About the job

Job summary

The responsibilities for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology for 2023 are as follows:

• Positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement
• Driving innovations that change lives and sustain economic growth
• Delivering talent programmes, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support our economy, security and public services
• R&D funding

For 2023, our priorities are:

• Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.
• Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.
• Put our public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.
• Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.
• Deliver key legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.
• Pass the remaining stages of the reformed Online Safety Bill to keep British people, especially children, safe online.

Our Inclusive Environment

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

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 Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job description

The Economic Security Unit in DSIT is recruiting Policy Officers to join a fun, friendly team committed to innovative policy-making, thought leadership and embedding tech and innovation at the heart of the economic security debate in Whitehall.

Economic security is one of the most important debates presently being grappled with in the national security community. It sits at the nexus between geopolitics, real world economics and national security and is where the concept of 'strategic advantage' is addressed, risk defined and limits set so that we continue to grow our economy securely. Recent policy-work has included responding to the US legislative changes to restrict critical technologies being exported or grown in China, delivering an economic security package for the Atlantic Declaration, developing proposals for export controls on critical technologies, considering the approach to strategic advantage and developing 'playbooks' on the risks in specific technologies.

The Unit's core remit is to balance security with prosperity, to recognise that in order to have a healthy, thriving economy with strong research, commercialisation and cutting edge technologies we need investment, but to prevent technology transfer to those who would do us harm.

The Unit is presently going through structural changes as a result of the Machinery of Government, as three teams from the two departments, BEIS and DCMS, come together into two. As such, specific portfolio areas will be settled in the coming weeks but all posts on offer will have the same core responsibilities. Our work remains at the core of China/foreign policy, economics, national security and involves regularly thinking and grappling with new challenges.

We're a fun, friendly and welcoming team who are supportive and collaborative, with a commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture. We are unashamedly proud of enjoying diving into detail, learning new topics and developing new policy thinking in a fast paced, sometimes uncertain environment.

Key Responsibilities

You will be engaging regularly across Whitehall to shape and influence the direction of cross-government policy thinking on economic security. You will draw on sector teams’ expertise in critical technologies, and build your own core economic security knowhow as you develop new insights and tackle novel approaches to getting the risk balance right. This debate is inherently political, so you will be drawing down insights from your network across Whitehall to shape and land our Ministers’ positions on ensuring the safe and secure growth of tech, science and innovation. You’ll be shaping papers taken to the regular meeting of the NSC (Economic Security), identifying new risks, and working to land our own policy approaches with international partners.

You will support the G7 on specific policy strands and projects, collaborating with them on new solutions and coordinating effectively across the department to draw together inputs and perspectives, driving forward work. You will be collaborating with others across the department and spotting links between policy areas within the sector teams. You will work across Whitehall to develop new approaches to policy problems and drawing out the DSIT perspective on economic security. You will build your network and effectively represent DSIT in Whitehall fora, contributing to discussions.

We’re looking for people with excellent critical thinking skills, who are comfortable operating in a fluid policy environment and generating new answers to problems where there is no pre-existing policy approach. We’re a fun, friendly and welcoming team who are supportive and collaborative, with a commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture. We are unashamedly proud of enjoying diving into detail, learning new topics and developing new policy thinking in a fast-paced, sometimes uncertain environment.

As these jobs require frequent and independent access to highly classified material, at minimum we require individuals to hold Security Check when joining the team and in some roles this will require existing or willingness to undergo developed vetting clearance and be willing to hold STRAP. Given the frequency of access to highly classified material, the jobs on offer can be at either the Darlington or London campuses only until such time as there is access at other sites. Please confirm in your CV your current level of vetting.

Person specification

Essential criteria 

● Excellent communication skills. Confident explaining thinking in a clear and concise way both verbally and in writing with good attention to detail.

● Highly capable at spotting links between different areas of policy work within the department and drawing conclusions about a way forward.

● Effective at building strong relationships that support delivery, able to get insights and opportunities to work collaboratively to address novel issues.

● Able to digest information from a variety of sources, think critically and creatively to find ways forward.

Benefits

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

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 personal statement.

As part of the CV please can the candidate state if they have security clearance.

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

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to outline why you're interested in the role and how you meet the Essential criteria required.

Applications will be sifted on CV and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement. 

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

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.  

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 08/01/2024

Interview dates: 22/01/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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 applicants 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 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. 

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 security 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.