About the job

Job summary

This is a Nationally based role

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Job Title:                 Senior Assessment Specialist

Band:                       SEO

Business Group:    MoJ Resourcing, Selection and Onboarding

Directorate:            MoJ People Group

Team:                      Occupational Psychology Services

Location:                National

Purpose

Support the Principal Occupational Psychologists and Head of Occupational Psychology Services in providing a pro-active and advisory/consultancy service to clients that meets business needs, is compliant with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and Occupational Psychology professional standards, and enables clients to attract the best talent in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Contribute to the development and delivery of psychological research and consultancy to MOJ Resourcing, Selection and Onboarding’s operational and tactical resourcing activities.

Provide advice covering all aspects of occupational psychology related to recruitment, selection and assessment across MOJ Group.

Responsibilities

• Line management of trainee occupational psychologists. Facilitation and supervision of their professional development.
• Conduct problem analysis and determine all the client requirements and issues to be addressed. Liaise directly with clients, keeping them informed in a timely manner.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of employee selection procedures, including psychometric tests, assessment centre exercises and structured interviews.
• Apply professional judgement and expertise in selecting robust, cost-effective and relevant psychological tools and techniques to meet client needs
• Provide up-to-date impartial, relevant and evidence-based advice to clients on the psychological and behavioural implications of their plans/practices.
• Provide theoretically-founded or evidence-based advice and guidance to clients on how psychological interventions can support their requirements.
• Liaise closely with the wider MoJ Resourcing, Selection and Onboarding team, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to meet client needs and deliver projects to required timescales.
• Oversee the design and application of psychological interventions, research and evaluation within their area of expertise.
• Design and deliver comprehensive training packages to train assessors, interviewers and role players
• Carry out complex statistical analysis and interrogation of data to quality assure assessment outcomes to ensure they are consistent, reliable, valid, free from adverse impact and legally defensible.
• Support wider MoJ People Group to provide Occupational Psychology guidance and/or research as required.

Required Experience

• Leading end-to-end projects within the consultancy cycle.
• Working with clients to diagnose issues and suggest strategies for change.
• Conducting job analysis and competency framework/Success Profile design.
• Conducting behavioural assessments and interviews.
• Designing and evaluating a wide range of assessment solutions, including interviews, assessment centre exercises, and online assessments.
• Using psychometric tools and ability tests for recruitment.
• Designing and delivering training courses.

Technical/Qualification Requirements

• BPS-accredited MSc in the professional category area of Occupational Psychology (https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist/accredited-courses)
• Test User: Occupational, Ability (or Level A equivalent)
• Test User: Occupational, Personality (or Level B equivalent)
• Good understanding of recruitment legislation and Occupational Psychology Best Practice and its potential impact on assessment delivery and design
• Good knowledge of statistics and competent in using SPSS

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Other Abilities

High level of verbal and written communication ability

Application process

Sift

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

Behaviours - Please provide an example of how you have met the behaviour listed below:

Managing a Quality Service (lead)

Experience:

• Statement of suitability – Please describe how you demonstrate the 'required experience' section of the job description. It is recommended that you cover each point individually.
• Please provide a CV.

Technical Skills:

• BPS-accredited MSc in the professional category area of Occupational Psychology (https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist/accredited-courses)
• Test User: Occupational, Ability (or Level A equivalent)
• Test User: Occupational, Personality (or Level B equivalent)

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Managing a Quality Service. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely. During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours, Experience, Technical skills, and Strengths from the success Profiles framework. You will also deliver a presentation (details will be provided to candidates invited to interview).

Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Experience:

• Leading end-to-end projects within the consultancy cycle.
• Designing and evaluating a wide range of assessment solutions, including interviews, assessment centre exercises, and online assessments

Technical:

• Good knowledge of statistics and competent in using SPSS.
• Good understanding of recruitment legislation and Occupational Psychology Best Practise and its potential impact on assessment delivery and design.

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.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. 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.