About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The Innovation Division is responsible for addressing one of the Department’s top Ministerial priorities – to increase the adoption of safe, ethical and effective innovations in the health and care system.

It is a new function, established to set a compelling vision for innovation across the health and social care system, develop a clear strategy for achieving it, and coordinate delivery so the work gets done. It will address cross-cutting innovation policy questions through its projects team, promote and support a culture of innovation in the Department, and serve core briefing needs.

We are looking to staff this function with a team of creative self-starters who build trusting relationships easily and know how to get things done. 

As a top Ministerial priority, it will have significant exposure to Ministers, the Department Board and the Department’s most senior officials. It will work closely with the Department’s wider policy teams and senior leaders in NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Health Research Authority (HRA). 

Job description

This is a new team welcoming a diverse mix of skills and experience which we expect to be key to its success.

We are looking for independent, strategic and creative thinkers to provide inclusive leadership to the Innovation function.

The Head of Innovation Projects and Head of Innovation Strategy will be based in the Innovation and Health Technology Directorate and will be responsible for setting a compelling vision for innovation across the health and social care system. You will shape your roles as senior leaders, to deliver high impact projects and activities that will maximise DHSC’s ability to achieve its Innovation objectives.

The Innovation function has been established with the following five core objectives, and as members of senior leadership both roles will be key to defining this new programme of work, alongside a number of interested stakeholders:

• Clarify innovation priorities: The post holders will work closely together and alongside other key stakeholders across DHSC and its Arm’s Length Bodies to provide our policy teams, delivery partners and the wider health system with more clarity on the Department’s innovation priorities and turn this into an actionable and widely supported plan.
• Coordinate system efforts: The post holders will work closely together to align Ministers, senior officials, and senior delivery partners behind the Department’s plan and ensure they deliver the elements that they are responsible for. Oversee mapping of innovation challenges to prioritise and allocate responsibility for addressing any gaps in government provision.
• Solve cross-cutting innovation challenges: Lead creative approaches to solving high-priority innovation challenges which span several policy teams and therefore require central ownership, or where independent challenge is needed. Manage new priorities which emerge regularly and are driven by high levels of Ministerial interest.
• Promote and support a culture of innovation in the Department: Provide thought leadership, lead by example and create platforms to encourage innovative policy thinking across the Department’s grades and policy teams.
• Briefing: Oversight of all cross-cutting innovation commissions such as briefing for Department Board discussions, PQs and correspondence.

Person specification

Role Responsibilities:

Both post holders will need to be strong problem solvers and guide their teams effectively to balance their focus between short-term objectives and the long-term needs of the system. As this is a new function, both post holders will be expected to work closely with each other to actively shape their portfolios of work as they learn where their greatest contribution to the system lies. The split between the two roles is currently envisaged as the following, though there may be some need to stretch across boundaries to manage pressing requests:

• The Head of Innovation Strategy will focus on clarifying innovation priorities, coordinating system efforts and briefing. For example, they may lead a piece of work to identify which technologies are likely to be ‘game changing’ for the future health and social care system and how the Department should support their evolution.
• The Head of Innovation Projects will focus on cross-cutting innovation challenges and building a culture of innovation. For example, they may lead on a project to assess how the health and social care system could capture more of the value it generates for commercial organisations and in doing so better align incentives to support the development and adoption of innovation.

These are critical leadership roles, so you will be expected to:

• Provide your team with a clear direction, coach them so they have the tools required to work independently, and give insightful feedback that supports their development.
• Take an active interest in understanding the diverse needs of colleagues and empower and trust your team to deliver.
• Be an exceptional problem solver so you can effectively guide your team where necessary and provide more hands-on ownership of work modules when they are particularly high profile or complex.
• Demonstrate an aptitude for thinking creatively and delivering effectively and collaboratively, and in doing so earn the respect of Ministers, senior officials and other partners.
• Play a leading role in shaping the work of the Division, including by intelligently identifying policy gaps and making the case to address them senior stakeholders.

Whatever your background, we are looking for people who like getting things done, and who enjoy engaging others across the organisation in driving change.

Key Skills and Experience:

Essential:  

• Leadership: You will be responsible for a new and wide brief that evolves regularly, so you will be a safe pair of hands, provide clarity to your team in the face of ambiguity, and have exceptional time management skills and attention to detail. You will have excellent judgement and be skilled at inspiring and coaching diverse teams to deliver successful outcomes.
• Problem solving: You will lead projects that are tough to solve and intersect with multiple policy teams and delivery partners, so you will be a creative, structured problem solver that is comfortable dealing with new and complex topics and your advice will be sought when the stakes are high.
• Written and verbal communication: Your work will have a high profile in the Department, so you will be an excellent communicator, able to harness your understanding of the needs and priorities of senior officials, ministers and health system actors to effectively influence outcomes and build credibility.
• Stakeholder engagement: Your success will be dependent on the buy-in of our policy and delivery partners, so you will have exceptional engagement skills, provide constructive challenge, and spot synergies in their work.
• Delivering at pace: You will remain calm under pressure and support your team to deliver accurate work when deadlines are short and problems are defined ambiguously.
• Creativity: you will bring diverse, novel perspectives to tired problems, and be a trusted brainstorming partner for senior staff.

Desirable:

• Experience driving health and social care innovation.
• An understanding of the barriers and solutions to innovation challenges in health and social care, such as through:
  • Commercial experience
  • Finance experience
  • Clinical experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,832, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £18,044 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.

Sift date: expected W/C 1st January 2024

Interview date: expected W/C 15th January 2024

Interview location: By video. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift. 

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores. 

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Statement of Suitability, Behaviours and Online Tests.

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 750 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert. 

You will be asked to complete statements on the specified Behaviours (250 word max per statement).

Candidates will be required to complete a Numerical Reasoning Test and Verbal Reasoning Test as part of the online application, this will follow immediately after the initial short application form is submitted. If you successfully pass the tests, you will be invited to complete the full application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended) to give yourself enough time to complete your full application. The closing date for the tests and for submitting your full application is 23:55 on 1st January 2024. If you fail to complete the online test and submit your full application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

An initial sift based on the Statement of Suitability may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.

Candidates will be asked to deliver a short presentation which will assess a behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture. Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website > and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Further Information

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available. 

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance. 

Any move to DHSC 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 dhscrecruitment.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 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.

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

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.

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

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis 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.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful. 

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above). 

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on either level transfer or promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

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.