About the job

Job summary

 Join our Science Strategy and Development Directorate at UKHSA for an exciting opportunity as Head of Learning and Talent Management.

As Head of Learning and Talent Management, you will lead the design and delivery of workforce development and transformation across the Science Group and will be responsible for ensuring that workforce plans are aligned to the workforce elements of the long-term UKHSA Science Strategy.  You will also be Leading the development of the workforce, including promotion of succession planning & talent management; enhancing the use of apprenticeships & career pathways; and oversight of learning and development.

Location:

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available. *

Job description

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Lead on all workforce development activity including Science Group workforce planning; ensuring that talent management and succession planning are in place to meet the current and future workforce needs of Science Group, aligned to corporate business planning and the Science Strategy.
• Enhance leadership at every level through the development and delivery of high-quality leadership and management capability programmes.
• Lead workforce strategy development and implementation for Science Group ensuring value for money and cost effectiveness. Ensure alignment with wider workforce and organisational effectiveness strategies and policies.
• Ensure workforce strategies and policies include the active promotion of inclusion, diversity, and equality.
• Lead the Science Group in identifying development needs through training needs analysis and skills-gap analysis; collating data from performance and development reviews (PDRs) to prioritise and plan evidence-based Science Group learning and development activities that create impact.
• Support Science Group requirements for professional accreditation & registration, revalidation, and accreditation, working with Laboratory & Clinical leads.
• Actively advise Deputy Directors and Managers on the development of individuals and teams through workforce planning tools, performance development review, personal development planning, coaching, and mentoring. Provide critical workforce development expertise.
• Oversee the delivery of effective mandatory training for all staff, ensuring equity, access, and centralised reporting to demonstrate statutory compliance.
• Lead on staff engagement across Science Group including responsibility for staff survey action planning, staff health & wellbeing and fostering a culture of continuous professional development through chairpersonship of the Strategic Workforce Network.

Please review the job description for the full list of responsibilities.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

 Essential

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in a specialist area.
• Experience of leading learning and talent management for the scientific professions (or an ability to explicitly demonstrate application with scientific professionals).
• Experience of working effectively across organisational and professional boundaries to deliver service improvement.
• Knowledge and experience of supporting large scale organisational change and transformation.
• Experience of working with leaders and managers of all levels; facilitating learning interventions in large and small groups.
• Knowledge and experience of workforce planning methodologies, organisational learning theory, training, coaching and mentoring.

 Desirable

• MBA, MEd or relevant higher degree (or equivalent).
• CIPD qualified (or significant relevant experience in workforce development / change management principles).
• Program management and benefits realisation.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

Your Statement of Suitability (1000 words maximum) should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This stage will involve an interview via MS Teams.   

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 18th April 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: w/c 22nd April 2024

Interviews: TBC.

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

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.