Science and Engineering Fast Stream 2025

Apply before Midday on Thursday 7th November 2024

 

Details

Reference number

374944

Salary

£31,186
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

FSET - Centrally Managed Scheme

Type of role

Fast Stream

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

54

Contents

National

Job summary

On the Science and Engineering Fast Stream (SEFS) you’ll use your science and engineering skills to help shape government policy and decision-making.

Society faces many challenges which science can help solve. The Civil Service needs highly talented, versatile, and numerate science and engineering leaders to deliver on exciting and challenging work that will make a difference to the lives of people across the UK.

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the essential role of scientists and engineers in improving government decision-making: to ensure not only that scientific evidence underpins policy but that it is also effectively communicated.

You may be a science or engineering graduate straight out of university, an experienced postgraduate academic, a seasoned industry professional or an existing civil servant with a technical background. Join the Science and Engineering Fast Stream and you will become part of a modern, vibrant and active community of professionals with one goal in common: to give back to the communities they serve.

Job description

Over three years you will experience a wide range of stretching but rewarding postings across the Civil Service such as assistant Private Secretary to Ministry of Defence Chief Scientific Adviser, Earth Observations Policy Support in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and a Materials Advisor for The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. These are the types of roles you may experience and this means that you will likely work in areas outside of your scientific/engineering knowledge, and you will use your experience and expertise to grow through a tailored and accelerated leadership development programme.

The Government Science Engineering Profession are keen to broaden experience and the SEFS scheme offers a unique interchange placement which may include working in Local Government, Charity and Private Sector roles. Together, these postings will develop your ability to apply your scientific mindset and your leadership potential, to prepare you to become a future senior leader in the Civil Service.

During all of your postings you will be involved in building and applying scientific knowledge so that government can address key issues such as climate change or sustainable housing. You could be conducting critical analysis of large datasets, modelling a public health crisis or generating new evidence to inform decision making for clean energy. You may also be working to create new legislation and regulation, or helping industry to comply with statutory requirements, such as food safety standards or transport emissions.

From your scientific background you will understand the importance of developing and communicating evidence bases by interacting with scientific communities in academia and industry.

You will be passionate about science and engineering, and whilst on the programme will advocate for increasing its use across the Civil Service, and help to promote the Government Science and Engineering Profession.

As a future leader, you will be expected to lead on work from an early stage, including but not exclusively of a technical nature. This might involve management of research projects or working with policy teams to develop solutions for ministers and senior civil servants. By acting as an intelligent customer, you could oversee technical work to ensure successful delivery of a policy like a new inter-city transport project, or a research programme into artificial intelligence. To do so you will work adeptly and strategically with academics, industry experts and other key delivery partners inside and outside of government.

You could also be involved in horizon scanning work to identify future trends and patterns of emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, or genomics. You may be involved in applying systems thinking to help solve some of the highly complex problems government faces.

Your unique skillset combining technical and leadership ability, and your adaptability to work in both technical and non-technical environments will make you widely deployable across the Civil Service at the end of the programme. When you finish after three years, you may wish to specialise in specific policy areas, taking on technical leadership and oversight roles, potentially influenced by your specific disciplinary background. Or you may instead want to use your scientific and engineering skills in a policy or operational delivery role, bringing a fresh perspective to teams. Alternatively, you may focus instead on direct leadership and management roles, but remain affiliated to the profession, and continue to promote science and engineering across the Civil Service.

Which ever path you eventually take, the Science and Engineering Fast Stream will develop you into a confident and inspiring future senior leader of the Civil Service, supporting our ambition to put science and engineering at the heart of government policy making.

Person specification

eligible to work in the UK
you need, or expect to have, before the start of the programme, a 2:1 or higher undergraduate degree in any subject including degree apprenticeships
and hold a postgraduate degree in any science or engineering discipline, or be a chartered engineer or scientist registered by one of the professional institutions licensed by the Engineering Council or by the Science Council. For Integrated Masters you need, or expect to have, a 2:1 or higher.
we expect you to have secured your postgraduate degree before you start the programme.


    Behaviours

    We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

    • Making Effective Decisions
    • Seeing the Big Picture
    • Changing and Improving
    • Communicating and Influencing
    • Working Together
    • Developing Self and Others
    Alongside your salary of £31,186, contributes £9,034 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
    Benefits include the Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, season ticket loans, sports and social activities, child care assistance and more.

    Selection process details

    This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.
    There are several phases in the Fast Stream application process. Some of these assessments are multimedia in that they present information in video, audio, graphical or visual formats, as well as text. We hope you find it an engaging process and one that gives you a real insight into the role of a fast streamer.

    At the initial application stage you will be asked to complete some background information which will include some diversity questions - which are for monitoring purposes only and will have no bearing on selection outcomes - along with the opportunity to identify your preferences in terms of the different Fast Stream schemes. You can choose up to four.

    When you apply please register with a personal email address, and not a work or university email address.

    Assessment Phases

    There are 3 online tests:

    Using Data - In this test you will be asked to weigh up options and to make decisions on different scenarios, perform calculations, solve problems and evaluate and interpret numerical information.

    Work-based scenarios - This test measures interpersonal skills, utilising video based scenarios and you are required to assess the effectiveness of various responses.

    Case Study assessment - In this test you are required to take Work based scenarios on an imaginary role, learning and responding to a series of challenges and situations and adapting to the changes you are presented with.

    Additional information - depending on the schemes you have chosen, there may be additional information to be completed, or an intermediate sift process.

    The FSAC reflects some of the key elements of a Fast Stream role and will consist of a Written Advice Exercise, Stakeholder Communication Exercise and Personal Development Conversation. Information will be presented via an app that you will be able to access remotely on a laptop.

    Final Selection Board - most schemes will then require a Final Selection Board. We'll ask you to attend this final assessment if you reach the required standard at FSAC.

    Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

    Security

    Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
    Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

    See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
    People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

    Nationality requirements

    This job is broadly open to the following groups:

    • UK nationals
    • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
    • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
    • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
    • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
    • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
    • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
    Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

    Working for the Civil Service

    The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

    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).
    The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

    Diversity and Inclusion

    The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
    Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

    Contact point for applicants

    Job contact :

    • Name : faststream.applicationsupport@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
    • Email : faststream.applicationsupport@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

    Recruitment team

    • Email : faststream.applicationsupport@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

    Further information

    Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
    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.

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