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.

DHSC invests significantly in research and development (R&D) to support the delivery of its objectives primarily through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 
NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Established in 2006, NIHR is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research and NIHR’s people, research programmes, centres of excellence and systems together represent the most integrated health and care research system in the world. NIHR has transformed research in and for the health and care sector, helping to shape the health research landscape more broadly.  

This is a fantastic opportunity to help drive forward health and care research policy for DHSC – working with delivery partners in the NIHR – in a role that is varied, challenging and frequently fast paced.

Job description

An opportunity has arisen in the Science, Research and Evidence Directorate of DHSC to influence the research ecosystem and develop national research policy and strategy that delivers patient and public benefit and contributes to UK growth.

The post holder will be part of a small team within the DHSC Research Systems Branch working in research policy and contract management, and work closely with delivery partners of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to ensure effective delivery and continuous improvement.

Person specification

Role Responsibilities

Research policy:

Leading and supporting a portfolio of NIHR research policy projects, in the areas of:

• research inclusion
• reducing research bureaucracy
• improving the ways partnerships with people and communities work in research, and
• improving how research is disseminated to maximise impact.

Evidencing NIHR’s approaches to discharging the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Supporting and developing the way in which the NIHR evidences and communicates its outcomes and impact to a range of stakeholders.

Contract and grant management:

Leading and supporting on the selection, assessment and management of commercial contracts, Government grants, SLAs and MOUs.

Research stakeholder liaison:

Acting as an ambassador for the DHSC research policy function to the wider research system, engaging with policy officials across Government and senior external stakeholders in the academic community, the research charity and commercial sectors and the health and care system.

Building relationships and sharing good practice with key research funding organisations to support prioritisation and development of NIHR research policy.

Supporting the secretariat to the NIHR Strategy and Engagement Board – a residential advisory board of health and care research leaders

Leading/supporting arising policy projects in line with Ministerial/CSA/DHSC senior official’s priorities:

The postholder will also need to help support and/or lead on a variety of research policy projects in response to arising needs from across the Directorate or from the Ministerial team.

Key skills and experience required for this role

Essential

• The ability to quickly build relationships with colleagues across organisational boundaries and to confidently engage with stakeholders to take account of their views.
• The ability to work at pace and produce high quality products to tight timescales
• Project management skills, including scoping, establishing, delivering and reporting on projects
• Evidence of robust analytical skills: being able to take information and evidence from a variety of sources in forming policy recommendations.
• The ability to present complex issues clearly and persuasively with excellent written and verbal communication

Desirable

• An understanding of the health and care system
• An understanding of the research environment
• Experience supporting the management of commercial contracts

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 and Experience.

Sift date: expected W/C 26/02/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 11/03/2024

Interview location: By video.

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

Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability, and a Behaviour.

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.

An initial sift based on the lead behaviour of Working Together 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.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available. 

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

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance

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.

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).

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

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. 

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.

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.