Various Policy Roles (Ref: 90652)
Office of the Secretary of State for Wales
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 2nd October 2024
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Job description
Job Title Various Policy Roles
Pay Grade HEO
Salary £32,827 - £35,678 (National) / £37,174 - £40,403 (London) Your salary will be dependant on your base location
Location Ty William Morgan, Cardiff, CF10 1EP/ Gwydyr House, London, SW1A 2NP
Contract Up to 18 Month Fixed Term Contract or Loan with possibility of extension or permanency
Clearance CTC (See Additional Information)
About the Wales Office:
The Wales Office is the face of the UK Government in Wales and the voice of Wales in Westminster. We support the Secretary of State for Wales and the Ministerial team in representing Wales at the heart of Government. We work in partnership with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to deliver a stronger Wales within a strong United Kingdom.
This is an exciting time to be involved in policy within UK Government and the need for Whitehall departments to understand how to work with the devolved administrations in the context of legislative change has never been greater.
Our departmental values are Commitment, Collaboration and Quality. These shape how we operate in a challenging, demanding and fast paced environment which requires flexibility, transparency and professionalism.
The Office is based over two sites, with one base in Cardiff and another in London. As an accredited smarter working organisation, we offer considerable flexibility around ‘the way we work.’ We have great technology and an attractive employee benefits package which includes a commitment to investing in the learning & development of our staff.
About the team:
The team operates across a wide range of reserved and devolved policy areas, working to identify opportunities to benefit Wales within emerging UK Government policy and acting to identify issues and resolve misunderstandings. This influence-strong brief requires a flexible approach to engagement and an excellent understanding of the bigger picture.
The Regional Growth team oversees governance and assurance of the UK Government investment in Wales’ four City and Regional Growth Deals currently in delivery – the Cardiff City Deal, the Swansea Bay City Deal, the Mid Wales Growth Deal, and the North Wales Growth Deal.
The Domestic Affairs and Trade team sits with the wider Policy team. It consists of a Grade 7, a Higher Executive Officer, and an Executive Officer. The Domestic Affairs and Trade team combines its work to progress longer-term, strategic objectives with an agile and responsive role in the department.
Team members will often be called upon to provide briefing for Ministers or senior officials and provide understanding and insight on the impact of current events on their policy areas.
Description:
We are recruiting for various roles at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) level which could include working as a:
- Policy Advisor: Regional Growth
- Policy Advisor: Domestic Affairs and Trade
Additional posts may become available and therefore a reserve list will be held for 12 months from which further appointments may be made.
Purpose of the Role:
The post holder will play an integral role in working with key stakeholders throughout Whitehall delivering policy on reserved matters, whilst progressing the Secretary of State’s priorities. You will be expected to build effective relationships across Whitehall to deliver the Regional Growth deals within Wales and the wider UK Government five core missions. You will need to work at pace to often challenging deadlines with an ability to draw together different sources of information and make sense of it for busy Ministers. You will need to be proficient in keeping abreast of the latest developments within Wales and throughout the rest of the UK.
Key Responsibilities could include:
You will be effective at briefing others, be well organised, and be able to deliver at pace. You will be capable of learning new policy areas quickly. You will have well-honed interpersonal skills to establish rapport with stakeholders quickly and have the confidence to provide challenge to colleagues where appropriate.
- Providing high quality advice and written briefing to the Secretary of State (SoS) or the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (PUSS) on matters relating to areas of Regional Growth Deals and Domestic Affairs and Trade.
- Replying to written correspondence from Parliamentarians, external groups, or members of the public, for example, and supporting the SoS/PUSS to prepare for Parliamentary engagements, such as Welsh Affairs Committee appearances and Welsh Orals sessions in the House of Commons.
- Working with other Government Departments across Whitehall and wider external stakeholders in Wales to ensure that Welsh interests are fully reflected in UK Government policy.
- Communicating and managing relationships with Local Authorities, Welsh Government, and other UK Government Departments across the Regional Growth Deals.
- Researching key information to support Ministers and Senior Officials.
- Developing and maintaining effective relationships with internal teams including Private Office and the Correspondence Team, working with them to effectively manage expectations and resolve issues where they arise to ensure consistent delivery.
- Line management responsibility.
The job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the postholder.
Should you be offered a role from this campaign, a full job description will be provided.
Person Specification
Please evidence in your Statement of Suitability, how closely you match the essential criteria:
Essential:
- The ability to work autonomously.
- The ability to plan and manage your workload, adapting quickly to changing circumstances, using initiative, and working proactively as part of a team.
- Proven ability to analyse information from a wide range of sources, working accurately with good attention to detail.
- An ability to communicate confidently with people at all levels and build rapport with important stakeholders.
- Experience of drafting, ensuring your work is accurate and precise.
- Intermediate or advanced IT skills, with specific experience of using Microsoft Office suite.
- Travel may be required to provide support on Ministerial visits or when attending stakeholder meetings.
Desirable:
- Welsh Language skills.
Recruitment Process:
This campaign will be undertaken using the Civil Service Success Profile framework. You will need to provide evidence in your application to cover the following behaviours:
- Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour) (Application & Interview)
- Making Effective Decisions (Application & Interview)
- Working Together (Interview Only)
- Managing a Quality Service (Interview Only)
In the event of a high volume of applicants, we will sift only on the lead behaviour to create a shortlist for interview.
Successful candidates who make it to the interview stage will also be asked to provide a five-minute presentation on the topic “What do you see as the key opportunities and challenges for Regional Growth, and Domestic Affairs and Trade across Wales?”
Additional Information
The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Staff recruited to work at the Wales Office will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf.
This role requires CTC level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance (CTC) must be resident in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security Clearance. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years), you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
If you do not meet the above requirement, you may still be considered for the role if, for example:
- You have been serving overseas with HM Armed Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government.
- You were studying abroad.
- You were living overseas with parents.
Person specification
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
- Access to learning and development
- A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
- A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Annual Leave
- Public Holidays
- Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
Things you need to know
Selection process details
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
- Telephone : 0845 241 5359
Recruitment team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
Further information
