About the job

Job summary

Building a strong commercial function is at the heart of a far-reaching programme of Civil Service reform. The award-winning Commercial Capability Team exists within Cabinet Office to support the growing Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) and wider profession in recruiting and building commercial expertise across government.

This role offers a fantastic challenge for a passionate and experienced HR professional. You will join a supportive and committed HR team within a larger People Services team. We offer a friendly working environment, flexible and hybrid working arrangements and a commitment to ongoing professional development. 

With an eye for detail, you will make sure policy is carefully crafted for efficiency, supporting both our business plan and the team’s performance. As well as being principled and detail-oriented, you will understand the bigger picture: looking at issues from every angle, dependencies of any policy change and plan accordingly. All that is no mean feat, when you consider that our HR policies and projects will affect specialist colleagues working across government. 

The planning, management and communication skills we need could come from all kinds of experience. You could come from government and offer public sector insight, or you could come from a commercial role and offer best practice thinking from a wider industry. Either way, you will bring your expertise to strengthening our HR policy, supporting a customer base of over 1500 senior commercial professionals. At the same time, we will support your work, offering all the benefits and pension of a Civil Service career and developing in a fast paced HR team. 

Job description

The role will involve the development, review and introduction of best-practice HR policies and procedures for the GCO population; a diverse workforce of senior commercial professionals deployed across government departments and agencies. 

During periods of policy change, you will keep communication channels open, ensuring that we stay up-to-date with the latest developments and that departments and stakeholders are on-board with what we want to achieve. You will work closely with Cabinet Office HR and be expected to look to best practice – both public and private sector – for the latest thinking, so that we are not only aligned with Cabinet Office but aiming for best practice in everything we do as a GCO HR team. 

When it comes to project management skills, you will utilise your problem solving skills to ensure the operational impacts of decisions are considered at the right stages for the integrity of the overall operation . You will be exceptionally organised, calm under pressure and results focused. You will be part of delivering critical initiatives that help us achieve our business strategy and meet our diverse customer needs. Collaboration will be key in bringing together the right people at the right time to ensure changes and improvements are delivered with customers at the heart of everything that we do. 

Your work will contribute to tangible results which have a positive and long-term impact on d how we service our customer population and enable them in their roles. Responsibilities are likely to include but not be limited to the following; 

• Understanding and Interpreting Cabinet Office and Civil Service policies and procedures in a GCO (Government Commercial Organisation) context and leading the HR teams response to any changes;
• Horizon scanning likely developments from elsewhere in the Civil Service and more widely that may impact how we serve our GCO customers with the policies and procedures we have in place;
• Building a robust governance structure to manage the many policies and procedures we have to consider for our deployed population and ensuring any changes are subject to agreed controls;
• Choosing and employing appropriate HR policy interventions where there is a recognised risk to the the population and business from any anticipated changes or gaps in policy and procedural coverage;
• Drafting and maintaining bespoke HR policies and procedures for the GCO population;
• Ensuring that lessons learned are captured and fed into wider process improvement activities;
• Supporting day-to-day business operations and working with colleagues across the wider team to deliver against priorities;
• Contributing insights and expertise to papers as needed, providing briefings on work areas for senior stakeholders;
• Contributing to and leading ad hoc HR projects in support of work area and wider People Services priorities as agreed.

Person specification

• An enthusiasm for having the right HR policies and procedures in place, an intellectual curiosity that supports the development of bespoke interventions that meet customer needs;
• Demonstrable experience of having worked in HR Policy and working on problems for resolution;
• Experience of considering the employment law implications of any proposed policy and procedural amendments;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to influence stakeholders with insights;
• Experience drafting evidence based advice and recommendations;
• Excellent accuracy and attention to detail;
• Experience balancing competing priorities/demands and working to tight deadlines;
• Strong verbal communication skills with the ability to challenge assumptions and explain HR issues to stakeholders without the use of jargon;
• CIPD qualified or a willingness to work towards qualification/accreditation with comparable experience in HR roles.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £11,029 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.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please provide a CV & 500 word max personal statement outlining your suitability for this job role, you will also be asked to compile 3 x 250 word statements on the behaviours listed within this advert. Please pay particular attention to the essential criteria when writing your statement.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and strength based questions, the strength questions are ones in which we wish to gain your initial response.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – Mid-January
Expected interview date/s – Mid-February 
Interview location - Virtual via Google Meets 

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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 or Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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.

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.

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

Reasonable adjustments

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.