About the job

Job summary

The Civil Service Commission ensures recruitment into the Civil Service, including to the most senior roles, is done fairly and openly and according to merit. It also acts as the appellate body for complaints under the Civil Service Code.

You will lead a small team of 4 people with responsibility for the Recruitment Principles which interpret the requirement set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 that appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

You will use expert knowledge, analysis and judgement to work with senior official and teams across all Civil Service departments, making impactful decisions that uphold the requirements of the Recruitment Principles and the values set out in the Civil Service Code.

You will work with the First Civil Service Commissioner the Rt Hon Baroness Stuart and the Civil Service Commissioners to take forward their key policy priorities, and be directly involved in recruitment competitions to appoint the most senior roles in government - a truly unique opportunity for personal development.

We are an expert, friendly and impactful team with a highly collaborative ethos. Our excellent staff survey results demonstrate our great emphasis on well being and providing career development opportunities.

Job description

This is an important and exciting role within a high-profile, independent non-departmental public body.

The Policy and Operations Team sits at the heart of the Commission's work with Commissioners, departments and senior leaders. You will have a key role leading your team to develop policy, deliver services and lead on key projects.

Key responsibilities

• Line managing and leading a team of up to four policy officers to deliver a front line service which advises 70+ organisations across the Civil Service, ensuring the provision of expert, timely advice to recruiting departments. 
• Overseeing the team’s decision-making, with responsibility for particularly complex cases. 
• Ownership of the Recruitment Principles with responsibility for leading the development of policy positions and precedents. 
• Supporting the Senior Policy Lead, Senior Compliance Lead and Head of Policy and Operations to define ambitious strategic objectives for the CSC, and leading on the delivery of key elements of this plan. 
• Supporting the compliance team to drive forward an ambitious new compliance programme across government.
• Supporting the First Civil Service Commissioner to chair recruitment competitions to appoint to the most high profile roles in the Civil Service.

Person specification

Essential criteria: 

• Strong organisational skills; ability to balance multiple competing priorities, ensuring that key customers and stakeholders are kept informed. 
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to make judgements based on evidence within a framework of codes and guidance. 
• An inspiring line manager, with an ability to empower high-performing reports and shape their personal development. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with a range of stakeholders; at all levels including the most senior. 
• Ability to contribute to a positive team culture.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,500, Cabinet Office contributes £12,015 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.

Application process

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.

You will be required to submit separate behaviour statements for each of the behaviours listed in the advert. The maximum word count is 250 per behaviour. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions.

If successful at application stage you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 20 May 2024
Expected interview date - w/c 3 June 2024
Interview location - 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

Further information

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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter 

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.