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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Audit
Policy
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About the job
Job summary
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) regulates external recruitment into the Civil Service, including at the most senior levels, and ensures it is fair, open and based on merit.
This is an exciting leadership role working across the breadth of government to make vital contributions to the effectiveness of the Civil Service. This includes working with senior civil servants, government departments and Civil Service Commissioners. You will help ensure the Civil Service operates within the standards set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the CSC’s Recruitment Principles (2018) and upholds the values set out in the Civil Service Code: honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality.
The team also supports the Board of Commissioners chaired by The Rt Hon Baroness Stuart, the First Civil Service Commissioner.
We are an expert, friendly and impactful team with a highly collaborative ethos. Our excellent staff survey results indicate we place great emphasis on wellbeing and providing stretching career development opportunities.
Job description
This is a strategic leadership role with responsibility for enhancing the CSCs impact and presence. You will do this through the development and oversight of the CSCs regulatory and audit activity, delivering meaningful engagement with government departments and shaping the Policy and Operations teams wider application of the Recruitment Principles and Civil Service Code.
Key responsibilities
- Leading the audit and compliance team, with direct line management of one SEO and oversight of up to four staff. Drawing on good practice, leading improvements to the team’s ways of working and establishing the team as a centre of expertise in compliance.
- Driving forward an ambitious new compliance programme across government, overseeing the teams delivery of project planning, rollout and evaluation. Ensuring the Commissions audit and compliance function is impactful and adaptable to wider political and strategic changes.
- Leading the collection, validation and evaluation of recruitment data from regulated organisations across government . Evaluating and communicating outcomes to the wider team and Civil Service Commissioners and via the CSCs public publications.
- Engaging with the First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioners to ensure the CSCs audit function collects relevant data and influences departmental approaches in ways that align with their strategic priorities.
- Scoping and delivering an outreach plan to enhance the CSCs presence across government. This will include overseeing a regular programme of training on the Recruitment Principles to departments.
- Developing and overseeing compliance policy, for example around consequences for non-compliance, intervention triggers and processes for considering recruitment practices that diverge from the Recruitment Principles.
- Driving meaningful intervention with individual government departments, especially those where audit results indicate poorer compliance.
- Overseeing the teams decision-making and communications around breaches of the Recruitment Principles, with responsibility for particularly complex cases.
- Shaping the CSCs communications activity to enhance its transparency, presence and impact.
Deputising for the Head of Policy and Operations and supporting the Civil Service Commissioners and the wider CSC as required.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
- An exceptional leader, with the ability to set direction and empower high-performing teams and shape their personal development.
- Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills, including with senior officials and external partners, including the ability to deliver difficult messages and build cross-organisational networks.
- Excellent critical thinking to make sound judgements based on evidence within a framework of codes and guidance.
- Outcome driven, with attention to detail and the ability to interpret and report on quantitative and qualitative data.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£15,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application process
You will be required to provide evidence of the following four Behaviours in your application for the role:
- Leadership
- Communicating and influencing
- Seeing the big picture
- Changing and improving
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Leadership. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Selection process
For shortlisted candidates, the Behaviours and a selection of ‘Strengths’ will be assessed at the interview. You will be scored on Behaviours and Strengths and the appointments will be made on merit order.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date w/c 8 January 2024
Expected interview date/s w/c 22 January 2024
Interview location – 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ
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: Piers Barber – piers.barber@csc.gov.uk or
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 youre 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 in the past 3 years. 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
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 applicants 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.
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 : Piers Barber
- Email : piers.barber@csc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk.
For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.
