About the job

Job summary

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers. As one of the largest employers of surveyors in the country, our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.

We champion the values of professionalism, integrity, respect, and innovation. We are committed to providing a collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages every colleague to contribute, grow and excel together. With opportunities to drive your own development and growth, we empower our colleagues to succeed by ensuring support at every step of their career journey.

Job description

Sector Leader - Local and Devolved Government and Viability – Role Overview

This is an excellent opportunity to lead high profile work and specialist teams, working closely with the Sector Head for Local and Devolved Government and Viability. This is a technical surveying and leadership role primarily involving project management of valuation work for national clients. As Sector Leader you will be responsible for managing and providing valuation advise to a large and diverse public sector client base and provide valuations for financial reporting purposes, regeneration, acquisition (purchase and lease), disposal, rent reviews and planning viability.

Sector Leader - Local and Devolved Government and Viability – Key responsibilities

The role involves providing valuation and property related advice to our Local Government clients, primarily on a regional basis but as required, nationally.

• Maintain and apply an advanced level of valuation surveying knowledge to casework activity and review of high profile or complex valuations and project management.
• Identify risks and issues and making recommendations on action to be taken.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and support to caseworkers within DVS, primarily on a regional and as required, on a national basis.
• Pro-actively market our professional services to existing and potential clients, developing and maintaining client relationships, ensuring customer satisfaction.  Identify and develop new products and services required by clients. 
• Act as an expert witness, appearance before arbitrators or submission of evidence to independent experts and Lands Tribunals where required.
• Support the Senior Management Team and work closely with Team Leaders in the transferring of skills across the sector to build capability and the delivery of agreed quality and timeliness targets. 
• Undertake highly complex and sensitive discussions and negotiations with property developers, planning officers and local councils and may require appearance as expert witness at planning appeals.
• Provide expert advice to clients on matters that may have a high public profile and often attract interest from the property press and local and national politicians.

Person specification

We are seeking a strong leader with extensive technical surveying knowledge, proactively kept up to date to ensure that accurate expert knowledge is provided across a range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will also remain up to date with external political, economic, social, technical, environmental, and legislative agendas to ensure that the agency is reflecting the current market circumstances and meeting client requirements.

Essential Requirements

• Full RICS and RICS Valuer Registered.
• An advanced technical surveying knowledge with strong understanding of development viability, case law, and codes of practice and professional RICS standards.
• Strong technical leadership and communication skills, able to build trusted and credible relationships with clients, peers, and direct reports.
• Strong project management capability, able to take the lead on large valuation exercises ensuring delivery to the client’s requirements and achieving full cost recovery.
• The ability to coach, support and provide feedback to individuals to improve their performance and achieve their potential.
• The ability to identify risks and propose solutions ahead of risks becoming issues.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Willingness to travel and be flexible on work areas undertaking work outside of their region. Some overnight stays may be required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,631, Valuation Office Agency contributes £14,750 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, Experience and Technical skills.

If you can meet our person requirements above, we are keen to hear from you.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

• A CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skills and experiences.
• A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the ‘Essential Criteria’ and ‘Person Specification’ outlined in the advert when providing your answer.

Sift - 7th June 2024.

• We will assess you on your CV, Personal Statement, Licences, Qualifications and Memberships. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Interviews - 24th June 2024. Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change. These will be confirmed should you be invited to interview.

Interviews are currently taking place using Face to Face at the Leeds Office. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.

• We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description, Strengths and Presentation.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

Presentation

You will be required to conduct a 10 minute presentation. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.

Please note that no IT will be available on the day. 

Application Hints and Tips

For more information on Success Profiles, tips on how to write a successful application and find out more about what’s involved in the application process please visit About the application process , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Further Information

A full UK Driving Licence is essential to this role. However, if you are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 and do not hold a full driving licence, we will consider your application. Please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk with your details to discuss this further.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to tell us which of the locations available you can work in. You will be able to specify up to 3 options. Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only.

Any move to VOA 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.

The VOA is an office-based organisation that supports flexible working. By default, everyone in the VOA is a hybrid worker with options to work in the office, at home or out and about, depending on the work they’re doing that day and where it’s best done.

VOA employees only:  If you are currently in receipt of DTA as a result of a VOA office closure/restructure and it is agreed for you to take up this role in your current location, you may continue to receive DTA for the remainder of the period you can claim for.  Please check with the Vacancy Holder on preferred locations for this role before you apply.

Pre-employment Checks

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.

If you would require a Certificate of Sponsorship from the VOA to undertake this role, please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk before submitting your application.

Reasonable Adjustment

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application,

• Please click here for more information: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
• Contact voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.
• 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.

Terms & Conditions

Voluntary terms apply.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 3-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

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

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

Concerns/Complaints

The Valuation Office Agency’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address: resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. 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.