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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sectors property valuation experts and advisers. Were one of the largest employers of surveyors in the country offering access to a whole host of learning and development opportunities to support your career development.
Were looking for talented Chartered Surveyors who are eager to contribute to vital public services and assist us to deliver taxation and benefits support to the government and local authorities. You should be able to manage a complex workload within specialist teams and work closely with colleagues across the region.
Applications are welcomed from RICS or IRRV members who are qualified in the Valuation, Real Estate or Rural Pathways.
At the heart of the agency, we are committed to providing our people with a work environment which is accommodating and accessible to all. We value diversity and inclusion and prioritise equality in everything we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole selves to work within a culture that values different perspectives to help tackle complex problems, promote innovation, and deliver stronger decision making in a safe and supportive environment. We therefore welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds to join our organisation and enable us to be representative of the communities that we serve.
We are eager to hear from a wide range of people including those of you who are:
- Experienced surveyors looking to develop your professional experience.
- Newly qualified.
- At a point in your career where you need to work more flexibly or part-time to accommodate your home responsibilities or stage in life.
Our surveyors have the freedom to manage their own diaries and are empowered to deliver under their own autonomy. We trust our people and look forward to welcoming your skills into our VOA property community.
Job description
Chartered Valuation Surveyor Role Overview
As a Chartered Valuation Surveyor, youll be responsible for valuations, negotiations and providing property related advice. You’ll manage large caseloads, undertake site inspections, oversee the quality assurance process, and represent the Valuation Office Agency at tribunal.
You could be posted in several areas across the agency including the National Valuation Unit (NVU), the Regional Valuation Unit (RVU) Chief Valuer Group (CVG) and District Valuer Services (DVS) which is the commercial arm of the business, operating in competition with the private sector. Please refer to the attached candidate pack for a brief overview of each business area.
Our Chartered Surveyors have the freedom to manage their own diaries and are empowered to deliver under their own autonomy. We trust our people and look forward to welcoming your skills into our surveying community.
Key Responsibilities:
Please note, these might vary slightly depending on which area of the Agency you are posted to.
- Providing technical valuation and property advice to clients and be able to manage your caseload effectively, delivering quality work.
- Identifying, escalating, mitigating, or managing risks and issues.
- Providing property valuation advice to support local and national taxations.
- Appearance at Valuation Tribunal, and potentially Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) as required.
- The confidence to act as the Lead Valuer, giving technical and valuation advice and guidance to other colleagues.
- Marketing sector specific services and being responsible for maintaining and developing client relationships.
- Providing quotes to clients and accurately recording time spent on cases for charging purposes and delivery.
- Supporting and developing our pipeline of trainee surveyors and having oversight of their journey through their APC and coaching peers.
Person specification
You should be able to manage a complex workload within specialist teams and be prepared to work closely with colleagues across the region to deliver for our clients.
Throughout the process, youll maintain our high standards for quality, delivering to often demanding deadlines. You will enjoy a varied role that includes regular property inspections and travel, and your skills and experience will enable us to provide an efficient, effective, service right at the heart of the public interest.
Essential Requirements
We are looking for candidates who:
- Are either; experienced surveyors possessing MRICS/FRICS OR IRRV (hons) qualified in the valuation or real estate pathways.
- Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- For some roles you will be required to hold a full driving license
- Are willing to travel as some overnight stays may be required.
- For some roles, candidates must be eligible to join the RICS Valuer Registration Scheme (VRS), criteria as determined by the RICS is as follows:
Please ensure that you signpost whether you are eligible to join the RICS Valuer Registration Scheme in your application.
Licences
Qualifications
https://www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/upholding-professional-standards/regulation/rules-for-registration-of-schemes_2020.pdf
Memberships
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- We will also assess your technical ability where we will look for evidence of relevant expertise, experience, and understanding of surveying and valuation.
Benefits
£12,087 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The VOA operates a Flexible Working policy, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments.
The VOA also operates Hybrid Working your role will be a combination of office and home working.
We offer a generous leave allowance that starts at 25 days and goes up to 30 days after 5 years service.
- Pay In the last few years, we have increased both the minimum and maximum pay points for everyone in the VOA.
- Pension – We make contributions to our colleagues Alpha pension equal to approximately 27% of their salary. Please click on this link for further information Civil Service Pension
- Family friendly policies Our maternity, adoption or shared parental leave encompasses 26 weeks with full pay followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid at your discretion. We also offer paternity leave of 4 weeks at full pay.
- Personal support We offer extensive special leave to help balance your life and work commitments, a variety of non-financial rewards (including a Cycle to Work scheme of up to £4000) and we work with professional providers to provide occupational health and full mental and physical wellbeing services.
- Coaching and development We are committed to continuous professional and personal development. You will be supported by colleagues with a wealth of knowledge and experience to continually grow in your role.
- Essential equipment – VOA will support everyone to get additional essential kit and equipment, to make sure they have a suitable and safe home working environment.
Download the Employee Value Proposition for full details of the benefits of being a VOA employee at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/valuation-office-agency/about/recruitment
Things you need to know
Selection process details
If you can meet our person requirements above we are keen to hear from you.
To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:
- A CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skills and experiences.
- A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words), please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the Essential Criteria and Person Specification outlined in the advert when providing your answer.
Sift –
- We will assess you on your CV, Personal Statement, Qualifications and Membership.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Interviews –
Interviews are currently taking place using Microsoft Teams Video. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.
- We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description, strengths and technical ability.
At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.
Further Information
Candidates are permitted to specify a business area that they would prefer to be posted in. However, preferences are not a guarantee and candidates should note that their postings will be decided based on the needs of the business at the time of appointment.
Candidates should note that we intend to schedule interviews throughout the time this advertisement is live. This means that those successful at application stage could be invited to interview anytime whilst the advert is open.
The interview period will start three weeks after the advert goes live with final interviews taking place shortly after the closing date.
Candidates are encouraged to submit their application at their earliest convenience to take advantage of this. The sooner you apply, the sooner well be able to offer you an interview, and job, if you are successful.
Some sites are difficult to access via public transport and therefore a full UK Driving Licence is essential to the role. However, if you are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 and do not hold a full driving licence, we will consider your application. Please contact resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk with your details to discuss this further.
As part of the application process you will be asked to tell us which of the locations available, you can work in. You will be able to specify up to 3 options.
Due to the way the CS Jobs system is set up, when choosing your preferred locations, you will find that the Wembley & Canary Wharf location will not appear on the list of options. They are replaced by Harlesden & Tower Hamlets.
- Should you wish to choose Wembley as a location then please select Harlesden
- Should you wish to choose Canary Wharf as a location then please select Tower Hamlets.
- Please note the Tower Hamlets location is our Canary Wharf location, 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU.
Any move to VOA 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
VOA employees only: If you are currently in receipt of DTA as a result of a VOA office closure/restructure and it is agreed for you to take up this role in your current location, you may continue to receive DTA for the remainder of the period you can claim for. Please check with the Vacancy Holder on preferred locations for this role before you apply.
The VOA is an office-based organisation, however as all of our roles have aspects which can be completed from home, all colleagues have the ability to work a hybrid working pattern. The amount that colleagues work from home or office is defined by several factors including the nature of the work they carry out, the needs of their stakeholders, their development needs and personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities. To learn more about the hybrid working arrangements that could be available in this role, please contact the vacancy holder.
Pre-employment Checks
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.
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.
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 voarecruitment.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 an interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Terms & Conditions
Voluntary terms apply.
Please note that the VOA has updated its terms and conditions of employment as part of Civil Service Reform. For more information on how this will affect you, please see attached FAQ document.
Reserve Lists
If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 3-month reserve list as standard.
During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order
Starting Work
The successful candidates will normally take up duty within one month from notification of successful completion of pre-employment checks.
Applying
All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.
Please note that late applications will not be accepted.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Concerns/Complaints
The Valuation Office Agencys recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Clare Johnson
- Email : cvglearning@voa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : VOARecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
