About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting and unusual opportunity for an Operational Researcher, Analyst or Systems Practitioner to shape policy and delivery of a major cross-government reform programme, to make a tangible difference to the way that major infrastructure is delivered in this country. The role sits in the Planning Infrastructure division in the Planning Reform and Housing Quality Directorate. The division is currently leading work across Government to deliver system wide reforms to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) planning process that were announced in the NSIP Reform Action Plan (February 2023). Our programme supports critical Government ambitions around net zero, energy security, and levelling up through the delivery of critical national infrastructure.

This ambitious programme involves working across Government, including Ministers and Officials from other government departments, and with delivery agencies, such as the Planning Inspectorate, Natural England, statutory consultees and communities, to improve processes that work for our wide range of stakeholders who engage with them. The post holder will bring systems thinking, soft operational research skills, and analytical expertise and insight to an expanding, and high performing, multi-disciplinary team. You will work as a lone, embedded, analyst, in a small team lead by a G6 Project Management professional supporting the reform programme from a cross-Government perspective, with links to a small but growing OR community.

Job description

The role will require application of OR to the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the NSIP regime. You will be required to formulate and produce innovative projects or to help colleagues to do so, assess and constructively challenge proposed projects and ensure evaluation of projects and other work is undertaken. The role will also involve constructive challenge to existing working cultures and processes, including those of DLUHC, the Planning Inspectorate and other Government departments, including HMT, DESNZ, DfT and Defra, and Government bodies.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversight and design/delivery of the evidence-based reform programme, drawing on evidence from across Government, which will identify and deliver improvements to the NSIP regime. You will also gather intelligence and evidence from current users and stakeholders in the regime.

• Setting up and delivering the evidence and evaluation strategy to support the reforms, and Ministerial accountability; and advising other stakeholders how to do this effectively for reforms on which they lead.

• Maintaining and further developing the effort to create a cross-Government pipeline of future Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects so that it meets user requirements. This pipeline is both intended to cover spatial and time dimensions.

• Further developing the reform programme's system performance understanding and assessment.

• Collaborate with other teams in a proactive way to support them and develop solutions for them.

In DLUHC, we have a small but growing OR community and together we strive to provide great impact with OR in the department. We have strong networks across the community to enable us to better share knowledge and skills and have a strong focus on developing more tailored OR L&D opportunities. We encourage all ORs to look for opportunities to utilise and develop their technical skillsets. There will be opportunities for you to draw upon wider expertise within the department and to ‘buddy’ up with senior ORs. We will also support you in developing your networks across the wider GORS community. The post holder also can link in with DLUHC’s analytical community, including analysts working in planning policy teams.

Person specification

The successful candidate will need to be able to:

• Work across departmental boundaries building positive/effective relationships, bringing stakeholders together and working successfully with them to deliver transformational changes to the NSIP process

• Confidently and constructively challenge existing working cultures and processes, drawing on a range of evidence and techniques to bring about sustained systemic change

• Play an active role in the policy team, helping to inform policy development from analysis and taking on responsibility for the delivery of corporate tasks as required

• Lead new analysis on the effectiveness of the NSIP regime, using creative and innovative methods to map/understand the current process, identify and prioritise improvements.

• Gather and interpret a wide range of evidence and effectively turn it into clear and succinct conclusions, drawing on appropriate data visualisation methods where necessary.

• Credibly build and maintain strong working relationships with policy and analytical colleagues to understand data requirements

• Work with data providers and users of the major infrastructure planning system internally and across government using sound judgement to identify and assess the suitability of existing data sources

The Essential Analytical Skills for the role include:

• Strong stakeholder management skills – ability to work with a range of expert stakeholders across a number of different departments and agencies and the charisma to bring them together

• Problem Formulation – experience of scoping complex problems, breaking them down into the key issues • Process re-design – awareness of soft OR approaches used to map a process and identify where improvements could be made

• Flexibility – ability to monitor impact of process changes made and change approach if needed

The successful candidate will either be a member of the Government Operational Research Service (GORS) or meet the criteria for entry to this profession if they wish to apply as a badged analyst:

• Hold a 2:1 in a numerate subject or a 2:2 in a numerate subject with relevant work experience

• Meet the GORS competency framework for Grade 7

Analysts in DLUHC must be affiliated to a Government analytical profession.  

Stage 1: Filter and eligibility questions, entry tests 

Candidates who successfully pass the initial filter and eligibility questions will be asked to confirm which of the analytical professions they belong to or are applying to be part of.  This information will be used to progress successful applications to the appropriate professional checks element of the process.  

Existing civil servants who are currently a member of one of these professions will retain their professional membership in this role.  Applicants on promotion will be assessed for promotion within their profession as part of the selection process.  Please make any current affiliation clear in your application.  

External candidates or civil servants without a current profession affiliation may be considered for accreditation to one of the professions as part of the recruitment process.  If you are not currently a member of a government analytical profession you will be put through the membership process for your chosen profession as part of this application.  You must pass the membership process for your application to be successful.  If you do not pass the relevant profession entry test your application will not be taken further.  See the Guide for Analytical Candidates document for more details of the membership process for the relevant profession.  

You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview. 

Please refer to the Guide for Analytical Candidates which provides: 

1 - The technical competences for each analytical profession 

2 - details of the entry requirements to each analytical profession 

3 – details of the entry process for each analytical profession 

 

Entry Qualifications  

The entry qualifications are listed below.  Please list FULL details of your degree in your application form. 

Government Operational Research Service (GORS): 

2:1 in a numerate degree (the rule of thumb is that at least 50% of the studied modules must have mathematical content). 

Applicants with a 2:2 degree may be accepted but they must show wider skills and experience relevant to Government OR.  For instance, a Masters qualification in OR would be considered sufficient evidence of the wider skills and experience that we are looking for. 

Competencies 

You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview. 

Professional technical competences are listed below: 

Operational Research competences 

Operational research: Sustaining and developing operational research professionals and professionalism 

Operational research: Knowledge and application of operational research skills 

Operational research: Achieving impact with analysis 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,934, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £14,022 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 Technical skills.

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.  

We are for everyone 

DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.  

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).  

At application stage you will be asked to upload a CV document. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage. 

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.  

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. 

When writing your application, remember: 

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.  
• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.  
• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!) 

At sift, we will be assessing 

Technical (lead element) - Please explain how you have, or would, achieve system wide understanding of a policy area/operational environment through analysis using operational research techniques

Behaviour 1 - Seeing the big picture

Behaviour 2 - Communicating and influencing

Behaviour 3 - Delivering at pace

There is a 250 word limit per question. 

 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:    

Behaviour – Seeing the big picture, Communicating and influencing, Delivering at pace, Working Together

Technical - Technical questions will be based on the analytical competences as listed in the advert

Candidates invited to interview will be expected to complete an oral briefing exercise as part of the interview process.  The oral-briefing exercise is designed to simulate aspects of the job to be performed and provide a second basis for assessing the behaviours and competencies required in the job. 

The oral briefing is usually part of the professional requirements as government analytical professions require an oral briefing as part of the entry or promotion process.  The briefing will take one of the following forms: 

1.  A prepared on the day presentation to the interview panel which will be followed by questions from the panel.  You will be provided with all the information to use for your presentation on the day of your interview.  You will be given up to 45 minutes to read this information and prepare your presentation. 

OR 

1.  You will be provided with a question in advance of the interview and asked to prepare a presentation of a specific length addressing this question.  This presentation will be followed by questions from the panel. 

Candidates invited to interview will be given full instructions on the presentation being used. 

The presentation will be followed by a 45 minute competency based interview. 

In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Behaviours: Seeing the big picture, Communicating and influencing, Delivering at pace, Working Together

Technical: Technical questions will be based on the analytical competences as listed in the advert

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign. 

 

Grade 7 salary 

• The salary for this role is £57,091 (London) or £51,934 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 
• In addition, subject to membership of the appropriate professional body, a non-consolidated analysts allowance of £3,500 pa will be paid.

Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.   

 

BENEFITS: 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 
Any move to DLUHC 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 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

  

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: 

• London 
• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington* 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

 

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place from 19/02/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

Reserve List 
 
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

 

CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): 

Important note 

 
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 
 
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you. 
 
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register

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.