About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Would you like the opportunity to play a leading role in supporting Ministers to deliver for Scotland and its devolution settlement?

The Scotland Office (SO) is recruiting a SEO Senior Policy Advisor to join the Constitutional Policy Division.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who has experience in a policy environment or equivalent and is keen to take a leadership role while collaborating and building trust in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be expected to lead on a wide variety of legislative work including policy, strategy and stakeholder management. They will be expected to manage a portfolio of primary legislation from several Government departments, providing advice to Bill teams on the Scottish devolution settlement and the process of seeking legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament. You will also be expected to support the Secretary of State in his role as a member of the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee with regular briefings and advice.

The role is stretching and will suit someone who is enthusiastic and proactive, with some experience in a policy environment or equivalent, who wants to take the next step in their career. The role may be based in either of our London or Edinburgh offices. The role will have opportunities to directly support Ministers and you will develop a detailed understanding of the devolution settlement, working closely with the senior leaders across Whitehall, the Scottish Government, Scottish stakeholders, the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and Special Advisors. Applicants should  have a keen interest in the contemporary political and devolution landscape.

Occasional travel between London and Scotland will be expected. Travel expenses will be provided in line with Civil Service protocols.

Main responsibilities will include:

• Working across UK Government departments on their primary legislation, providing advice on the application of the policy/legislation to Scotland. This will involve working with Scotland Office Ministers Special Advisors and senior leaders to drive forward and resolve devolution issues so far as they relate to Scotland.
• Support the Secretary of State in his role on the Parliamentary Business and legislation Cabinet Committee. This will include drafting written and oral briefing and advice in a clear, concise and timely fashion for Ministers and officials.
• Maintaining relations with other UK Government departments whose work has policy implications, ensuring effective SO input in to cross UK Government policy work.
• Working with colleagues on routine strands of work, including on briefing for Ministers and on Parliamentary work, including PQs, Oral Questions, and debates in Parliament, FOI requests

Background

SO supports the Secretary of State for Scotland in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures Scottish interests are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK Government, and the UK Government’s responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Scotland.

In SO, you’ll get a huge range of opportunities to get involved in interesting and exciting pieces of work. We are part of the UK Governance Group, which brings together DLUHC’s Constitution Group, Wales Office, and the Office of the Advocate General (the UK Government’s Scottish legal advisers). The role is a great opportunity to take the next step in your career and in particular, develop the following skills:

• Detailed understanding of devolution and the constitutional structures of the United Kingdom;
• Briefing a Secretary of State and other Ministers and working closely and frequently with Special Advisors, supporting high-profile areas of policy development.
• Working at pace with colleagues across the UK Governance Group and Whitehall to deliver policy outcomes.

Essential criteria

• The ability to build strong relationships with colleagues across organisational boundaries to deliver business objectives.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to distil complex technical and policy information at pace into key messages to either Ministers or senior managers.
• Excellent policy skills, including ability to analyse and use evidence to draft advice and briefing to Ministers or senior managers.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.