About the job

Job summary

The successful candidate will hold a key role in Television and Broadcasting team (TVB). The team is responsible for a wide range of high profile policy areas that are priorities for DCMS Ministers and No.10, including supporting the UK broadcasting sector to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing media environment, and engaging with our public service broadcasters  including the BBC and Channel 4. 

The TV and Broadcasting team sits within the wider Media and International Directorate (MINT) which covers a broad range of work on sectors including: TV, radio, press, and advertising; as well as having a key role leading the department’s international work.  

We pride ourselves on our inclusive and respectful team environment, with ample opportunities to get involved in corporate work such as our social committee and staff networks. Our staff survey scores show positive engagement in all areas, with a high level of interest in our work. 

This is an exciting and stretching role working on the Future of TV Distribution project. This project will consider the future needs of UK audiences, the role of new technologies and the position of the television sector, to develop evidence-based policy options. 

The successful candidates will also contribute to wider work relating to TV policy. This includes supporting work on a range of topical and reactive issues with significant political interest and exposure; leading on emerging TV policy priorities; and responding to Ministerial and Parliamentary requests.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build experience of policy development, while working on a high profile policy area, with the potential to have a positive impact on people’s lives across the UK. 

Job description

The successful candidate  will lead on two key areas of this project: audiences and evidence. Key responsibilities will be as follows:

Audiences

• Lead policy work to understand the impacts of any change to TV distribution on different audiences, including those in disadvantaged groups, and how these might be mitigated in different scenarios. 
• Lead the process to commission and manage an audience engagement project in the 2024/25 financial year. 
• Lead the process by which the project team engages with different stakeholder groups that represent audiences. 

Evidence

• Lead work to develop a robust evidence strategy for the project while developing an in-depth understanding of the evidence base. 
• Lead our relationships with analytical teams to make best use of the evidence that we have, and to understand our future evidence needs.
• Work with others including Ofcom, other departments and industry players to understand and fill the gaps in our evidence base. 

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential requirements:

• Experience in working with complex evidence sources and combining a range of different evidence sources to come to a conclusion. 
• Experience of building and maintaining strong working relationships with those inside and outside of your organisation.  
• The ability to see the bigger picture, thinking strategically about the different policy options and their impacts.  
• A proven ability to identify, analyse and assess a range of evidence to inform effective decisions.

Desirable skills:

• Experience commissioning research or other similar projects. 
• Knowledge of broadcasting, telecoms or tech policy. 
• Experience in understanding consumer or audience needs. 

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Rosemary Banks, and will take place on:

29th April 4-5pm  

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,095, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £8,935 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.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 PM 6th May 2024 via the CS Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and potentially include a presentation which will be provided at interview.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Making Effective Decisions 
• Seeing the Bigger Picture 
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

As part of your interview, you may be asked to deliver a short oral presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets.

For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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  

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

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

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. 

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.

If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only., Prior agreement to be released on loan 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.

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one. 

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

Feedback

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.