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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
Acting as an internal consultancy to all of the Civil Service, we collaborate with government departments, functions and professions to develop and deliver high quality, customer-focused assessment products and solutions grounded in occupational psychology and psychometrics. Our services aim to help identify and develop the best people from all backgrounds, including the Civil Services prestigious talent programmes.
We also place ourselves at the forefront of assessment innovation, and are actively creating a growing range of evidence-based psychological assessment tools.
You will be joining a high performing multi-disciplinary team of occupational psychologists, psychometricians and digital experts who use evidence-based practice to put the client and user at the heart of what they do. We are a team that embraces innovation to deliver better results, improved efficiency and added value, with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.
If you are passionate about applying psychology and psychometrics in the workplace to really add value across a wide and varied agenda, then we really want to hear from you!
Job description
You will play a key role in leading and managing the Senior Civil Service (SCS) Leadership Assessment Service. This is an established service that provides leadership assessments to support selection and recruitment into Senior Civil Service roles across the Civil Service. You will be instrumental in developing, managing and evaluating this service to ensure best practice methods are utilised for selection into SCS roles. You will also work closely with key stakeholders and customers to provide psychological advice and guidance on leadership assessments. The delivery of assessment is currently contracted out to external suppliers, so you will lead the management of the contract to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of its customers and stakeholders.
As Principal Occupational Psychologist you will also work closely with the Head of the Occupational Psychology Service to provide thought leadership in the areas of recruitment, selection and development for the Civil Service.
You will be joining an established team of high performing occupational psychologists and psychometricians who apply evidence-based practice and put the client at the heart of what they do. We are a team that embraces innovation to deliver better results and added value.
There will be opportunities to publish in peer-reviewed and professional interest journals, as well as attend relevant conferences and CPD events. In addition, we are proud of our achievement of professional recognitions for the quality of our service. You will be expected to contribute to awards submissions that demonstrate these achievements.
You may be required to manage an occupational psychologist and be a resource leader for their work and services.
Key responsibilities include:
Psychological assessment and guidance
- Lead and manage the SCS leadership assessment service to deliver an efficient and expert service for Departmental customers to support assessment and selection into SCS roles
- Provide up-to-date best practice advice on leadership assessments and other psychometric interventions to support discussions with stakeholders and customers
- Demonstrate a good understanding of occupational psychology theories and evidence base underpinning leadership assessment and executive recruitment
- Design and deliver evaluation projects to ensure leadership assessments are providing both a valid and reliable method of selecting people for SCS roles
- Lead on the continuous improvement plan for the service, and formulate ideas and options for the future development of new and innovative leadership assessments
- Review and update guidance and assessment materials for assessors, candidates and vacancy holders when required
- Ensure leadership assessments are delivered in accordance with best practice recruitment principles
Service and Contract Management
- Manage a centralised supplier contract for SCS leadership assessment. Build a strong relationship with the external supplier and take responsibility for day-to-day supplier management, including monitoring contract use, contract performance and quality of service
- Ensure appropriate quality assurance processes are designed and implemented to deliver the SCS leadership assessment service effectively
- Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and departmental customers, working in partnership to seek feedback regularly and deliver high quality services to meet customers needs
- Be proactive in anticipating, investigating and resolving service related issues and work with the supplier and stakeholders to implement solutions
- Lead on business case creation and/or procurement activity for SCS assessments
Business Development
- Prepare marketing material to promote the use of the SCS leadership assessment service in the Civil Service
- Monitor and report on the usage of the SCS leadership assessment contract and gather information from stakeholders to understand when demand may rise or fall throughout the year
- Act as a subject matter expert for SCS assessment
- Lead the implementation of new methods, products and standards
- Present and communicate analytical/research findings and proposals to customers, stakeholders and others, orally and in writing
- Keep up-to-date with and knowledge share the latest innovations in psychometrics, modern testing methods and in particular recruitment testing and assessment
- Line management of one or two staff may be required
Person specification
In order to be successful in this role you will have/be:
- Experience in the application of occupational psychology in senior or executive recruitment and leadership assessments
- Experience of delivering leadership assessments utilising a range of commercially available psychometric tools for senior leader selection
- Experience of developing and implementing Occupational Psychology products and services in an applied setting, such as private, central government or wider public sector context
- Demonstrable experience of having operated successfully as an occupational psychologist within or outside of the civil service (ideally in recruitment, assessment or development)
- An aptitude for leadership together with previous experience of having led or managed a service
- A strong rapport builder who is able to establish relationships with external suppliers, stakeholders, clients and colleagues easily
- Proactive, taking ownership and accountability for decisions and a commitment to making improvements
- Strong communication skills both verbal and written
- Able to work flexibly and at pace, juggling their workload to meet changing or competing business demands and delivery targets
Youll be reporting directly to the Head of the Occupational Psychology Service (Grade 6). You will work with a variety of clients, departments and professions across government and your work is likely to involve some travel around the UK. You will need to be able to demonstrate flexibility, the ability to deliver promptly to deadlines and be someone who our team can really rely on.
Youll need to demonstrate real passion for applying psychological expertise and evidence-based practice. We are a forward-looking team and so you will need to be too. Youll embrace change and be eager to learn from it to develop and strengthen your role.
If this sounds like you, then wed love to hear from you!
Qualifications
2. BPS Test User: Occupational, Ability (Level A)
BPS Test User: Occupational, Personality (Level B)
Memberships
i. Have completed Stage 2 Qualification in Occupational Psychology with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and already hold the following titles and memberships (or eligible to achieve them): Chartered Psychologist with BPS, full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
ii. Have completed professional doctorate in Occupational Psychology and already hold the following titles and memberships (or eligible to achieve them): Chartered Psychologist with BPS, full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
iii. Have completed a PhD on a topic relevant to Occupational Psychology and Chartered with a Division of the BPS and registered (or eligible to achieve it) with the HCPC
2. Registered Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or willing and eligible to apply for registration.
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:
- Civil Service Occupational Psychology Professional Standards at Principal Occupational Psychologist level.
- Developing and implementing psychological products and services in an applied setting
- Maintaining and developing own knowledge and skills in relation to research, methods and innovations in academic and applied psychology
- Evidencing and ensuring fairness of psychological assessments
Benefits
£14,418 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 with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this post, all stages of the application process must be completed by no later than 23.55pm on 03/12/2023.
Stage 1
Complete basic personal details
Stage 2
You will be invited to complete the Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test and, if you pass the test, the Civil Service Verbal Test.
Further information on our tests can be found here:
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test and, if you pass the test, the Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass both tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23.55pm on 03/12/2023. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
Stage 3
If you pass the tests you will then automatically be invited to submit a full application form which includes:
- A CV section setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements along with details of any relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years; and
- A personal statement (no longer than 1000 words total) outlining how you meet the requirements of the role as set out in the person specification provided.
You must complete all stages 1 to 3 before 23.55pm on 03/12/2023.
Interview
Applicants who meet the standard required at Stage 3 will be invited to attend an Interview. The interview will assess the Behaviours listed above, and assess the technical skills listed in the advert plus the Civil Service Occupational Psychology Professional Standards at Principal Occupational Psychologist level.
The interview may also include a presentation. Further details on this will be provided in the interview invites.
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.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
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
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 /Disclosure Scotland 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
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.
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 appointablecandidate.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.
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 : Paul Weldon
- Email : paul.weldon@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : menurecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response 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.
