About the job

Job summary

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates  

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education

About Policy Lab

Policy Lab is a multidisciplinary team that brings together expertise including in policy, lived experience research, systems thinking, futures, art and design. Working in the Lab offers unique exposure to a range of important and interesting policy issues. Since 2014, the team has run more than 200 policy innovation projects with a wide range of teams across government and beyond. Policy Lab creates compelling and innovative project outputs, including visualisations, films, digital experiences, workshops and exhibition design. The focus of recent projects has included system change to produce better outcomes for people facing multiple disadvantage, achieving net zero in last mile logistics, and developing new plans for managing fishing stocks.  

Policy Lab operates on a 100% cost-recovery basis. This is an innovative commercial model inside government and means that the Lab earns all of its income through paid project commissions.

More about Policy Lab and our projects can be found on twitter @PolicyLabUK or on our blog: https://openpolicy.blog.gov.uk.

Please note that the advertised role sits within the Department for Education, but in a team that acts as a cross-government service. This means you may only occasionally work on Department for Education policy areas. 

Job description

The UK's Policy Lab is an exciting and inclusive organisation that sits within the Department for Education, working across the whole of government and beyond. Our mission is to radically improve policymaking through design, innovation and people-centred approaches. 

We are looking for a dynamic Senior Producer to play a key role in the delivery of Policy Lab’s varied portfolio of innovation projects and initiatives within government. You will be instrumental to our portfolio delivery, playing both a key role in larger multidisciplinary project teams and leading your own projects and areas of work, enabling Policy Lab to deliver world-class policy innovation. Policy Lab is a high energy and inspiring workplace, and you will need to be adaptable in carrying out a range of activities. You may come to the team with an area of specialism such as social research, ethnography, design, or technology or you might have a generalist background suitable for a range of project leadership and delivery tasks. This role can be London-based or located in the Department for Education’s Leeds, Manchester or Bristol offices. 

The Senior Producer is a varied and fast-paced role. You will bring your excellent project skills, as well as your creativity, to a range of tasks within Policy Lab’s highly innovative projects. You will both lead and contribute to project teams, offering your specialist experience to the design and delivery of projects, or leading and working with others if you have a generalist background. You will contribute to business development and build strong relationships with policy teams, commissioners and other innovators. Where relevant to your interests and skills, you will contribute to advancing Policy Lab’s innovation practice. You will also play a part in the wider operations and smooth running of Policy Lab, alongside all team members. Our project teams are typically 4-5 people and projects can run from 2-8 months; you may work on more than one project at a time and within any given year you can expect to work on several different policy areas and other team initiatives.  

To ensure that our ground-breaking practices can be integrated into civil service policy and delivery environments, Policy Lab includes people with a mix of specialist skills and experienced policymakers from departments. You may come to the Lab with a specialism or creative practice of your own, you may also be a generalist interested in contributing to policy innovation projects more broadly. We are open to applicants in both situations.  

Responsibilities 

Roles in Policy Lab are highly varied, you can expect to undertake most of the following activities at different times, although this will depend on your skills and the needs of the project teams you are working with and other requirements: 

• Leading innovation projects from within the Policy Lab and managing small multidisciplinary project teams to do so. This might include a range of activities from the design and delivery of project methodologies to data management, team oversight and managing relationships with commissioners from policy teams across government.  
• Contributing to larger Policy Lab projects as part of a mixed teams, offering generalist or specialist input (e.g. ethnography, design, technology) as relevant. This might include leading and delivering parts of projects (e.g. research phase), providing policy analysis and report writing or leading the design of project-specific artefacts.
• Contributing to Policy Lab business development by both leading and offering input to project proposals. You will also build strong outward relationships with commissioners, potential commissioners and others in the wider policy and innovation communities within government and beyond. 
• Designing and delivering shorter catalytic projects and training in collaboration with other Policy Lab colleagues. As part of our business model, the Lab runs shorter interventions such as sprint projects and training events, alongside your project work you will be part of small teams designing and delivering these initiatives. 
• Supporting the development of Policy Lab’s multidisciplinary practice, either by pursuing your own specialism or by working closely with experts in the Policy Lab team to embed specialist innovation practice into policy projects and our other initiatives.
• Amplifying Policy Lab’s work across government and externally, by contributing to our blog, events and other presentations or communications. 
• Playing a role in team operations and corporate requirements, such as recruitment, when needed. 
• Managing and developing people within the Lab, when required, including permanent members of staff, Interns, PhD placements and suppliers.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Experience of project leadership and delivery  
• Experience of or proven interest in innovative approaches to policymaking  
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary environments with a range of experts from different specialisms and backgrounds  

Desirable criteria: 

• Specialist or innovation expertise such as ethnography, design, technology or another area of creative practice 
• Experience of working in government policy  

Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie break situation to make an informed decision.

The candidate must be willing to undergo or hold Security Check vetting.

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

Application

To apply for this role we will ask you to submit a CV and a 500 word personal statement of suitability.

The personal statement should demonstrate your experience in relation to the ‘essential criteria’ listed above, as well as telling us more about you and the values and motivation you would bring to this role. 

We will sift on your CV and Statement. Should we receive a high number of applications, we will perform an initial sift based on the experience you outline in your personal statement. 

If your application is selected for interview, you will be invited to a video interview.  

Interview

During the interview, you will be asked to provide further evidence of your experience and will be questioned on your strengths. You will also need to prepare a 5-minute presentation, using any or no props/materials as you wish, to answer:  

“What would your skills, experience and interests offer to Policy Lab projects in the role of Senior Producer?” 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. 

Other Information

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.   

DfE cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DfE holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

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

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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.

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/

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 security 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.