Head of Corporate Governance
UK Space Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 25th September 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Background: The UK Space Agency:
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision.
Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons.
We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country.
Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes.
We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.
More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency
To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU
Our Inclusive Environment
We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.
We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.
We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.
Job description
Job Purpose
This post will lead the Agency’s new Corporate Governance Team, ensuring the right systems and information are in place and working well, so that Agency leaders can direct, manage and drive improvements to a high-performing programme of work which complies with internal policies and controls.
Following an organisational restructure, this new team will for the first time unite a range of related activities, to effectively and efficiently plan, direct and report on Agency activities, manage its risks, and ensure compliance with relevant standards and controls. Their primary responsibilities include:
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership
- Lead a team of 8, with direct line management of 5, building commitment to a shared vision and sense of purpose.
- Drive excellence across the team and embed a positive, inclusive and empowering culture fostering development and innovation.
- Develop the team’s expertise and network across UK Space Agency’s activities, and wider space policy and delivery.
- As part of the Agency Leadership Group, help to set UK Space Agency’s direction, improve its delivery and create a great place to work.
- Drive continuous improvement in UK Space Agency’s governance framework, helping staff value and comply with lean processes – by leading delivery of the following responsibilities:
Corporate governance and secretariat
- Assure UK Space Agency’s senior leadership that the Agency has a robust governance framework, in line with its framework document.
- Develop and implement corporate governance policies and procedures, in line with best practice and regulatory requirements, including the Corporate Governance Code.
- Maintain strong internal governance controls, through clearly articulated delegations of authority and escalation processes.
- Maintain the Agency’s register of interests, ensuring conflicts are appropriately recorded and managed.
- Ensure the Agency meets transparency standards, by publishing governance information and data as required.
- Manage UK Space Agency’s most senior governance boards, ensuring clear terms of reference and the right tempo, agenda and information to make effective decisions. Ensure decisions are recorded and actions executed.
- Provide close and effective liaison between the UK Space Agency, DSIT Sponsorship Team and DSIT Partnerships Team.
Corporate planning
- Set and annually update a Corporate Plan that aligns resources to strategic goals, and defines key milestones and indicators.
- Ensure the plan is affordable and achievable, through rigorous data analysis and strategic consideration of trade-offs.
- Ensure in-year changes to the plan are recorded, to maintain an up-to-date record of Agency resources and activities.
Corporate performance
- Coordinate reporting to UK Space Agency’s governance boards on its operations and delivery, ensuring lean processes and accurate, timely and clearly presented data.
- Develop corporate metrics that enable senior leaders and staff to what success looks like and account for their results.
- Provide in-depth analysis of reports, to offer senior leaders insight and recommendations that drive improvements.
- Produce and publish the Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts, in line with relevant standards.
Risk management
- Design and implement UK Space Agency’s risk management framework, ensuring it helps UK Space Agency to balance its opportunities and risks, and complies with relevant standards including the Orange Book.
- Ensure UK Space Agency’s risk policy and appetite statement are up to date, well understood by staff, and guide effective decision-making.
- Through regular in-depth reviews, ensure UK Space Agency’s key risks and issues are understood, and mitigations are in place and effective.
- Oversee the effective management of the Agency’s corporate risks, regularly reporting to the Agency’s Executive Committee and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
- Use insights from risk management to advise senior leaders on delivery challenges and opportunities to improve performance.
Assurance
- Assure UK Space Agency’s risk management, regularly reporting to the Executive Committee and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
- Ensure UK Space Agency’s assurance framework defines robust and proportionate measures and controls, informed by its risk appetite and relevant standards including the Orange Book.
- Work with subject matter experts to ensure internal controls are well understood, monitor compliance, and drive improvements.
Internal audit
- Manage UK Space Agency’s relationship with the GIAA, helping to build GIAA understanding of UK Space Agency’s work and wider operating context.
- Ensure the GIAA’s annual audit programme supports the Agency to drive continuous improvements across its activities.
- Ensure audit reports are delivered to time, and action plans to meet GIAA recommendations are produced and executed.
Person specification
This role requires an experienced and inspiring leader, who can drive excellent standards in corporate planning, performance, risk management and assurance.
An emotionally intelligent leader, they will thrive on the opportunity to establish and lead a newly formed team, conveying a clear purpose and fostering the right culture to succeed.
An analytical thinker, and influential and sensitive communicator, they will be confident providing advice and constructive challenge to improve UK Space Agency’s performance, risk management and compliance.
Essential
- Significant experience ensuring high standards of governance, performance reporting, risk management and/or assurance across an organisation.
- Very strong leadership skills, with experience setting a direction to inspire staff and drive excellence.
- Excellent analytical skills, with experience of using complex information to make effective decisions in an ambiguous or changing delivery environment.
- Very strong relationship management skills, with experience of building constructive relationships and influencing senior decision-makers across organisational boundaries.
- Excellent communication skills, with experience of using clear messages to raise buy-in to meet standards and follow processes at all levels of an organisation.
- Highly organised, able to maintain a team’s delivery across its core business while flexing to meet new challenges and opportunities.
Desirable
- Experience of enterprise risk management and assurance across a complex organisation.
- APM Management of Risk Practitioner, or agreement to work towards this.
- Governance qualification, or agreement to work towards this.
- Desirable qualifications could also include: Certificate in Internal Audit, Certified Public Accountant, or Certified Information Systems Auditor.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Governance
- Assurance
Benefits
UK Space Agency offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.
- A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.
- This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
- The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
UK Space Agency is undergoing a transformation programme which may impact your role, line manager and/or location in the future. We will share more details with you as they become known.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement (500 words maximum), Behaviour examples, and Technical Skills examples.
The CV is for information and will not be scored.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement to explain how your skills and experience make you suitable for this role.
The Sift will be assessed on Personal Statement, Behaviours and Technical Skills.
The Interview will be assessed on Behaviours, Technical Skills and a 5 mins presentation “What will you prioritise in your first three months in this role and what will your main challenges be?”
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and Interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
The sift is expected to take place week commencing 30th September 2024
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 7th October 2024
The Interview location will be MS Teams
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further information
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 uksarecruitment.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 you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
Any move to UK Space Agency 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
After interview, a single merit list will be created and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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 directly. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks@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.
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 applicant’s 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.
Feedback
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 : Tom Parrin
- Email : Tom.Parrin2@ukspaceagency.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
