About the job

Job summary

.The Creative Industries team in DCMS is a friendly, dynamic team of 28 people working on a fast-paced, high profile and hugely interesting policy agenda.

Our team works closely with industry to deliver the goals set out in the Creative Industries Sector Vision focused on driving growth, building talent, and ensuring the creative industries continue to benefit individuals, communities, the environment and the UK.

Creative industry sectors we support include: film and high-end TV, video games and e-sports, music, publishing, fashion and design. We also develop policy related to cross-cutting areas including AI and innovation, R&D, investment, skills, trade and international activity.

We work with sectors, experts and analysts to develop policy, with partners across government to promote the value of our sectors and encourage their growth, and deliver projects and programmes either directly with our sectors, or through and with our public bodies. We pride ourselves on our inclusive and respectful team environment, with ample opportunities to get involved in corporate work such as our social committee or staff networks.

Please see the candidate pack attached below for further information about the role

Job description

This is an exciting and stretching role leading a high-profile policy area focused on ensuring that the creative industries sector has the education, skills and workforce it needs to deliver significant and inclusive growth. The role involves setting strategy and direction, influencing and enabling change working across government and with industry to deliver the skills ambitions of the Creative Industries Sector Vision. 

The team’s work include grant management and oversight of the award-winning Discover! Creative Careers Programme, development and piloting of innovative approaches to apprenticeships with employers such as Netflix, BBC and Sky, and analytical research into the specialist school market working with the BRIT School and LIPA. 

The post holder will:

● Provide strategic oversight, and manage the day-to-day delivery of the skills portfolio, working closely with industry, DCMS analysts, sector leads and other government departments (particularly the Department for Education) to ensure the Sector Vision outcomes are met.

● Work regularly with ministers and senior stakeholders, setting direction in an election year with a clear vision for skills at Spending Review
The post holder is responsible for managing two senior policy advisors as well as a policy advisor at EO level who works across the broader creative economy team. 

The post holder is responsible for managing two senior policy advisors as well as a policy advisor at EO level who works across the broader creative economy team. 

Person specification

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

Essential requirements:

• Strong evidence of seeing the big picture, you will need to develop strategy and policy that is informed by political, social and economic considerations and analysis aligned with the wider Government agenda.
• Experience of leading a team and an area of work, demonstrating adaptability and resilience as you prioritise, set direction and support the team to progress. 
• Strong evidence of communicating and influencing as you will need to develop effective relationships with, advise and influence stakeholders across and outside government.
• Planning and delivery skills, able to proactively shape a team’s work programme, taking ownership to deliver at pace where necessary and working with others to deliver high-quality, outputs over a sustained period of time.

Desirable skills:

• Experience and interest in culture and the creative industries
• Experience and interest in education and skills

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Hilary Hall, and will take place on: Monday 24 June, 12:30pm

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. 

Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,839, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £13,456 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 Wednesday 3rd July 2024 at 23:55 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 2 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 or task.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

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 GoogleMeets.

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.

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.

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

Any move to 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   

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.

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one. 

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

Feedback

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.