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 Medicines Directorate is responsible for the system wide approach to the regulation, pricing, supply and prescribing of medicines. We are responsible for the implementation and operation of two major branded medicines pricing schemes. We are also responsible for medicines shortages, and policy responsibility for prescription charges and exemptions and prescribing.

Job description

Medicines is very high-profile, with lots of media, public and parliamentary interest, producing some of the highest volumes of correspondence and parliamentary questions received by the department. This is a varied role, and no two days are the same.  The successful applicant will be working across the parliamentary and public accountability and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) sponsor teams in the medicines directorate.

Person specification

Working as part of a fast paced team, the post holder can expect to:

• Lead on ‘Department of State’ business for the Directorate through providing or overseeing accurate, timely replies including correspondence, media and FOI requests and oral and written Parliamentary Questions (PQs)
• Provide high-quality briefings and information returns to support Ministers in Parliament and beyond, and senior departmental officials and attend ministerial briefing meetings and provide support to ministers in the Chambers as and when required.
• Lead on MHRA sponsorship work including through providing secretariat for quarterly accountability meetings, supporting executive recruitment, and coordinating briefing.
• Work across the Directorate and with our ALBs to draft updated lines, secure clearance, and update core briefs.
• Work flexibly across medicines regulation and prescribing on short-term projects and to support peaks in activity
• Proactively look for ways to change and improve processes and ways of working.
• Build excellent working relationships across the Directorate, wider Department, other government departments and arms-length bodies.

Key Skills and Experience Required:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to synthesise complex issues into plain English.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to plan their own work effectively and mitigate against periods of high volumes of activity where possible.
• Being able to work to short deadlines, manage multiple priorities and respond flexibly to competing demands.
• Proven ability in developing effective working relationships with colleagues and across government and the department’s arm’s length bodies.
• The ability to analyse and use a range of relevant information from internal and external sources to support decision-making
• Adaptability, agility, and ability to pick up new issues at short notice, often with no prior knowledge of the area, and work across the branch/directorate as needed.

Medicine directorate challenges are constantly changing, and the post-holder will be asked to be flexible and will get involved in a number of other pieces of work as they emerge.

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, Ability and Experience.

Sift date: W/C 20/05/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 27/05/2024

Interview location: By Video

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

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

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. 

Candidates will be required to complete a Verbal Reasoning Test as part of the online application, this will follow immediately after the initial short application form is submitted. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the full application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended) to give yourself enough time to complete your full application. The closing date for the tests and for submitting your full application is 16/05/2024. If you fail to complete the online test and submit your full application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

An initial sift based on the Lead Behaviour, Delivering at Pace, and Statement of Suitability, 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 

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

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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 either level transfer or 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).

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.