About the job

Job summary

The Food Standards Agency is a small government department with a big mission: to keep food safe, ensure it is what it says it is, and that it’s increasingly healthy and more sustainable. We want to deliver ‘food you can trust’ to consumers, and a big part of that means ensuring food entering the country is held to the same robust standards as everything else.

We are looking for an Imports Area Delivery Officer who can help us develop and deliver important work that positively impacts the safety of imported food reaching consumers across the country.

Job description

You’ll support the delivery of projects that improve our current system of controls and support the UK’s port health authorities as they implement the government’s Border Target Operating Model.

Collaboration will play a key part in this role, as you work closely with key stakeholders across other government departments, port health authorities and local authorities. You’ll build effective working relationships and coordinate a consistent approach to work that ensures a reliable standard of delivery across the entire country.

If you have excellent relationship management skills and are looking for a role that enables you to make a real difference in the lives of people across the country, apply today to join the FSA as an Imports Delivery Area Officer.

Please read before applying

This campaign is to recruit to 1 x permanent role and 1 x Fixed Term/Loan appointment until 4 April 2025 (with the possibility, but no guarantee, of extension or permanency).  The highest scoring interview at interview will be offered the permanent role.

Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this job. 

Note for FSA employees

You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy, this includes applying for a new post during an existing temporary posting.  Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,505, Food Standards Agency contributes £9,417 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.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. 

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Essential criteria

Experience

• Lead criteria: Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills evidenced with a range of stakeholders.
• Self-motivated, working both within a team and on own initiative with minimum supervision.
• Ability to be flexible, to work across various workstreams and shifting priorities, to deliver outcomes at pace and to deadlines.
• Outstanding organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload.

Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Experience  

• Familiar with imported food and feed and awareness of the relevant legislation.

An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Civil Service Behaviours Level 3.

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 7 July 2024 (23:55)

Sift: Expected to take place during week commencing 8 July 2024

Final panel interview: Expected to take place during week commencing 22 July 2024

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.

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.