About the job

Job summary

The multi award-winning Open Innovation Team (OIT) is a cross-government unit that works with experts to generate analysis and ideas for policy. We operate like an in-house consultancy, working at pace across a wide range of policy areas, including health, growth, policing, justice, foreign policy, digital transformation and government innovation.

As a Senior Evaluation Advisor, you will play a key role in shaping our new cross-government Evaluation Service, delivering high-quality evaluation projects and working closely with the Evaluation Task Force and other partners to maximise the impact of this exciting new initiative.

Job description

Working with the Head of Evaluation, your primary role will be to deliver high-quality evaluation projects for customers across government. Responding to demand and tailoring your approach as needed, you will design and deliver impact, process and VfM evaluations that shape policy decisions and improve outcomes for citizens.

While delivering these evaluation projects, you will also be developing and delivering in real time the new evaluation services our team offers. You will do this by collaborating with colleagues to create and test new services, seeing which of these works and why before optimising to increase impact.  

Finally, you will also be responsible for helping to identify and agree new projects. You will proactively build networks across government, promote the team and pitch for work, helping to develop a community of satisfied customers that pays us enough to cover our costs.   

This is a fantastic opportunity to shape a new cross-government evaluation service, helping to build it from the ground up. Candidates must have detailed knowledge of evaluation methods and their application to complex policy questions, they must be able to deliver a high-quality service to our customers, and they must have the creativity and resilience to operate effectively in an environment that is more like a business start-up than a government department.

The Senior Evaluation Advisor will be responsible for leading and delivering high-quality evaluation projects, working with policy and analytical clients, and shaping a new cross-government service.

The successful candidate will have experience with a wide range of evaluative methods, quantitative skills/desire to learn quantitative skills and the ability to adapt and learn as challenges and opportunities arise.

Candidates must either already be part of, or be willing to join, one of the Government professions bodies within the Analysis Function such as Government Social Research, Government Economic Service or otherwise.

Person specification

We will assess applications against the following essential criteria, each of which will carry equal weight:

• Evaluation expertise: you must have a good understanding of most evaluation methods, with an emphasis on impact evaluation and quantitative methods. You should have experience in applying counterfactual methods (including QEDs) to complex policy problems and communicating those methods to policy clients.
• Delivering for customers: you will be experienced in leading and delivering projects on time and to a high standard, communicating with and managing customers as needed to achieve your objectives.
• Generating new business: you will be comfortable in making connections across government, promoting the work of the team, and finding opportunities to generate new business demand.
• Developing new services: you will adopt a test and learn strategy to developing new products/services that best meet market demand. You will be open to exploring new options for delivery and adapting to the needs of clients.
• Managing people and teams: you will line manage evaluation advisors, as well as working with colleagues across the team to deliver our services to clients.

Desirable Criteria

• Ideally the candidate should be proficient in either Stata, R or equivalent. If the candidate is not, then being willing to learn one of the above is essential.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision. 

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role. 

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.  

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Application

To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (1000 words maximum).

We will sift applications based on CVs and Statements of Suitability, assessing both against the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. Your Statement of Suitability should address all the essential criteria listed in the person specification section.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview and will also be asked to complete a written test.

The interview will last a maximum of 1hr. As well as the written test we will ask Experience based questions to further assess the essential criteria. We will also assess the required Technical skills.

The written test will follow the interview which will assess your technical skill of evaluation expertise. You will have 1h 30mins to draft an evaluation plan for a policy scenario that will be shared with you on the day. 

Other Information 

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates. 

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas. 

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.    

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated. 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location. 

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. 

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs 

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information. 

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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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. 

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/ 

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.