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 Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a busy strategy and policy implementation unit of c. 100 people, providing direct support and regular advice to ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Life Sciences is a crucial pillar of the UK economy, supporting over a quarter of a million jobs and generating an annual turnover in excess of £94bn. The pandemic has hammered home the vital importance of the sector for economic growth and the future health resilience of people across the UK.

OLS leads the Government’s drive to make the UK a Life Sciences hub, with one of the most pro-innovation healthcare systems in the world and a prime destination for research, investment and innovation across medicines, medical technologies and digital health. This requires direct working with Ministers and their Private Offices, the NHS and industry to shape and deliver government policy.

Job description

The Access to Finance team sits within the OLS’ Manufacturing, Access to Finance and Skills (MAFS) deputy directorate.

Access to Finance team

To ensure the Life Sciences sector and NHS can thrive and tackle healthcare challenges, the UK requires a globally competitive Life Sciences investment ecosystem, where companies can access the funding needed for growth. 

OLS's Access to Finance team is leading high-profile policy work, aiming to unlock more private investment Life Science companies and making it easier for them to access the funding they need to scale-up in the UK. This is a unique opportunity to deliver real-world impacts for innovative UK companies and a top Ministerial priority. We are a collaborative, high-performing, project-based team meaning priorities change over time.

The postholder will work with industry stakeholders, senior officials and ministers in DHSC and DSIT to improve access to finance for the UK’s most innovative, high-potential companies by championing and driving forward OLS’ access to finance priorities and supporting relevant cross-Whitehall initiatives. This is a busy, priority role with considerable visibility across both departments.

Person specification

Role responsibilities

As a Senior Policy Advisor, you will be leading key elements of the Access to Finance teams' work, reporting to the Grade 7 Policy Lead and Grade 6 Team Leader for Access to Finance and Skills. The postholder will support on various components of OLS’s Access to Finance portfolio. Key responsibilities may include:

• Implementing the Access to Finance priorities set out in the Life Sciences Vision, ensuring alignment with other relevant access to finance initiatives across Government.
• Supporting HMT on the implementation of the Mansion House reforms announced by the Chancellor to unlock institutional investment into areas like Life Sciences.
• Overseeing the delivery of the £200m Life Sciences Investment Programme (LSIP), working closely with the British Business Bank.
• Influencing X-Whitehall policy teams to ensure OLS objectives are represented at the highest levels of Government.
• Engaging with industry, including Life Science venture capitalists, institutional investors (e.g., pension funds) and Life Science companies.
• Drafting and/or feeding into submissions, briefings and communications for Ministers, senior leaders and other policy teams.

Key skills and experience required for this role

We would love to hear from you if you:

• have experience building effective relationships across Government and with industry stakeholders.
• can demonstrate outstanding verbal and written communication skills, able to compellingly and concisely explain complex policy issues.
• are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and able to organise competing priorities to meet challenging deadlines.
• are able to rapidly understand complex policy issues and identify their wider implications.
• have experience in policy and strategy development, and programme management and delivery
• have experience briefing Ministers and senior leaders (desirable)
• have knowledge of the Life Sciences industry and/or investment ecosystem (desirable)

Flexible working location requirements

Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, normally Leeds or London. Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support. 

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need. 

There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.    

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 and Experience.

Sift date: W/C 13/05/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 03/06/2024

Interview location: By video.

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

Applications will be sifted on CV and Behaviours. 

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.   

An initial sift based on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing 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.

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.

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

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@dhsc.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.