The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1500 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.

We are a small organisation with a big remit. We’re working to keep food safe and ensure that it is what it says it is, while helping to make it healthier and more sustainable. This is a significant undertaking, and our Culture and Development team is always looking at the best ways we can support our colleagues as they carry out their important work.

We are looking for an Organisation Design and Development Business Partner who can help us shape the future of the FSA through the optimisation of our culture, leadership, structure and processes. Working alongside colleagues to support major change programmes, you’ll take on a broad range of responsibilities. From providing OD expertise and acting as a ‘critical friend’ for business leads and senior leaders to giving support to the restructuring of teams and divisions, you’ll offer expertise and advice as we seek to make the most of our fantastic people across the organisation.

People sit at the heart of everything the FSA does, and you’ll provide strategic insight and planning in collaboration with partners across the organisation to ensure that everyone is supported in their work, and best positioned to help us deliver our important remit.

This pivotal role will enable you to work alongside senior leaders as you facilitate, challenge and coach them in order to manage complex matters of organisational design and development. You’ll be a champion of continuous improvement, capable of looking at the big picture and identifying opportunities for positive change.

If you are an excellent communicator and collaborator who is excited by the opportunity to support critical work to keep food safe for consumers across the country, apply today for this fantastic opportunity in a vibrant and progressive organisation.

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.

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.

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role. 

·         Organisation Development / Design or HR qualification at Practitioner level (level 5) or above.

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

·                 Lead criteria: Experience of leading and delivering organisational-level Organisation Design and Development Projects in either a complex organisation or consultancy role.

·         Experience of successfully designing and facilitating workshops for a range of stakeholders at all levels using OD&D methodologies

·         Experience of working with senior leadership teams to improve their effectiveness through a range of behavioural and organisation development practices such as process mapping, operating model design and behavioural interventions.

·         Evidence of excellent data analysis skills, evaluation and effective communication of findings.

Lead Criteria 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 elements.

Experience

·         Experience of leading and delivering organisational-level Organisation Design and Development Projects in either a complex organisation or consultancy role.

·         Experience of successfully designing and facilitating workshops for a range of stakeholders at all levels using OD&D methodologies

·         Experience of working with senior leadership teams to improve their effectiveness through a range of behavioural and organisation development practices such as process mapping, operating model design and behavioural interventions.

·         Evidence of excellent data analysis skills, evaluation and effective communication of findings.

Strengths

We will also assess you against a number of Civil Service Strengths – these are not disclosed prior to interview.

Assessment exercise

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to undertake a briefing exercise. Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 18 March 2024

Sift: Expected to take place 19 – 22 March 2024

Final panel interview: Expected to take place during week commencing 8 April 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.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

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.