About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.

The UK has an exceptional Life Sciences sector, and its continued growth – underpinned by Government Life Sciences Vision and the UK Vision for Clinical Research Delivery – is a fundamental pillar of the UK’s ambition to become a science superpower. A key driver of this growth is clinical research, which is an essential step in developing the next generation of medicines and medical technology, harnessing the power of the UK’s research infrastructure and delivering benefits to patients and the public worldwide.

The Commercial Clinical Trials team in DHSC are responsible for ensuring effective delivery of an environment where clinical research can flourish.

Job description

This post will support the development and implementation of a programme of work to make the UK a world leader in clinical trials and improve the UK's clinical research ecosystem.

The successful applicant will support G6 and G7 policy leads to ensure our governance processes are robust and to ensure smooth programme management of the sector's work to improve the UK's environment for commercial clinical research. They will also support the team to develop and deliver policies and initiatives to support this.

The successful applicant will need excellent organisational skills, be able to prioritise efficiently and keep track of and monitor progress on a wide range of issues to ensure work is prioritised and deadlines are met, underpinned by a strong programme management approach. They will also need a flexible approach to managing conflicting priorities and an ability to establish strong relationships with a wide range of people across government, the life sciences industry, academia, medical research charities and the NHS.

This is a fantastic opportunity to help drive forward UK clinical research in a developmental role that is varied, challenging and frequently fast paced.

Person specification

• Support the delivery of specific policies and initiatives to improve the delivery of commercial clinical research, to deliver innovative, efficient, and effective approaches for clinical trials, and enable the UK to lead globally.
• Building effective governance and assurance processes to oversee delivery of key priorities, including overseeing the Recovery, Resilience and Growth (RRG) programme management function, holding delivery partners to account and reassuring the programme’s Senior Responsible Office and our ministers. This will include managing the programme to ensure it meets its milestones and deliverables.
• Providing data and information to support the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the programme and of UK clinical research.
• Maintaining relationships with NHS England, the National Institute for Health Research, the Office for Life Sciences, research regulators, Devolved Administrations and across DHSC to enable effective programme management and delivery.
• Responding to parliamentary business and producing briefing to support senior colleagues and ministers.

Key skills and experience required for the role

Essential:

• Previous programme management and policy experience
• Excellent and persuasive written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational and management skills, with the ability to deliver against goals, targets, and deadlines and with the ability to work with colleagues across organisational boundaries.
• Robust analytical skills with an ability to take information and evidence from a variety of sources and to make policy recommendations based on a range of complex evidence and data.
• Strong interpersonal skills, capable of engaging with a wide range of stakeholders inside and outside of government with a proven ability to establish collaborative working relationships.
• Demonstrable ability to deal with ambiguity and deliver in the context of uncertainty, with an ability and willingness to flex approach as the needs of the programme evolve.

Desirable:

• Understanding of the drivers of commercial study placement in a competitive global market
• Understanding of the role health research plays in improving the health of the nation and its contribution to economic growth.
• Understanding of how the health and care system supports and delivers life sciences clinical research.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,025, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,806 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 and Experience.

Sift date: W/C 05/08/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 19/08/2024

Interview location: By video. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift. 

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores. 

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability, and Behaviours.

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 500 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

An initial sift based on CV, Statement of Suitability, and Lead Behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available. 

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance. 

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful. 

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above). 

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC 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

Reasonable Adjustment

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 dhscrecruitment.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 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.

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

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.

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. 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.