About the job

Job summary

Football Regulator Implementation Unit

We lead Government’s work on the future governance of football. In 2021 the government commissioned a Fan-Led Review of Football Governance to explore ways of improving the sustainability of English football in order to protect vital community assets. The Review was published later that year and highlighted the need for reform. 

The Government has since published a White Paper setting out a comprehensive plan to introduce the regulator for English football clubs to put fans back at the heart of football and help to deliver a sustainable future for all clubs. The Football Regulator Implementation Unit is responsible for delivering the reforms set out in the White Paper, including through the Football Governance Bill and setting up the football regulator.  

This role will sit within the team responsible for setting up the Football Regulator. These roles are being recruited on a loan or fixed term basis to the end of March 2025, with the possibility to extend. This role will be based in DCMS on an interim basis. Subject to the overall progress of the programme, the intention for this role is to transfer to the Football Regulator once fully established.

Please note that the location of the Football Regulator has yet to be determined.

The government has committed to setting up a regulator for football to improve the financial sustainability of clubs, for the benefit of their fans and the communities they serve. To help deliver on this commitment, an interim team is being formed to start to undertake preparatory activity ahead of the statutory body being established. This role is a unique opportunity to be part of a team that will be shaping a new regulatory regime for football and the systems and organisation that will deliver it. 

As a Governance Adviser you will be responsible for supporting the design of a robust governance framework for the football regulator.

You will be responsible for ensuring that the governance approach supports the effective implementation of the regulatory regime. You will need to ensure that the overarching governance framework it is in line with best practice and the relevant government codes. You will work closely with the wider team to understand regulatory and corporate policies, as well as external stakeholders to deliver a successful governance framework. 

This role will initially be based in DCMS. The role will transfer to the regulator once established. 

Job description

Key responsibilities: 

• You will lead on policy proposals for the regulator's internal governance processes to enable the effective operation of the football regulator. 
• You will need to use your understanding of governance requirements to guide your approach to the design of the governance framework, drawing from various sources of evidence and analysis make informed decisions and evidence-based recommendations.
• You will need to have excellent stakeholder management skills, working with external and internal stakeholders to ensure their views and expertise inform your approach.
• You will need to be able to work flexibly and at pace in a high profile, changeable and complex environment.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential Requirements:

• Communicating and Influencing - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of successfully engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Making Effective Decisions - Ability to think logically through problems in a complex and changeable environment, and use evidence to shape policy development and deliver outcomes.
• Delivering at Pace - Ability to manage your work at pace in a fast moving environment, and prioritising your tasks effectively whilst also maintaining momentum across your area of responsibility.
• Seeing the Big Picture - Ability to understand how your work contributes to the bigger picture and influences key issues within your area of responsibility.

Desirable Skills:

• Interest in and/or experience working in football and the issues in the governance and regulation of the game.
• Experience of working with or within a public body.
• Project Management Experience.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. this will be hosted by Joanna Braine, and will take place on: 11:00 Tuesday 5th March.

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,095, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £8,935 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.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 PM 13th March 2024 via the CS Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and potentially include a presentation. 

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

As part of your interview, you may be asked to deliver a short oral presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via Google Meets. 

For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.

Further Information

If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only., Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to insert Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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  

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.

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

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 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.