Deputy Director Head of Safer Streets Mission
Cabinet Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 3rd November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Mission Delivery Unit (MDU) sits at the heart of mission delivery across government, providing insight and advice to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the effective delivery of mission led government. The unit is focused on assuring the long-term delivery of the five Mission and six First Steps that will make a meaningful difference to the lives of citizens.
The MDU is a small, high performing team with significant subject insight, able to apply delivery expertise and performance oversight to each of the missions and first steps. The Take Back our Streets mission is focused on the reduction of serious crime and violence against women and girls, whilst building confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system. You will have the knowledge and networks to build a trusting and supportive relationship between MDU and the leadership of the mission. You will be required to apply a range of delivery interventions and problem-solving techniques, building a broad network of expertise relevant to mission delivery, whilst maintaining a keen eye on the outcomes being delivered by the mission. You will also work across the missions to ensure a coherent approach and manage trade-offs and challenges that emerge.
The successful candidate will be a key member of the Mission Delivery Unit’s Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the corporate functions of the Unit; currently MDU comprises around 26 staff, including seven senior civil servants. You will be a strong and respected leader, able to work collegiately and collaboratively with all. You will be comfortable working with data to provide insight to your work and will be highly competent into distilling broad and complex information sources into accessible formats for seniors that enables informed decision making. Ultimately, your value will be in the judgements that you are able to make about delivery, where and how more might be done to press ahead with the government’s agenda. If this is the type of challenge that you relish, we look forward to your application.
Job description
Key responsibilities
- Work closely with the Take Back our Streets Mission and it’s associated departments, ensuring a focus on clear mission definition, key outcomes, and performance;
- Leadership of the MDU’s small Take Back our Streets team, using strong leadership skills to empower and energise the team, driving high quality outputs;
- With the Head of the Mission Delivery Unit, use the CDL’s backing, a wide and trusted network, and a set of intelligent support solutions to intervene effectively where delivery is slowing to get projects back on track;
- Work with data experts both in departments, in No10 and beyond to develop a world-class system for collecting information on, and visualising progress in delivery;
- Able to crystallise multiple, complex information sources – both qualitative and quantitative – into clear and accessible decisions for Ministers;
- Manage reporting processes and ministerial stocktake meetings;
- Work closely with the other Deputy Director Mission Leads to drive a coherent approach to mission-led government, and work productively to resolve cross mission challenges and trade offs; and
- Work with the rest of the Senior Leadership Team to embed and evolve MDU’s systems, processes and culture as it continues to build towards its full operating capability.
Person specification
It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, that you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post.
Essential Criteria:
- The personal presence, effectiveness and credibility to operate at a very senior level across Whitehall, with a proven track record of working closely with senior stakeholders.
- The ability to work at pace in a complex multi-stakeholder environment, driving progress in the face of a range of competing views and priorities.
- Inclusive leadership skills and the ability to motivate and manage a diverse team to deliver at pace on a demanding and complex agenda.
- Highly developed policy and data analytical skills that can be deployed flexibly across a wide range of business;
- Highly developed communication, networking and negotiation skills.
- The proven ability to lead and develop a high performing team.
- Experience working in Crime Prevention and/or The Criminal Justice system
Desirable Criteria:
- To have established networks across the Home Office and other relevant departments associated with the Take Back our Streets mission.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead. You’ll benefit from a wide range of training and development opportunities, regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
- 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.
- This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday;
- A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire;
- Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers;
- Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax- Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here;
- Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle;
- The opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable); and occupational sick pay.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process, outlined below. This should be completed no later than 23.55pm on Sunday 03rd November 2024.
A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years
A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
Failure to complete both sections of the online application form (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.
Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Shortlist
Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.
A panel, including the hiring manager, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decision is expected to be made, and all longlisted and shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.
Assessment
If you are shortlisted, you may be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include psychometric tests and/or a staff engagement exercise. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. For more information about the assessment process, please follow this link: https://scs-assessments.co.uk/
If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. We will be assessing against the success profile Behaviours at interview.
You may also have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder in a chat forum prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and organisation.
Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. If you are required to prepare a presentation for the final interview you will be given the subject in advance.
Offer
Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible.
We will send you a copy of any report for any assessment that you may have undergone as part of the recruitment process (if requested).
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies in the Civil Service requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without the need for a new competition.
Indicative Timeline
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Advert Closing Date: 23:55, Sunday 03rd November 2024
Shortlist: Week commencing 11th November 2024
Assessment: Week commencing 25th November 2024
Interview: Week commencing 9th December 2024
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 at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
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 : The SCS Recruitment Team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service- recruitment/complaints
