About the job

Job summary

Job title – Soft Services Manager

Profession- Estates & Facilities  

Directorate – Science

Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours

No of Roles – 1

Contract Type – Permanent

Location – Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG

Working Pattern – Full Time /Part Time / Flexible Working

Grade & Salary – Grade SEO. National banding - £38,724 - £44,393 per annum

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Candidates external to the Civil Service but currently working a similar role can move across on their existing salary

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

Closing Date – 01/07/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

Interview Date – W/C 15/07/2024 Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Job description

The Estates, Engineering and Facilities (EEF) Department is responsible for engineering, maintenance, environmental sustainability, facilities services and capital works projects to the site to maintain safe, regulatory and compliant facilities to meet current and future business objectives. The combined departmental budget is in the order of £40M PA

The department’s function manages and controls a team of staff, both in-house and contracted staff to assure governance in the supply of engineering maintenance to fixed plant and equipment, building maintenance and engineering modifications to uphold the asset value of UKHSA’s Porton Down estate and facilities services to meet EEF’s business plan and the wider organisational needs.  The EEF Dept engages with the site’s stakeholders over current and future facilities, engineering and equipment maintenance requirements to ensure the site is safe and compliant operational and fully available to meet business needs

Job Overview

The Soft Services Manager will report directly to the Estates and Facilities Manager and be an intrinsic part in ensuring that all FM Service needs located on site are met effectively.

The post holder will work closely with the service providers on site to ensure the soft FM service standards are maintained at all times, and changes and improvements in service delivery can be implemented to the benefit of the site, and regular audits are undertaken. 

The Soft Services Manager will assist the Estates and Facilities Manager in financial accountability and contract management.

The post holder will play a key part in communicating with key staff around site to balance their requirements for operational space along with the overall estate plan for the site.

Main Duties of the Job

The Soft Services Manager will be responsible for:

• Ensuring consistently high standards of service delivery are maintained at all times. 
• Ensuring accurate records for emergency evacuation roll calls are maintained. 
• Contribute to tenders for the delivery of sub-contracted soft services on site. 
• Assist in the formulation of the operational processes and procedures for business continuity planning to cover the range of FM services across the estate.  
• Approve any soft services purchase orders, making necessary checks when appropriate.
• Coordinating the site's first aid and emergency response activities.
• Liaise with Finance Support Officer to manage all utilities bills for the site, including water and sewerage from a private water provider. 
• Manage the waste management service on site which is handled through a Soft FM provider, but includes the responsibility for an on site incinerator and the resilience required for this being unavailable. 
• Ensure robust contract management procedures are adhered to at all times for all FM services. 
• Chair the Fire Safety Group meeting and ensure the Emergency Response Team are well versed in site evacuation procedures, review frequently and update accordingly
• Lead an Accommodation Strategy Group to ensure key office space and operational requirements are communicated in the appropriate channels.

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role.  You shall be expected to carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

You should pursue a programme of continuous professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, whilst maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements.

You shall be expected to identify, discuss, and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan.

You shall also be expected to attend internal and external training events and participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e., fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

 

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

 

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals individual and external to UKHSA.  This will include:

Internal

• Estates, Engineering and Facilities Senior Management Team
• Directorate and Business leads in Porton
• Finance Support Officer
• Procurement and IT teams

External

• Principal Facilities Contractor
• Third party suppliers
• Specialist Contractors and Consultants
• Specialist regulators attending audits

 

 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

 

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Significant successful facilities management experience in a demanding environment, particularly in design and operations of scientific facilities, including experience at senior management level.
• Management / supervisory qualification or at least two years’ experience within a similar role.
• Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information; negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day to day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

 

Desirable Criteria:

• Significant knowledge of estates, facilities and building management systems, their implementation and management, e.g., CAFM, Planet, Maximo
• Emergency Planning experience.
• Knowledge of managing a large budget spend, involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes.
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
• Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
• Professional calm and efficient manner able to demonstrate a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,724, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 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

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed and sifted in line with the essential criteria.

 

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience

Stage 1: Application & Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 750 words. This should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the experience criteria or the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

Note: both your Statement of Suitability and Employer/ Activity history sections will be scored with equal weight in the sifting process. You must complete both to progress. If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview

 

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on behaviours / experience / technical / ability – through Success Profiles.

The 5 Behaviours you will be tested on are:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

 

Reserve List:

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Benefits

• Alongside your salary of £38,724, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/joining-the-pension-scheme/benefits-of-the-pension-scheme/
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Range of health and wellbeing support

 

DBS - People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.

 

This role is Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Government baseline personnel security standard

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:

• life sentences
• arson
• sexual offences
• hate and terror offences

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role

 

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

 

 

Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.