About the job

Job summary

Levelling Up is the Government’s core domestic priority and this is your chance to join a high performing group aiming to ensure Levelling Up is delivered successfully. The newly formed Place Directorate within the Levelling Up Group aims to transform the way the government works with places to deliver levelling up across the country. We are recruiting for a Senior Policy Adviser to work on devolution funding, fiscal events and the Spending Review.

English Devolution team

We bring together and coordinate the government’s policy agenda on English devolution, including delivery of the mission to extend, deepen and improve devolution in England set out in the LU White Paper. We are recruiting for an SEO to help us deliver this work.

English Devolution is a friendly and collaborative team where working with others is a key part of the role. We support each other to deliver innovative policy in this exciting area of change.

Both teams are delivering high-profile areas of work at the heart of DLUHC. You will be working strategically across Government – including through close collaboration with No.10, HMT and the Cabinet Office – and, crucially, with local partners.

We particularly welcome candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in DLUHC, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities, those from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work

Job description

English Devolution

Within the devolution funding team, the successful candidate will lead on specific projects related to Devolution Deals, including the funding and monitoring of capital projects and control of the budget for investment funds. They will contribute to the development of the policy approach to building and funding capacity of devolved institutions, and support work on any future devolution deals. They will also play a key role in devising the funding strategy for future fiscal events and the Spending Review. There will also be opportunities to participate in horizon scanning/scenario planning.

Key responsibilities will include: 
•    Contribute to the development of the policy approach to building and funding capacity in devolved institutions to ensure they are sustainable and financially empowered - including ensuring consistency with the local government finance system and leading on fiscal events.
•    Managing processes on securing and administering multi-million pounds of capacity grant funding in line with HMT guidance and departmental standards. This will include leading on the development of regular business cases on a range of subjects, working closely with financial, commercial and legal experts as well as local partners.
•    Support effective monitoring and updating of budget forecasts to ensure that the Directorate lives within its multi-billion pound funding envelope and any variances or new cost pressures are identified promptly and treated appropriately.
•    Build strong knowledge and understanding of devolved institutions, how they function and are funded to advise on future policy.
•    Lead on specific projects related to the capacity of devolved institutions. This includes any capital projects agreed as part of future devolution deals or trailblazer deals.
•    Build strong connections with other relevant policy teams, including Local Government Finance, CLGU area teams and with key stakeholders including devolved institutions - e.g. combined authorities.
•    Be responsible for the drafting of the Annual Report on Devolution, laid in parliament each year, and other documents as required.

Person specification

We are looking for flexible, friendly and enthusiastic team members who enjoy learning new briefs and concepts. The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• An ability to work collaboratively and flexibly with others to achieve common goals, often to tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, and acting to reassess workloads and priorities when required.
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), including confidence at communicating through different methods and conveying important messages respectfully to stakeholders and colleagues.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the capability to break down and structure complex problems, and analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative information.
• Enthusiasm for getting to know local places and make a positive difference to them.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of working with external stakeholders, including local government.
• Experience in project/programme delivery.
• Interest and enthusiasm for devolution or local growth policy;
• Knowledge/experience of local government structures and/or public sector finance;
• Experience of policy development;

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,732, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £10,457 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 and Strengths.

We are for everyone

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.

We are for everyone

DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).

At application stage you will be asked to upload a CV document. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage.

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

When writing your application, remember:

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

 

At sift, we will be assessing

Behaviour 1 (lead behaviour): Making Effective Decisions

Behaviour 2: Seeing the Big Picture

Behaviour 3: Communicating and Influencing

Behaviour 4: Delivering at Pace

There is a 250 word limit per question.

 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:  

Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Ability - Short Written Exercise

Strength - The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Candidates invited to interview will be expected to complete a short written exercise. 

 

In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements:

Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Ability - Short Written Exercise

Strengths: Yes

 

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

  

SEO salary

• The salary for this role is £38,732 (National).
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges.

Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions. 

 

 

BENEFITS:

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to DLUHC 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

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.

 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

• Wolverhampton
• Manchester 
• Bristol
• Leeds
• Darlington*

 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.

 

sift and interview dates:

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 1 April 2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.

 

Reserve List

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.

 

Candidate Pack Information

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules

 

Internal Fraud Database

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register

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.