidate-guide for test guidance.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behaviour statements of up to 250 words.

In your personal statement please demonstrate what skills and experience you have that are required for this role, as detailed in the person specification (500 word max).

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sifting will take place w/c 5 February 2024.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your behaviours and strengths.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interviews to be held via video link.

Interviews are scheduled to take place w/c 19 February 2024 but may be subject to change.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.

Defra’s current policy is that no more than 40% of the working week should be spent at home, averaged over a month unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or the post-holder is a contractual home worker.

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve List

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

Merit Lists 

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary 

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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 defrarecruitment.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

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

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. 

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Higher Security Clearance 

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.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer. 

Childcare Vouchers 

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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.