About the job

Job summary

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) regulates external recruitment, including at the most senior levels, into the Civil Service and ensures it is fair, open and based on merit. We are looking for an individual to join our high-profile organisation based in the heart of Westminster. 

This is an exciting opportunity to work across the breadth of government and make vital contributions to the effectiveness of the Civil Service. This will include working with senior civil servants, government departments and the Civil Service Commissioners to ensure the Civil Service operates within the standards set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (2018), and upholds the values set out in the Civil Service Code: honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality. 

The team also supports the Board of Commissioners chaired by the Rt. Hon. Baroness Stuart, the First Civil Service Commissioner. We are an expert, friendly and impactful team with a highly collaborative ethos. Staff survey results reflect how the CSC and wider team place great emphasis on wellbeing and providing stretching career development opportunities. 

Job description

This is an important and exciting role in a small and high profile team. As Policy Officer, you will play a key role in the promotion of the Recruitment Principles and Civil Service Code, with responsibility for supporting the Policy and Operations Manager in the application of the Recruitment Principles and Civil Service Code, and engaging directly with senior stakeholders, Commissioners and the public.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the Policy and Operations Team in the development of policy materials for recruiting organisations and the public.
• Managing a caseload of exceptional appointment requests under the Recruitment Principles.
• Managing a caseload of complaints under the Recruitment Principles and the Civil Service Code.
• Managing the Civil Service Commission’s inbox, to ensure the provision of expert and timely advice to recruiting organisations across the Civil Service.
• Deploying excellent communication skills to work with a range of senior stakeholders, including Commissioners and officials in government departments, cultivating your own relationships where necessary. 
• Supporting the Policy and Operations Team in driving forward a new compliance programme across government, with a focus on the collection, validation and retention of recruitment data. 

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Ability to prioritise, with exceptional record-keeping and organisational skills.
• Critical thinking skills, enabling you to make judgements based on evidence and using codes and guidance.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with stakeholders, often at senior levels.
• Capable of drafting advice for publication, correspondence and briefings; adapting style as required.
• Attention to detail and the ability to maintain, interrogate and report on quantitative and qualitative data.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,000, Cabinet Office contributes £8,640 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 and Strengths.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete four 250 word behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide Behaviour Statements (250 words maximum per statement) for the four Success Profiles Behaviours listed below:

1. Making Effective Decisions
2. Managing a Quality Service
3. Delivering at Pace
4. Communicating and Influencing

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against the behaviours that are contained in this advert and strength based questions, the strength questions are ones in which we wish to gain your initial response. 

At the interview you will be scored on Behaviours and Strengths and appointments will be made in merit order.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 1 January 2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 15 January 2024
Interview location - 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ

Further information

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

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

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. 

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.

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

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

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.