About the job

Job summary

The IPA is the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. We sit at the heart of government, reporting to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Our core teams include experts in infrastructure, project delivery and project finance who work with government departments and industry. We support the successful delivery of all types of infrastructure and major projects; ranging from railways, schools, hospitals and housing, to defence, IT and major transformation programmes. We lead the project delivery and project finance professions across government.

Our purpose is to continuously improve the way infrastructure and major projects are delivered, in order to support government priorities and improve people’s lives. We aspire to create the best-performing project system of any country in the world.

The IPA works with government and industry to ensure projects are delivered efficiently and effectively, and to improve performance over time. We work on the overall project delivery system, which includes the projects, people and processes that together create the right environment for successful delivery. We measure how well the system is performing, so we can learn important lessons and continuously improve project performance over time.

The Strategy and Policy Team operates right at the heart of the IPA, in  the IPA CEO’s Group. 

The team identifies and actions the strategic priorities of the IPA, and enables scrutiny and review of Government’s most high profile and challenging projects.  It does this by working across the IPA and hand in hand with HM Treasury - applying insights from project performance data; working collaboratively with policy and project delivery professionals in departments, HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office; and responding to the priorities of our Ministers, the IPA CEO, and other key senior leaders in government. 

It drives progress in the IPA by: 

• Providing strategic advice and support to the IPA CEO and centre of government;
• Articulating the strategic and cross cutting priority for delivery of the Government  Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) through the IPA’s Major Projects Portfolio Board (MPPB);
• Leading the GMPP Major Projects Review Group (MPRG) on behalf of HM Treasury;
• Organising the IPA’s contribution to HM Treasury led fiscal events and government publications; and 
• Providing policy support across the IPA. 

Job description

This is an influential and highly stretching Grade 7 role with regular engagement with very senior officials in Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and No.10.

 Set within the Strategy and Policy Team, you will have an opportunity to contribute to the leadership, planning and policy formulation of the IPA as a whole. You will: 

• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with HM Treasury: focusing on deploying data and expert insight to support decisions across the GMPP in the run-up to future fiscal events. 
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the IPA, No.10 and HM Treasury to identify and agree system-level improvements across government major project delivery.
• Strengthen important cross-government guidance and shape standards across the GMPP. 
• Support other key priorities across the Strategy and Policy team, as needed.
• Run and directly manage your branch, through a combination of line and task management across the Strategy and Policy team.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Build HM Treasury connections and work with colleagues to influence and inform decision-making, including in the run up to the next Spending Review.
• Work closely and flexibly with other members of the team to ensure successful delivery of the Major Projects Review Group.
• Lead on strengthening and demonstrating the impact of the joint HMT Treasury / IPA ‘Response to Red’ agenda, driving improvements in deliverability for some of the most challenging projects in government.
• Develop clear and accessible guidance supporting major projects and programmes as they ‘reset’, agreeing proposals with senior officials and leading on the IPA’s response to the Public Accounts Committee in this space.
• Take an active role in shaping the wider policy thinking of the IPA, and address issues identified through GMPP data and qualitative insights derived from across government.
• Work to promote a “one IPA” corporate culture through active collaboration across various work streams - building excellent relationships across the IPA, synthesising data and insight from a variety of different teams and sources. 

Person specification

• Track record of identifying key big picture opportunities and risks and advising and influencing decision makers.  
• Experience of a strategic role in a large organisation in the private or public sector. 
• Experience of building and maintaining excellent relationships with diverse and very senior stakeholders, including working with senior leaders in government or industry.  
• Strong skills in written and oral communication.
• Used to working well under pressure and at pace.  
• Experience of acting as a troubleshooter and ability to take the initiative.  
• Ability to understand and draw on data and insights to inform strategic actions.
• One of (or both): experience of major project delivery, inside or outside  government, or understanding of the HM Treasury approvals process.

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 £58,800, Cabinet Office contributes £15,876 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 and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 750 word personal statement as well as three 250 word behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Please provide a 750-word Personal Statement detailing how your relevant past experience and skills make you a good fit based on our person specifications and responsibilities.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the sift application process: Delivering at Pace,Seeing the Big Picture and  Making Effective Decisions.

Should a large number of applications be received the lead criteria may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace on initial sift. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and we will also asses you on presentation with a topic which will be provided before your interview. 

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - TBC

Further information

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

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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. 

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.

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.

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

Reasonable adjustments

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

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.