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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 VOA community.
Job description
Role Overview
We’d like to hear from you:
If you are currently studying on a RICS-accredited Real Estate, or Valuation sandwich degree course, and
Your degree is deemed suitable for the RICS Valuation Pathway (denoted by the abbreviation ‘(VAL)’ in the RICS Accredited Course Listing
https://www.ricscourses.org/
How will we support you?
The VOA Work Placement Surveyor programme aims to provide industry experience aligning with your academic journey. We hope to inspire a career in surveying and provide valuable experience to kickstart your APC and is also a great way to prepare for a future career within the VOA.
Join our Placement Student training programme and youll be given early responsibility for your own caseloads. But that doesnt mean youll be left to cope alone as a key member of one of our teams, youll be supervised and supported by an experienced Chartered Surveyor.
Working with colleagues and other team members on valuations, inspections, and negotiations, youll quickly gain experience. Additionally, you will be appointed a team leader who will be on hand to provide you with advice and guidance throughout the programme.
We will support you to start recording experience against APC on the Valuation pathway whilst you are with us and will provide support with this from our extensive pool of experienced APC Counsellors. Meanwhile well do everything we can to make sure that you get the right mix of work and breadth of experience required.
Following your 12 month placement; there may be opportunities to remain working in the agency on a part-time basis around your degree commitments in the final year of your studies.
In addition, there may be opportunities to gain a place on our structured Graduate programme through internal assessment centres.
Successful completion of a VOA Work Placement means you may be offered a quicker route through our Graduate Surveyor scheme selection. If you receive a positive appraisal during your placement and then apply for our Graduate Surveyor scheme that year, you could be fast-tracked past the initial online selection stages.
We’re passionate about diversity and we strive to be an inclusive employer, providing everyone with the opportunity to thrive, develop and be themselves at work. While we work hard, we respect your work-life balance, with flexible working conditions reflecting the best in the sector.
Job Title Key responsibilities
- Adjusting and analysing rental evidence: making sense of lease terms and incentives to determine current rental values in terms of £m2.
- Market knowledge and intelligence investigating market changes and trends to support decision making for valuation.
- Deciding whether property inspection or further evidence is required, discussions with customers and/or agents, determining outcome of cases including re-assessment as needed.
- Undertake inspections of commercial and residential properties for various valuation purposes.
- Valuation: producing high volumes of rental valuations across a broad range of property classes.
It is also possible we may have opportunities for work placements within District Valuer Services (DVS), the VOAs commercial property arm. Roles in Edinburgh will be DVS only.
Person specification
Full details of the person specification and eligibility requirements are contained within the candidate pack which can be found at the bottom of the advert.
Essential Criteria
- Currently studying a RICS accredited Valuation Pathway undergraduate or Masters level degree such as Real Estate or Property with an agreed work-based placement year (sandwich year) as part of their degree.
- We will expect students to be undertaking a degree which involves valuation modules, given the nature of the work and experience we can provide.
- Ideally your degree should be deemed ‘most likely’ to be suitable for Valuation pathway by the RICS as denoted by the abbreviation ‘(VAL)’ in the RICS Accredited Course Listing https://www.ricscourses.org/
- The ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
- Sound analytical skills and good judgement to inform their decisions or when providing opinions or advice to others.
- As part of your application there will be three role specific questions that you must complete to evidence your academic alignment.
Qualifications
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:
- Candidates will be asked technical questions
Benefits
£7,657 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 Personal Statement (maximum 500 words), outlining your suitability for the role and your interest in the surveying profession.
Sift
- We will assess you on your Personal Statement and qualifications.
This is a rolling campaign which means that some sift outcomes may be issued before the closing date. Applications will be dealt with in order of receipt.
Interviews – Week commencing 4th December 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 Behaviour listed in the job description, strengths and presentation.
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.
Presentation
You will also be required to conduct a 5-minute presentation. Information on the presentation topic will be provided to you if you are shortlisted for interview.
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.
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 /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.
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.
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
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 6-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 take up duty in September 2024 on 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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Paul Wilson-Smith
- Email : developmentteam@voa.gov.uk
- Telephone : 03000 505514
Recruitment team
- Email : VOARecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
