About the job

Job summary

DSIT 

The responsibilities for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology for 2023 are as follows: 

• Positioning the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement. 
• Driving innovations that change lives and sustain economic growth.
• Delivering talent programmes, physical and digital infrastructure and regulation to support our economy, security and public services. 
• R&D funding. 

For 2023, our priorities are: 

• Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world. 
• Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent. 
• Put our public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people. 
• Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world. 
• Deliver key legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI. 
• Pass the remaining stages of the reformed Online Safety Bill to keep British people, especially children, safe online. 

Our Inclusive Environment 

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.  

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive. 

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process. 

Find Out More 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation? 

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/   

Job description

The Digital Infrastructure (DI) Directorate leads on digital communications infrastructure policy for the UK.  We play a leading role across government, delivering new commercial deals, policy and legislation, and work closely with No.10, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and key Whitehall delivery departments as well as industry and Ofcom to achieve this. 

The Wireless Infrastructure, Spectrum and Consumer (WISC) team within DI leads on the wireless communications aspects. 6G will be the sixth generation of mobile networks and is expected to be deployed from around 2030. It is an exciting time to join the WISC team, with the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy recently published. This Strategy set out Government’s vision and priorities for 6G, aimed at ensuring that we shape the next generation of telecoms so that it delivers for people across the UK and helps to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time.

The post-holder will help deliver our 6G policy activity. As set out in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, the UK’s 6G Strategy sits on a foundation of six pillars. The post-holder will help deliver against these pillars.

This role also entails significant amount of stakeholder engagement, both internally and externally. Within DSIT, we work closely with teams across standards, international engagement, spectrum policy, telecoms security and resilience, 5G and Future Telecoms. Beyond DSIT, we have extensive interactions with Ofcom and other Government Departments and Bodies, including FCDO and UKRI. We also engage with academia and industry to ensure a cohesive and collaborative approach to the development of 6G.

The post-holder will be responsible for building and maintaining key stakeholder relationships across 6G.

Key responsibilities

This is a policy role and post-holders will have the chance to think creatively about complex policy and take a strategic approach to delivering high profile, politically sensitive issues. They will provide policy support, including advice to ministers/ senior leadership as well as writing policy documents regarding some of our key policy priorities such as:

• Working with teams across DSIT to ensure that the UK is approaching standards setting, patent development, and spectrum policy in a way that is consistent with our priorities for 6G, as set out in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy.
• Supporting UK preparations for and attendance of international 6G meetings including those with other administrations.
• Contributing to ensuring that forward-looking telecoms R&D in the UK is supported and helping to shape 6G so that it meets our future connectivity needs.
• Supporting colleagues in the wider team on related policy and legislation as necessary.

Person specification

Skills and experience

• Evidence of sound judgement and delivering high quality work under pressure.
• A proven ability to take initiative in finding well-evidenced and innovative solutions to policy problems.
• Highly effective oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to build strong working relationships and engage confidently with senior and external stakeholders.

Benefits

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

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.

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.

Candidates should use their personal statements (in no more than 750 words) to explain how their personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of their suitability for the role in reference to the skills and experience highlighted in the job advertisement.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.  

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 18/12/2023

Interview dates: w/c 08/01/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

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

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

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

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /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.

Feedback

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.