About the job

Job summary

The Office for Local Government (Oflog)’s vision is to help make local government even better. We will increase understanding about the performance of local authorities, warn when authorities are at risk of serious failure, and support local government to improve itself.

To do that, Oflog’s strategic objectives are:

• inform – to increase understanding - among citizens, civil society, central government and local government itself - about data on the performance of local authorities;

• warn – to help identify local authorities that are at risk of serious failure but have not raised the alarm themselves; and

• support – to support local government to improve performance, productivity, and value for money: championing best practice, improving data capability and rationalising a complex data landscape.

Oflog is a key priority of the Secretary of State. It is an office of DLUHC, meaning all staff are DLUHC civil servants. The government committed in the Levelling Up White Paper that Oflog would be independent, and Ministers have asked us to act with a spirit of independence and have committed not to exercise influence over our outputs (other than approving our recommendations for new metrics). We look forward to Oflog’s increasing independence.

Oflog is a mixed-discipline team, including policy and local government experts, and analysts from a range of disciplines. This is a unique time to participate in setting up a new organisation from the ground up. While supporting the aims of Oflog, successful candidate/s will have an opportunity to work in a nimble organisation and to shape the overall organisation and its culture.

Job description

We are looking for a G6 Head of Strategic Planning and Business Management. This role will lead a team of ~8 staff on to deliver strategic project management, business management, financial management and recruitment and resourcing for Oflog.

This will involve:

• Managing, developing and improving Oflog’s strategic planning and Programme and Project Management (PPM);

• Budgetary and financial management for the organisation;

• Building Oflog’s capacity and capability, including leading recruitment for the organisation, managing internal resourcing, and supporting the development of skills and capabilities within Oflog;

• Developing and managing Oflog’s culture as a place to work;

• Act as a member of Oflog’s senior leadership team, the Extended Executive Team.

Person specification

We are looking for a candidate with experience and skills in the follow areas.     

Essential 

• Strong and demonstrated Project Management and Delivery expertise

• Demonstrated financial and budget management skills

• Excellent stakeholder management skills and an ability to work collaboratively, build consensus and influence outcomes with external partners, as well as challenge senior stakeholders where necessary. 

• Ability to manage different workstreams with interdependencies, including delivering outcomes through others.  

• Ability to build collaborative and trusted working relationships with a variety of internal partners.  

• An ability to communicate clearly, and see the bigger picture

Desirable  

• Experience of working on high profile and fast paced issues. 

• Good knowledge and demonstrable understanding of the local government sector.  

Desirable Qualifications

• APM Chartered Project Professional or

• accredited senior practitioner within the government project delivery profession (or committed to working towards it); or

• Appropriate Portfolio / Programme management qualification (e.g. one of the following): 

• Project Leadership Programme
• Management of Risk Practitioner
• Managing Benefits
• Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner / Advanced Practitioner
• Management of portfolios practitioner
• P30 Practitioner

 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,599, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £16,631 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.

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

Please contact the vacancy manager if you have any questions about the role.   

As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process.  

We are for everyone 

DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.  

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).  

At application stage you will be asked to upload a CV document. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage. 

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.  

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. 

When writing your application, remember: 

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.  
• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.  
• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!) 

At sift, we will be assessing 

Making Effective Decisions - Lead Behaviour 

Seeing the Big Picture 

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service 

There is a 250 word limit per question. 

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:    

Behaviour – Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service 

Experience - Yes

Candidates will be expected to prepare a presentation, details on this will be sent along with the interview invitations.

In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service 

Experience:  Yes

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign. 

Grade 6 salary 

• The salary for this role is £61,599 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 

 
Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.   

 

BENEFITS: 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 
Any move to DLUHC 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 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

  

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: 

• Leeds
• Bristol
• Manchester 
• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington* 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 29/04/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

Reserve List 

 
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

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.