About the job

Job summary

At DSIT, we’re all about cementing the UK’s position as a Science and Tech superpower. Our mission is driving stronger growth, better jobs and bold discoveries.

We’re the Department investing in today to secure future economic growth. 

To help us get there, our Science and Technology Framework lays out the roadmap for everything we do, giving us a clear plan up to 2030.  Together with stakeholders from across government and the SciTech sector we are:   

• Backing UK science, technology and innovation, boosting investment in our most exciting technologies and sectors of the future, to grow the economy and create high paid-jobs.  
• Tackling global challenges through international influence and partnerships to secure our future and security. 
• Improving lives by championing responsible innovation in the digital economy and public services.

We want DSIT to be the best place to work in government and central to this is our set of core values – think big, value people, create connections, cultivate curiosity.

We created these together in our first months as a department and they guide how we work: helping us make decisions, informing our behaviour and interactions.

From delivering the Online Safety Act 2023 and hosting the world’s first inaugural AI Safety Summit to boosting investment in R&D and Life Sciences, we have already achieved so much since we were created. But this is only the beginning and being a department for innovation, we’re excited to see what the future holds.  

Our Inclusive Environment  

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.  

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. 

Find Out More 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation?  

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/    

Job description

The Ministerial and Parliamentary Support Team is part of the Department’s Ministerial Private Office which sits at the heart of the department. The team is responsible for correspondence, parliamentary engagement, and FOIs. The Ministerial and Parliamentary Support Team is a new and friendly team working across the whole breadth of the Department’s work. Working closely with ministerial private offices and policy officials, you will be part of a fast-paced team, where you will need to produce high quality work and have a good attention to detail.

You will have the opportunity to work in a brand-new Department, with Innovation at its core, and will have opportunities to influence how the Ministerial and Parliamentary support team functions. 

The Correspondence Officers will lead on the drafting of Ministerial correspondence and will work closely with the wider Correspondence team and with policy teams to ensure a quality service is delivered to Ministers. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a pressurised environment to achieve this.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

- High quality drafting of correspondence. 

- Working with the Senior Correspondence Manager and the Correspondence Manager to ensure correspondence is delivered in a timely manner.

- Building strong and effective working relationships across the department, to improve the quality of Ministerial Correspondence.

- Helping to create a positive and inclusive team culture.

- Demonstrating an interest in policy developments and current events, and able to assess the likely impact on casework.

Skills and Experience:

- An interest in learning more about Ministers, Parliament, and politics more widely.

- Excellent organisational skills and experience of working at pace.

- Excellent interpersonal skills, and the experience or potential to lead others in a challenging environment.

- Excellent oral and written communication skills.

- Good time-management, and ability to support and collaborate with others to lead others to meet challenging deadlines.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,325, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £7,107 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 and a number of behavioural statements.

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

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements and CV. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behavioural statement (Managing a Quality Service). 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviours and strength-based questions.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 20/05/2024

Interview dates: 03/06/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

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

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

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicant's section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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

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

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

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

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

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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 

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.

Feedback

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.