About the job

Job summary

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a small government department with a huge mission: to keep food safe, ensure that it is what it says it is, and that it is increasingly healthy and more sustainable.

We are looking for a Head of Change Programmes to join our Operational Assurance and Excellence division. You’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference to the quality and consistency of the frontline work we do to keep food safe for consumers.

The Head of Change Programmes will be taking on a permanent role within the FSA, seeking to ensure that our Official Controls in meat, dairy and wine production are fit for purpose in a constantly evolving industry and that our response to food fraud and food safety incidents are optimised. From the implementation of remote technology to the development of new digital processes to help us deliver key services, and the design of new operating models and ways of working, this role will see you engage with the newest ideas and take accountability for a range of modernisation programmes.

Job description

The Head of Change Programmes in Operations will oversee projects and programmes relating to how we effectively resource our front line services (for example securing veterinary resources), how we introduce new technology both in the FSA and in food businesses to make more effective and efficient use of our resources, how we better collect and utilise critical data, how we more effectively respond to strategic incidents and how we secure the relevant powers to effectively enforce against food fraud. Our Operational environment and the industry we work with is fast paced and there are always new challenges that require us to change how we work. This role is critical in leading, prioritising and delivering change whilst building change management capability within the organisation.

The ability to lead effectively will be key to the success of this role, and you will be experienced in empowering teams to deliver a range of objectives. From presenting business cases to managing resources and monitoring the delivery of work against agreed objectives, you’ll be a steady hand capable of reassuring and supporting those around you.

If you are a talented and experienced programme manager and change leader, looking for an opportunity to make a real difference to consumer wellbeing, this role offers you a chance to do so in a supportive, progressive non-ministerial government department.

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £63,949, Food Standards Agency contributes £17,842 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.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. 

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role. 

At least one of the following (or equivalent project and programme related formal training):

• Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner or Advanced Practitioner
• P3O Practitioner
• APM Chartered Project Professional
• APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
• PRINCE2® Practitioner
• Management of Portfolios Practitioner
• PMI Project Management Professional
• Level 6 Project Management Degree or Apprenticeship
• APMG Agile Project Management Practitioner
• Major Projects Leadership Academy
• Project Leadership Programme (PLP)

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Experience

1. Lead criteria: Extensive Project or Programme Management experience of leading and delivering complex or large-scale change initiatives entailing the proportionate application of PPM tools, processes, and controls   
2. Experience of operating to demanding time and cost constraints and competing priorities and displaying resilience and seasoned negotiating and influencing skills to deliver positive outcomes.
3. Experience of demonstrating positive, visible, and inclusive leadership, of your own teams and those you do not directly manage, through significant changes of scope or direction and at pace. Fostering a culture where creative and open discussion of issues is encouraged and promoted.
4. Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate complex issues orally and in writing to a wide audience, including formal briefings and papers to senior audiences, and the ability to facilitate workshops and large group discussions to ensure active and creative engagement to deliver clear session outputs and tangible benefits.

Lead Criteria An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Civil Service Behaviours Level 4

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Working Together

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you on the day / invite to interview email.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 28/01/24

Sift: Expected to take place w/c 29/01/24

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 19/02/24.

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application.)

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.

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.