Deputy Director, Public Bodies, Appointments, Honours and Awards

London, Manchester

The Public Bodies, Appointments, Honours and Awards team comprises three A(U) branches:

Public Bodies Reviews and Strategy

• Setting the strategic framework for working with the Department’s Public Bodies;
• Ensuring strong engagement with / drive for effectiveness and efficiency across our Public Bodies, including through the delivery of our ALB review programme.

Public Bodies Governance and Performance

• Implementing standards / frameworks to drive public bodies’ performance and effective partnership working
• Offering support on complex governance issues and overseeing public body performance and risk.

Appointments, Honours and Awards

• Overseeing and delivering the end to end appointments process for all regulated non executive board appointments to DCMS public bodies;
• Leading and Delivering the NY and BD honours lists for DCMS across three honours committees
• Ensuring the annual Kings Awards for Voluntary Service (KAVS) are delivered successfully.

As Deputy Director for Public Bodies, Appointments, Honours and Awards you will:

• Lead a highly motivated team of 36 FTE, supporting individuals to develop and grow in their roles. Ensure the Public Bodies, Appointments, Honours and Awards team is a happy, inclusive and collaborative working environment and that the team works effectively with the department to deliver for Ministers;
• Develop strategy and policy for working with DCMS Public Bodies, working with sponsor teams to build strong relationships, high standards of governance, shared understanding of priorities, sharing of best practice and adherence to the Cabinet Office Sponsorship Code;
• Oversee the Public Bodies Review programme, reviewing our highest profile Public Bodies and working with lead reviewers to ensure that Public Bodies are effective, efficient and well-governed, and that our sponsorship of them enables that.
• Provide advice to Ministers on cross cutting Public Bodies issues;
• Ensure strong relationships with a wide and varied set of stakeholders, including CEOs and Chairs of Public Bodies, the Royal Household, Cabinet Office, Lord Lieutenants and No10;
• Oversee the DCMS regulated public appointments processes – making c100 appointments per annum, ensuring a robust, transparent process and exceptional outreach, attracting the best talent to these roles;
• Oversee the significant DCMS role in the Honours System celebrating the individuals within our sectors; including providing support to three independent honours Committees which collectively make up a significant proportion of all nominations, and managing the Kings Award for Voluntary Service – awarding c250 voluntary groups annually.
• Active participation in leadership of wider Corporate Strategy Directorate (c.150 FTE) through participation in the senior leadership team and leadership of cross Directorate people engagement activity.

Essential Requirements:

• Leadership – A track record of driving delivery and providing visible leadership, with a proven ability to develop a motivated, engaged, diverse and high-performing team. A track record of corporate leadership contributing to wider priorities;
• Seeing the big picture – Excellent evidence-based strategic and analytical skills combined with political sensitivity and understanding, including a broader understanding of how to operate outside of the immediate business area or organisation, and credibility to be seen as a trusted adviser to ministers and senior officials and stakeholders;
• Working together – Outstanding ability to forge excellent relationships and adept at successfully influencing, challenging and negotiating, to gain the confidence of key customers and senior stakeholders;
• Delivering at pace – A proactive approach to solving problems and with experience of formulating, leading and implementing strategies, policies and programmes, including when under pressure, and a proven understanding of delivering value for money; and
• Communicating and influencing – Highly effective communications skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas and options in both written and verbal form coupled with the ability to quickly secure the confidence of senior stakeholders, and highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills with experience of developing and maintaining effective relationships whilst successfully influencing, challenging and negotiating.

Desirable Skills:

• Previous experience of working with Public Bodies and/or a familiarity with the public appointments and honours processes would be helpful.
• Previous experience of working with very senior stakeholders e.g. Chairs, CEOs, Ministers etc.

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes
£20,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working – DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home
• 26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice
• 3 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year
• Occupational sick pay
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice
• Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks
• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work
• Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!

Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration
is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them
to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through
building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk