About the job

Job summary

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett, a retired Appeal Court judge, was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chair of the independent public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was formally established in June 2022 with full powers under the Inquiries Act 2005. The Inquiry sits independently of the Government with the Cabinet Office acting as the sponsoring department.

Following an initial set up phase the Inquiry began hearing evidence in May 2023. We are now looking for an energetic and collaborative person to join the excellent team that is delivering the Inquiry.

This is an exciting role, offering the opportunity to work as part of an innovative team, in fast-moving circumstances, to ensure lessons are learned from the UK response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further information about the Inquiry can be found on the UK Covid-19 Inquiry website.

Conflicts of Interest

Please note that candidates invited to interview will be invited to declare any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interests which could affect the independence of the Inquiry, in confidence, to the senior conflicts of interest recruiting manager. This may include current or prior work undertaken on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Decisions on any potential conflict of interest will be made before an appointment to the role is confirmed.

Job description

The Team

The Estates and Operations team within the Inquiry is an inclusive and close-knit team of five, led by the Head of Estates and Operations. The team oversees the running of the Inquiry’s permanent and temporary hearing and office spaces, with particular focus on running the hearing centre during preliminary and evidentiary hearings.

We are looking to recruit into two of our current posts, which lead Front of House delivery, staff and suppliers in-person at the Inquiry’s hearings, and ensure that the Hearing Centre and office spaces are effectively and well run.

The Estates and Operations team is part of the People, Operations & Finance Directorate in the Inquiry Secretariat, and works across the entire organisation. The Directorate also covers a range of corporate functions including HR, finance and commercial, and support and safeguarding. It sits alongside the Programme and Information Management Services Directorate, the Policy, Research, Analysis and Legal Operations Directorate, the Communications and Engagement Directorate and the Inquiry's legal team.

The Role

You will engage with attendees at hearings, Inquiry staff and suppliers to deliver the Inquiry’s hearings and its office space, as well as other key operational priorities, reporting directly to the Head of Estates.

You will work with teams from across the Inquiry work to drive successful delivery of our estate and operational priorities. The role sits alongside and mirrors another SEO role and both cover two key areas:

• Working at the Inquiry’s hearing centre while hearings are running, leading the Front of House and Estates engagement and delivery.
• Effectively delivering a well-run building, including the hearing centre and office spaces

Some of the key responsibilities include and are not limited to:

• Planning for, engaging with and coordinating staff and suppliers to run the Front of House operation at the hearings centre.
• On-the-day engagement, dealing with the general public, legal teams and the media that attend the hearings on a daily basis.
• Developing and managing our hearings and operations systems, processes and policies such as the public registration system, the Notify system, Covid and other policies.
• Preparing guidance and briefings for staff and visitors at the hearing centre and in offices spaces to better help them access and use the space.
• Delivery of security and cleaning, IT and AV requirements and any other Hard and Soft FM requirements.
• Input into procurement, budget, quality standards and commercial requirements for the team.
• Reporting on Business Continuity planning, Health and Safety recording and asset management.
• Contributing to regular and ad hoc briefings/reports as required by senior managers covering project performance, highlighting risks and issues ahead of time and providing mitigation measures.
• Identifying and implementing opportunities to reduce cost and improve performance, working effectively within the relevant governance mechanisms and controls framework.
• Delivery of wider estates, operational and logistic priorities as necessary.

Person specification

The ideal candidate for this role would have the following key skills and experience:

• Working in a public-facing role.
• A confident and effective communicator in person and in writing, when engaging,with a range of stakeholders both internal and external, with the public, with senior leaders, alongside peers, direct reports and team members, working collegiately and inspiring trust and confidence in all. 
• A highly organised self-starter and natural problem solver who enjoys developing solutions to unique problems that may arise, as well as identifying ways to improve processes and ways-of-working.
• Delivering estates, operations or events projects, or similar, in the public or private sector, with strong finance, project management or procurement skills.

Desirable Skills:

• Prior experience of working on an Inquiry.
• Successfully working in a high-profile and fast-paced cross-functional environment, delivering high-standard work to deadline.
• Finance, procurement, commercial qualifications.

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 Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. (Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria and that any gaps in employment history within the last 5 years are explained)

A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Statement of Suitability. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

If you are successful in securing an interview you will be assessed against the behaviours listed in this advert.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 15th July 2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 5th August 2024
Interview location - Video - Remote - Google

Reasonable adjustments

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 Services 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 a wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a language service professional.

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 prior to commencing.  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.

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 

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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.