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

The Digital Strategy team works across the whole Digital and Technology group (DTG). We support the Director General for DTG, Permanent Secretary, and Secretary of State to set and maintain strategic direction and articulate priorities and key trade-offs.

We set the strategy for the digital landscape, push coherence across it, and ensure that gaps in our policy thinking, and opportunities to go further or do better, are not missed. We have a wide-ranging remit, leading on priority policy projects, including cross cutting or innovative new technologies, strategic resource planning, including DTG’s approach to all fiscal events, and driving DSIT’s leadership across government through proactive cross-Whitehall engagement.

We undertake short, incisive projects to develop policy on new digital issues arising, often including new analysis to break down complex challenges. We support the department to engage with the most forward-thinking and experienced external voices, ensuring our strategy and policies are evidence-based and future-focused. We pride ourselves on our friendly, supportive team culture, built by every member of the team.

The Digital Strategy team is seeking to recruit 1-2 SEO Policy Advisors. You will be leading high profile projects and work-streams: scoping the work, maximising its value, and ensuring it has lasting impact. You will undertake critical strategic duties for DTG, which could include running specific policy or corporate projects (e.g. scoping an emerging policy issue, strategic prioritisation, organisational design) or managing high-profile cross-Whitehall commissions.

The ideal candidate would be flexible and equally comfortable in a technical discussion with analysts and a broad strategic discussion with senior officials, including working closely with the Director General for DTG. We work with many teams across the department and across government, so a proactive networker skilled both at listening and persuasion will thrive in this role. You will be an excellent problem solver – capable of breaking down and structuring complex problems, analysing, and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information and thinking creatively to generate recommendations.

Depending on the profile of successful candidate(s), there may be some scope to tailor the role(s) to your background and interests.

• Delivery of policy and corporate projects and specific projects commissioned by the DTG Director General.

• Leading on researching and defining cross cutting emerging issues that affect the digital technology landscape.

• Providing clarity on these issues and understanding the impact of technological advancement on DTG’s policy areas, as well as the UK’s wider strategic and competitive advantage.

• Assessing the possible gap between existing policy interventions and what’s needed in the future with respect to technological innovations.

• Using this information to develop early policy recommendations for the DTG Director General, balancing political interest with departmental constraints to offer proportionate next steps.

• Collaborating with colleagues across the team effectively to deliver on key research output.

• Coordination, management, and delivery of DTG strategic priorities.

Person specification

Skills and experience 

Essential skills

• Ability to think creatively about complex issues at pace and take a strategic approach to policy or strategy development.

• Ability to build strong relationships within the team, with senior staff and with Whitehall and external stakeholders, and to use these relationships to achieve the right outcome for the department.

• Proven capacity to work independently and secure good decisions in often highly time-pressured and ambiguous environments.

• Ability to act as a leader for a work area, setting direction for staff and acting as an advocate for them where needed.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Desirable skills

• Experience working on digital and technology policy and/or understanding of digital technologies.

• Experience working in a government or private sector strategy unit; developing and implementing strategy in a complex policy area.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,860, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £10,116 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.

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 250 words) to briefly outline how you meet the required skills and experience.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Candidates will be sifted on the behavioural statements and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead-behavioural statement (Seeing the Big Picture).

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

The interview will consist of behaviours and strength based 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 26/02/2024

Interview dates: w/c 04/03/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

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 Energy, Security and Net Zero  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

DESNZ 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). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DESNZ 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.