About the job

Job summary

Our priorities  

Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.  

Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.  

Put public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.  

Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.  

Deliver legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.   

Our Inclusive Environment  

We have an inclusive culture which makes the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it helps us be more innovative. 

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.  

We welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion and fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.  

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation?  

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/ 

Job description

We have two challenging policy roles available in the Future Telecoms Technology Policy unit available at present, both at SEO level:

- 5G Diversification: Open RAN Policy & Strategy Lead.

- Telecoms Standards Policy Lead.

The Team:

Our team is a friendly unit of thirty people with an exciting and broad policy remit. Future Telecoms is one of the five critical technologies highlighted in the Government's Science & Technology Framework, which covers everything from ensuring the equipment in our 5G networks is diverse, resilient and secure, to planning for how new technologies, such as quantum and AI can be integrated into telecoms to enable future connectivity and digital innovations, like the meta verse.

As the Future Telecoms Technology Policy Unit we strive to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of the next telecoms revolution to: improve the lives of British citizens, drive economic growth, and ensure the security of our telecoms networks – which are part of our critical national infrastructure. We genuinely value our people and actively foster an open, inclusive and social team culture. We take regular time as a team to reflect on how we can support each other's well-being, ensure we benefit from all team members' experience and skills, and help each other's development.

We do not encourage a hierarchical structure - everyone in the team is visible and available for a quick chat on anything at any time. 

5G Diversification - Open RAN Policy & Strategy Lead:

This post sits in a sub-team of ten people responsible for delivery of the UK's 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy. The UK has a highly consolidated equipment 5G equipment market – concentrated on two companies – which risks the resilience of our networks, if they are exposed to supply-side shocks. In response to this, the Government has sought to support more suppliers entering the 5G market, including investing £250m in research and development (R&D) to accelerate open and interoperable telecoms technologies, such as Open RAN.

We sit at the crossroads of national & economic security, emerging technology, geopolitics and market economics. The role requires someone able to consider implications across all of these areas when designing policy that will help shape the future of the UK's digital infrastructure.

Three years on from the publication of the original strategy, the role holder will be responsible for developing the next stage of one of the three core strands of the strategy – accelerating the adoption of open and interoperable network technologies (commonly known as ‘Open RAN’). The role holder will design and implement policy proposals and initiatives to advance the adoption of open and interoperable technologies, building on and learning from the impacts of our existing £250m R&D investments to date.

You will work with colleagues from across government, senior industry stakeholders, academics and experts, and international counterparts to design a programme of work that will have a substantive real-world impact.

The current priorities for the role are as follows, but in keeping with the breadth of the team's work and as the team priorities evolve, there is scope to flex the role to align with interests and development priorities.

- Design, secure agreement for and implement evidence-based policies and initiatives that take the UK's ambitions for diversification of the 5G supply chain to the next phase, learning from our interventions to date, including R&D and market developments.

- Engage with senior and executive level industry stakeholders, and technical leads, ensuring that policy is informed by industry expertise, and that industry and government can align around shared objectives.

- Where funding is required to advance policy objectives, work across the unit, Department and with the Treasury to develop proposals for upcoming fiscal events, ensuring impactful and effective government spending.

- Work with analytical colleagues to design and monitor KPIs for the programme which can feed back into future policy making.

- Monitor the effectiveness of HMG interventions in support of telecoms diversification, track market developments, and horizon scan for risks and opportunities.

Telecoms Standards Policy Lead:

This post sits within our International and Standards sub-team.

Telecoms is a global market – with key decisions that shape the technology made at international standards bodies. The team focuses on forging new opportunities for the UK's telecoms sector through international engagement as well as driving up the UK's influence in the design and development of future telecoms technologies. Our aim is to advance both the Unit's diversification and future telecoms objectives through close working with international allies and industry.

We are at a significant moment in the development of telecoms networks globally. Industry bodies are beginning negotiations over what '6G' networks will eventually look like, enable and facilitate. The development of the technical standards underpinning this will determine how citizens, emergency services and others will be able to communicate into the future. This role will play a significant role in helping to articulate what 6G should look like and working to ensure the UK is positioned well to take advantage of that.

We are seeking to ensure that the global 6G vision supports the requirements of UK operators, the needs of UK citizens, and the UK's wider policy ambitions, including by influencing the development of key areas of 6G technology in line with our existing research strengths.

In this role you will be responsible for driving forward UK policy contributions to this international standardisation process. You will work with key bodies in the UK telecoms sector to contribute to the first stage of 6G standardisation, supporting the UK to make a greater impact on the next generation of telecoms networks. You will work closely with colleagues across the unit to identify challenges and opportunities to advance our broader policy agenda in international standards fora.

The role involves a good deal of autonomous work (with ample travel opportunities), collaborating across government as well as with senior industry stakeholders, academics and international counterparts. You will be at the coalface of translating our high-level policy goals into technical reality – helping to shape the development of 6G and other key communication technologies.

- Identify and exploit opportunities for the UK to influence the next generation of technical telecoms standards, in line with the team's, and wider departmental and government, priorities.

- Act as the principal interface with UK industry groups and research organisations on standards policy, liaising with senior counterparts in those areas and supporting them to drive contributions to telecoms standards development organisations.

- Work with our portfolio of R&D projects comprising universities, local government, start-ups and international organisations to encourage their participation in standardisation activity.

- Monitor key industry dynamics, horizon scanning and anticipating risks, formulating policy responses in response.

- Attend Standards Development Organisation (SDO) meetings internationally, advocating for departmental positions with some discretion, working with international partners and expert consultants, where appropriate.

- Develop coordination mechanisms for cross-government working on telecoms standards.

Person specification

Skills and Experience

We welcome applications from candidates from any background. Both roles entail the need to learn specific technical and process based details on the job, but you do not need to have existing knowledge of telecoms, telecoms standards, or a similar field to be considered. You should be able to demonstrate the ability to develop policy or strategy for both roles - but otherwise a willingness to throw yourself into a fast-moving, and sometimes complex, technical policy area is the only thing you need to get the most out of these challenging and rewarding roles. For each role there is some desirable experience, but you do not need to meet all of these to be successful in your application.

We would love to hear from you if you are able to demonstrate relevant transferable skills.

Essential:

- Ability to develop policy or strategy.

Desirable:

- An interest in emerging technologies – with telecoms experience desirable but not essential.

- Ability to communicate complex and technical concepts in a simple and effective manner for various audiences, including senior officials and Ministers.

- Confidence engaging with a range of stakeholders, including industry, academia, and representatives across government, including at a senior level.

- Ability to get up to speed quickly with technical issues, including working with technical experts and/or external contractors.

- Experience of working with international counterparts and an interest in geopolitical dynamics.

- Experience of working across government to coordinate activity, policy development or spending bids.

- Ability to plan and manage multiple pieces of work and competing demands effectively.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,860, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £10,492 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 Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to set out why you believe you would be a good fit for either role and our team. Please be specific as to how your personal experience and skills are transferable to either or both of the roles available.

Candidates will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement. 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour questions.

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time. 

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 04/03/2024

Interview dates: w/c 18/03/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). 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

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service and Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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.

Feedback

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.