About the job

Job summary

How would you like to be a part of a new and growing team at the forefront of making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran? This is an exciting opportunity to join the OVA as it increases its outreach and engagement activities.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a talented and passionate individual to coordinate veteran support and manage high profile engagement across Northern Ireland. Working with a range of senior stakeholders, including national and devolved government, local authorities, academics, charities and the private sector, you will help ensure that veterans and their families in Northern Ireland can access high quality services that meet their needs. Our ambitious agenda will help bring the very best out of you and enable you to demonstrate your capabilities in a complex and fast paced environment.
You will be a pivotal member of a small team, working collaboratively to realise the Strategy for our Veterans in Northern Ireland. You can expect to manage your own project(s) that support departmental change initiatives and to manage senior stakeholder relationships internally and externally. This is a varied role, which will involve working sensitively and with a degree of autonomy.

There will be a requirement for travel throughout Northern Ireland.

Job description

Establish a visible, engaged and collaborative OVA presence in Northern Ireland, raising the profile of the department locally, promoting awareness of veteran
initiatives and services, and attending relevant local fora and events.
● Build, manage and maintain high profile relationships with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, other regional and local bodies, and academia to
improve understanding of the local veteran community and their needs, and promote their value to society.
● Develop links with veterans and veteran groups, helping to build an authentic evidence base that supports wider OVA activity, especially in respect of policy
development.
● Support the coordination of statutory and non-statutory support services across Northern Ireland, ensuring high quality services are available, accessible and meet
veterans’ needs.
● Support the coordination of the work of Veterans Champions in local authorities across Northern Ireland, providing opportunities to share intelligence and best
practice.
● Devise and implement local plans that deliver high quality local solutions aligned with the Veterans Strategy Action Plan and Ministerial interests and priorities.
● Develop and deliver regular engagement products, such as network events and newsletters, and support sector specific events.
● Monitor, analyse and report on local policy developments, initiatives and welfare trends, working closely with OVA colleagues, as well as officials in other
government departments.
● Collaborate closely and routinely with OVA policy, strategy, research, data and communications colleagues to ensure the needs of veterans resident in Northern
Ireland and any differences in services are appropriately reflected in national initiatives; and that Northern Ireland specific policies and communication campaigns are developed and supported, as appropriate.
● Prepare briefings for senior OVA officials and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs on matters concerning veterans in Northern Ireland, and support Ministerial visits.
● Act as the OVA lead on legacy related issues, including being the point of contact for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery
(ICRIR).

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

● Experience of working in an extensive and varied stakeholder environment.
● Excellent strategic and political awareness, with an ability to make sound decisions in a complex and sensitive operating environment.
● Excellent communication, collaboration and influencing skills, both written and verbal.
● Strong strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills
● Ability to build positive and credible relationships across a range of stakeholders both in Government and with external partners.
● Good organisational skills with a demonstrable ability to work independently and manage multiple competing priorities at pace.
● Experience working with national and/or devolved government.

Desirable Criteria:

● Experience working with the Armed Forces community.
● Experience in policy and strategy development across government Personal Attributes & Skills.
● You will be a self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills who is confident in engaging and working with external stakeholders to build effective and trusted
relationships.
● A strategic thinker, you will enjoy problem solving and you will compile, assimilate, distil, interpret and present evidence and options, drawing upon experts as
appropriate.
● You will be a strong communicator, both written and orally, and be confident writing for a variety of audiences, including preparing briefs for colleagues, seniors and
Ministers.
● You will present to a high standard and be able to summarise key messages for different audiences.
● You will have a strong interest in and focus on continuous learning and be open to innovation and keeping your knowledge and skills current.
● You will be personally resilient, flexible and a good team player, bringing people together to form a motivated network that enables positive policy outcomes.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £27 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 your application you will be asked to provide a name-blind CV detailing your job history and qualifications, 500-word Personal Statement (including any skills and experience which meets the desirable criteria) as well as, a 250-word statement on the lead behaviour (Communicating and Influencing). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The Personal Statement should outline your suitability for this job role. Please pay particular attention to the person specification when writing your statement. This section will be used for the sift to assess your suitability to be invited to an interview. You do not have to refer to the Behaviours element in your statement. 

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

Selection process

The interview process will assess the Behaviour and Strengths elements of Success Profiles. We would generally expect answers to follow the STAR or CAR structure and encourage candidates to use this during the interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date - w/c 29th Apr
Expected interview date/s – w/c 6th May or w/c 13th May
Interview location - Virtual via MS Teams 

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

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 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.

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

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.

Further information

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

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

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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

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.

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.