Senior Policy Advisor
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 3rd October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.
Our Inclusive Environment
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm
You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/
Job description
Two vacancies for Senior Policy Advisors have arisen in the DSIT Regulation for Innovation Team which sits within the DSIT Technology and Innovative Regulation (TIR) Directorate. The roles involve work on the flagship new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), announced in the Government’s manifesto. RIO will help regulators update regulation, speed up approval timelines, and co-ordinate issues that span existing boundaries.
The RIO has strong Ministerial interest and is a delivery priority for the government. The Regulation for Innovation Team is playing a key role in determining the RIO’s functions and responsibilities. Given that RIO is an emerging entity, the ideal candidate would be comfortable working under uncertainty on issues with close ministerial involvement. The successful candidate will be working on the RIO at an exciting early stage and there will be the opportunity to shape the role to fit the candidate’s skills and preferences.
The role would be crucial in ensuring that the UK delivers on its stated commitments on regulatory innovation while also exploring the next frontier for how we can use regulatory approaches to support technology adoption.
Innovation-friendly regulation plays a critical role to encourage and translate R&D investment into real-world, marketable products and services that could, in future, be scaled across domestic and international markets to support economic growth.
Successful candidates will lead on some of the key programmes that enable the team to achieve its objectives. These could include (but are not limited to):
- Implementing ministers’ ambitions for the Regulatory Innovation Office.
- Lead the effort across Whitehall and manage the relationships within DSIT to drive progress against the Government’s commitments in the Regulation and Standards strand of the Science and Technology Framework.
- Lead the work to coordinate the strand effectively including reporting to the centre of Government and monitoring and evaluation. The role will involve making a significant contribution to the Government’s flagship science and technology ambition.
- Support the development and implementation of the Regulatory Support Service, a specialised initiative aimed at assisting science and technology businesses in navigating regulatory frameworks. Working closely with colleagues in the team, this work will build on Professor Dame Angela McLean’s Pro-innovation of Technologies Review: Cross-Cutting and Growth Duty Recommendations. Collaborate across the team to identify and develop new opportunities for pro-innovation regulation.
- Lead and develop effective partnerships, fostering collaboration among domestic stakeholders from across government, regulators, and industry.
- Support the scaleup of the Regulators’ Innovation Network, an informal group of over 30 UK regulators dedicated to advancing new technologies through innovation-friendly regulation, collaboration, and the sharing of best practice among regulators.
- Lead on creating a Policy Framework to disseminate best practice around the use of standards to support emerging technologies, working closely with colleagues across DSIT and DBT.
- Support the development of strategy around the role of the National Quality Infrastructure within the RIO.
Person specification
Key responsibilities:
Regulatory Innovation Office
- Supporting elements of the RIO’s development. This could be working to ensure that the RIO’s delivery remains on track, working with other government departments to ensure it is effective, and advising ministers on how it can be implemented.
Science and Technology Framework, Regulation and Standards strand:
- Manage the coordination of teams across Whitehall and within DSIT to deliver against the commitments in the strand, involving relationship building and project management skills.
- Provide day-to-day leadership of the strand involving chairing weekly meetings with seniors to report progress, risks and unblock issues.
- Work closely with colleagues across government to ensure the monitoring and evaluation approach delivers against the needs of the programme.
- Lead reporting to No10 and Cabinet Office and collaborate closely with the Science and Technology Framework’s strategy teams to deliver against those expectations.
Regulators’ Innovation Network (RIN)
- Organise and chair quarterly meetings of the RIN, leading engagement with regulators to ensure these meetings are tailored to their needs and priorities.
- Shape how the RIN operates by exploring ways to scale up engagement, foster collaboration, and share best practices on innovative regulatory approaches.
- Develop a communication strategy to build the profile of the RIN, exploring how it could engage a wider audience including local authorities.
Standards
- Deputise as needed for the monthly Standards Working Group and support engagement across Whitehall and the NQI to develop and adapt RIO’s standards strategy.
- Commission and manage deliverables in partnership with national quality infrastructure (NQI) partners.
- Conduct scoping and gap analysis in collaboration with DSIT and DBT to develop work packages such as capacity building and designation of standards in a joined-up way.
Other Responsibilities:
- To prepare briefings for senior leaders, including maintaining the division’s core briefing materials.
- Building a robust evidence base by engaging with key stakeholders and conducting research, including developing bespoke research, to support the broader team's mission of advancing experimental approaches to pro-innovation regulation.
- Due to the dynamic and matrix nature of the team, be able to pivot to other priorities and take upon additional duties to support team’s ambitions.
Potential line management responsibilities in the future.
Skills and experience:
We would love to hear from candidates with the following skills/experience:
- Strong communication skills, articulating complex issues and technical information clearly and concisely to a range of audiences verbally and in writing.
- The ability to engage widely and creatively with a range of stakeholders to generate actionable, well considered policy advice.
- An interest in the innovation landscape and a proactive approach to work including learning and sharing relevant information to boost effectiveness of the workstreams you’re delivering.
- Proven track record of managing and delivering high-quality outcomes at pace.
- A self-starter able to independently drive work forward with strong organisational skills.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 Scheme, with an 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.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home-based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a behavioural statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to set out how your skills and experience meet those set out in the advertisement.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
Applications will be sifted on the personal statement and behavioural statement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 07/10/2024
Interview dates: w/c 14/10/2024
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
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 may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
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.
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.
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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 : Olly Johnson
- Email : oliver.johnson@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
