About the job

Job summary

The Government People Group exists to work with departments, professions, and functions to build a modern, effective Civil Service.

We support the government workforce with the right skills and capability. We are working with leaders to get the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills and continuous learning to excel in their roles.

We provide leadership, and in turn, create leaders with exceptional line management capability across departments, influencing partners in the wider public sector and beyond. This involves getting our retention and reward strategy right, to nurture specific skills, and create pride and resilience in our workforce.

Our role is also to provide system leadership across central government in pulling together back office services. Collectively, we help support the Cabinet Office’s priority to drive efficiencies, and reforms that will make government work better, to ultimately provide a better service to the public.

The Learning and Development Specialist role is crucial for ensuring the delivery of a consistent high-quality learning experience for Fast Streamers at the two five day Base Camp events which are held annually in the first week of September and October. Fast Stream Base Camp forms module one of the Fast Stream curriculum and is the first learning interaction that Fast Streamers have with the programme. The successful candidate will be required to support the management of the full end to end process from project planning, logistical planning, learning design of the event, delivery at the event itself and post event evaluation. Secondary duties include management of the Onboarding Zone (a digital resource for incoming Fast Streamers) and Power Hour engagement sessions.

The successful candidate will be knowledgeable in learning and development (particularly at a graduate level) and/or project management. They should also already hold or be willing to work towards CIPD Level 5 in Learning and Development or a relevant project management qualification - or both.

Job description

• Project management of Fast Stream Base Camp ensuring the project is on schedule and delivers on time for key milestones.
• Opportunity to input into the commercial relationship between FSET and our partners.
• Lead on engagement for the project with key internal stakeholders who take part in the event.
• Actively feeding in and contributing to the learning design with the Head of Fast Stream Base Camp.
• Constructively challenge where suggestions are made that do not align with FSET's objectives or aims.
• Management of delegates, including arranging appropriate learning adjustments, overseeing their travel arrangements and monitoring and evaluating this in practice.
• Development of onboarding zone resources and management of the content plan.
• Design, delivery and evaluation of Power Hour sessions.
• Recruitment, selection, training and ongoing management of Action Learning Set facilitators.
• Recruitment, selection, training and ongoing management of Fast Streamer Co-Facilitators.
• Support in evaluation of all onboarding engagement activities and the Base Camp event.
• Attendance at the Base Camp events themselves is essential (first week of September and first week of October).

Person specification

You will be passionate about learning and designing high-quality training and development opportunities that are accessible. You’ll influence and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to provide essential support towards key elements of the Fast Stream Curriculum and to ensure our interventions meet the needs of the new Delivery Model and Fast Streamer Employee Value Proposition.

Key skills and experience

Essential 

• A strong understanding of learning and development, particularly in a graduate programme context.
• A theoretical and practical understanding of different learning styles and how this can shape the design of the event.
• An understanding of evaluation methods and measuring learning impact, including continuous improvement.
• An eye for detail and excellent organisation skills.
• Experience of leading projects end-to-end.
• Experience of utilising a variety of learning methodologies to support and promote a culture of continuous learning, where innovative and quality learning is available and accessible for all.

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of the Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU) and the new Government Campus offer.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and presentations) with a range of audiences. 
• Ability to build strong relationships and work well with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and show initiative.
• Experience of contract management. 
• Experience of working with complex data, and use this to make informed decisions.

Qualifications

• CIPD Learning and Development qualification (Level 5) or similar, or willing to work towards one in post.
• Project Management qualification, or willing to work towards one in post.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £11,030 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.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. 
2. A Personal Statement against the skills and experience (maximum 750 words)

Your CV and Personal Statement are your opportunities to show us how your experience means that you meet the criteria for this role. Your CV should cover your skills, qualifications, job history, and achievements to date and your Personal Statement is the chance to further expand on this and give specific examples of where you have demonstrated the desired skills. Giving examples rather than just saying you're experienced with a certain requirement will strengthen your statement and enable the sift panel to understand more about your suitability for the role.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the CV.

Selection process

A sift will be conducted on the CV and Personal Statement.  At the interview, you will be assessed on four Behaviours and two Technical Skills. You will be expected to give clear examples of previous experience relating to these Behaviours. The technical skills will be assessed through a 10-minute presentation. 

Interviews will be conducted virtually and further information about the interview process will be provided if you are selected for an interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – w/c 11 March 2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 25 March 2024
Interview location -  Online

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

Any move to cabinet office 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

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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

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

Further information

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

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

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.