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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. We are 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 people who are eager to contribute to vital public services and assist us to deliver taxation and benefits support to the government and local authorities. Your skills and experience will enable us to provide an efficient, effective service right at the heart of the public interest.
At the heart of the agency, we are committed to providing our people with a work environment which is accommodating and accessible to all and which values diversity and inclusion in everything we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole selves to work by providing 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 we serve.
Our people 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 the VOAs Surveying community.
Job description
Chartered Surveyor Built Environment Role Overview
The Built Environment (BEAMS) team at the Valuation Office Agency has exciting opportunities to join their team of highly enthusiastic and skilled Chartered Surveyors with a technical aptitude.
If you are a Chartered Surveyor who is not already qualified in the Building or Quantity Surveying Pathways, you will undertake a fully funded RICS qualification to enable you to develop the skills and knowledge required. The training offered will support you to deepen your technical knowledge and further your career.
For more information on the courses were referring to please follow this link: Search results (rics.org).
Our team comprises of Chartered Surveyors in the Minerals & Waste Management, Quantity Surveying, and Building Surveying professions offering specialist surveying services across government. We are responsible for the delivery of surveying services on a range of properties and specialist building structures which range in complexity and size. You might find yourself working on historic buildings and unique and specialist structures such as light houses, government buildings, nuclear sites and many more.
We are proud that our team is made up of colleagues from diverse social and economic backgrounds.
Our primary services include but are not limited to:
1. Building Surveying – Pathology, cost schedules in relation to disrepair, dilapidations, condition surveys, insurance reinstatements, disrepair cost assessments and depreciated reinstatement advice.
2. Quantity Surveying – Preparation of Agency Cost Guides including specification, evidence-based costs and providing costs to inform contractors-based valuations, development viability assessments and cost appraisals for other government bodies.
Chartered Surveyor Built Environment Key Responsibilities
- Providing specialist advice on the cost and repair of buildings, infrastructure, and associated attributes. Preparing schedules of costs and professional reports.
- Maintaining your knowledge through CPD (Continuous Professional Development) in areas of legislation, case law, codes of practice and professional standards relevant to your chosen area of expertise and the work undertaken within the Built Environment Team.
- Managing and mitigating risks and issues, ensuring timely escalation to senior colleagues.
- Managing and supporting the delivery of single jobs or projects to ensure time, cost, and quality deliverables are met.
- On occasions you may be called upon to act as an expert witness at Valuation Tribunal and other courts as required (Training and support in appearing as an expert witness will be provided).
- Provide mentoring, technical advice and training to support graduates and apprentices on their APC pathways and to support the development of others within the immediate team or wider agency as required.
Person specification
Essential Requirements
- MRICS/FRICS Chartered Building or Quantity Surveyor with a personal and professional dedication to your ongoing development.
Or
For Chartered Surveyors not holding MRICS in the Building or Quantity Surveying Pathway, you will be required to complete the RICS Certificate in Building Surveying or Quantity Surveying programme. On-the-job training will be provided to support your development.
- Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and be able to deal with a wide range of customers and partners.
- Demonstrate strong analytical and judgement skills by interpreting a range of evidence to provide relevant advice and reach sound conclusions.
- Good report writing and presentational skills.
- Able to undertake site visits and occasional overnight stays. We are reasonable with our expectations and provide flexible working arrangements to support this need.
- A full valid driving licence.
- Successful candidates will be required to successfully complete Developed Vetting in addition to the Criminal record checks.
Licences
Qualifications
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:
- The technical part of the interview provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your professional knowledge and experience as a Chartered Surveyor and how this relates to the role or has led to your application to pursue a career within our Built Envir
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.
Please provide adequate detail of experience and technical abilities within your CV as this will form part of the interview process.
A Personal Statement (maximum 500 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 – W/C 30/10/2023 – Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change.
We will assess you on CV and Personal Statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Interviews – W/C 13/11/2023
Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change. These will be confirmed should you be invited to interview
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, Technical and Strengths.
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.
Behaviours
The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.
You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.
You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.
When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did what your thought process was and so on.
Technical
The technical part of the interview provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your professional knowledge and experience as a Chartered Surveyor and how this relates to the role or has led to your application to pursue a career within our Built Environment team.
Further Information
This post is full time however those applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.
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.
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.
Successful candidates will be required to successfully complete Developed Vetting in addition to the Criminal record checks.
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 : Richard Bryan
- Email : richard.bryan@voa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : VOARecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
