About the job

Job summary

About the Government Legal Department

From energy to security, health to human rights, we help the Government deliver life changing law for citizens.

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.  

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

Job description

Finance, Operations and Digital Directorate

Finance Operations and Digital Directorate provide a range of services in support of GLD.

Working closely with Security and Digital, the Information Rights Team manages disclosures under Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation.

Requests for information can come from a wide variety of sources ranging from Insurance Companies, Solicitors, Courts, Police, Journalists, Researchers, Commercial Competitors, staff and the public. The department aims to deliver a high quality, timely and efficient service.

The team also provides Information Governance advice and training, conducts audits & privacy impact assessments, reviews data sharing agreements and contract; and supports data breach incident management across the Government Legal Department.

Good Information Governance is at the heart of everything we do. Building the safeguards to privacy through security, guidance, and promoting awareness of best practice wherever our people work is paramount in this information driven digital world.

Getting the basics of security right is as much about fostering a culture of good governance in our behaviours, as it is about having the best hardware and software tools.

By joining the Information Rights Team, you will play a pivotal role in helping the Department balance data protection requirements with the need for transparency and accountability 

Nick Price CBE, Director of Operations

The Role

Reporting to the Information Governance Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the Head of Information Rights and Data Protection Officer in fulfilling their independent statutory obligations and delivery of an Information Governance Framework

The Senior Information Governance officer will be expected to work independently, and be capable of applying their experience and technical expertise in the delivery of the IRT’s key priorities.

Supporting the development, delivery and management of a robust Information Governance Framework and programme within GLD. This will include:

• Delivering and implementing information governance policies and procedures;

- Providing tangible and pragmatic recommendations for increasing compliance that are prioritised and tracked to completion;

- Proactive engagement key stakeholders across GLD to support rolling assurance programmes and compliance with the framework

- Support the monitoring of compliance with UK GDPR and other data protection laws, our information governance policies, awareness raising, training and audits.

• Support the implementation and review of the department’s personal data breach procedure and advising on GLD’s response to personal data breaches. Act on behalf of the Office of the Data Protection Officer to advise the Department and ensure compliance with data protection and freedom of information legislation. This includes identifying when and where Data Protection Impact Assessments are required, contract reviews, drafting data sharing agreements and memorandums of understanding.
• Provide support to help ensure that GLD’s information and data are adequately defined, documented, managed, stored, processed, appraised, reviewed and disposed of in accordance with regulatory requirements and best practice.

Additional duties when required:

• Process the department’s response to Freedom of Information requests and provide advice/guidance on the application of FOI legislation (including exemptions, where appropriate), ensuring the responses are undertaken and issued within statutory timeframes. 

• Management and handling of individual rights requests (including Subject Access Requests) under GDPR/ DPA and escalate issues and complaints appropriately. 

• Any other duties and tasks as may be required, appropriate to the level of the Senior Executive Officer. 

Responsibilities

Essential Criteria

Experience

• Industry recognised qualification(s) in the field of data protection and information management such as CIPPe, CIPM, DDPC, PC.FOI.
• Practical experience of supporting stakeholders to meet their legislative and regulatory requirements and supporting operational activities spanning areas such as:  

- Information Assets, Information Asset Registers and Information Asset Ownership; 

- Data Sharing Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding; 

- Information and Records Management and;

- Data Protection Impact Assessments.  

• Demonstrable experience of stakeholder engagement management spanning an entire organisation or network, but specifically with key corporate stakeholders; 
• A track record of advising, influencing and communicating across an organisation or network, whilst projecting credibility and self-assurance; 
• Experience of supporting the development of frameworks, policies, plans, negotiating support and commitments from others and determining key priorities.  

Technical Skills

Strong and demonstrable technical and operational knowledge of legislative and regulatory requirements, spanning a range of: Working knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act 2000

• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (and regulations made thereunder);
• Guidance and codes of practice issued by any relevant authority
• Public Records Act 1958 (inclusive of FOIA s.46 Code of Practice.
• Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Information Regulations 2004. knowledge of the UK General Data Protection Regulations Act 2018

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of processing Freedom of Information and individual rights requests;
• Experience of using Microsoft Office Packages, case management systems and bespoke databases:  

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role.

You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview and/or selection stage.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

vMaking Effective Decision

vCommunicating and Influencing

vManaging a Quality Service

vDelivering at Pace

vLeadership

 Experience

vExperience (see Essential and Desirable Criteria)

Technical

Technical Skills (see Essential Criteria)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,728, Government Legal Department contributes £10,727 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.

Application

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

1.An online CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years, as part of the online application form. CV will be scored.

2.A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) outlining why you want the role and how you have demonstrated the Technical Skills and Experience listed under responsibilities.

Assessment

There might be competency-based test but to be confirmed. Candidate who are shortlisted will be provided further information ahead of time to prepare. The test will be assessing Technical Skills.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification.

Interview

Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in all essential criteria as listed in the Person Specification, alongside scenario-based exercises and strength-based questions. Candidates invited to interview will be given further information on the day and time to prepare.

vMaking Effective Decision

vCommunicating and Influencing

vManaging a Quality Service

vDelivering at Pace

vLeadership

vExperience

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interviews will take place remotely via video conference, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Offer

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible after the final interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months.  We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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.