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Job summary
The COVID-19 Inquiry Unit is a welcoming and high profile team, responsible for leading the Department’s response in support of the independent public inquiry.
The Department played a vital role in supporting communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 20 separate response workstreams that are likely to be of interest to the Inquiry, touching on most areas of Departmental activity and the Department will play a significant role in supporting the Inquiry.
The Unit leads on preparations and engagement, provides support to the Inquiry in delivering against its terms of reference through the provision of evidence and the production of statements, represents the Department’s interests both in the initial phase and in preparing for hearings and will provide support to witnesses.
We are looking for colleagues want to be part a of dynamic, close knit and supportive team delivering on a high profile and exciting area of work with significant public interest. The remit of the Unit brings with it a challenging and exceptionally varied workload in a fast-paced, high intensity and a highly political work environment. It is a rewarding role which will entail close working with our senior officials and Ministers, as well as other government departments, legal and the Inquiry.
We are a flexible team of moving parts, with roles overlapping and shifting as the work demands. Consequently, it is vital that we act as one team, working collaboratively. We are looking for organised people who are good communicators, who are enthused about detail and analysis, and who understand the sensitivities of our work.
Job description
Role Responsibilities:
This SEO role supports the team in our work across our legal support services, which come from a variety of sources and include solicitors and counsel. It’s important that we work seamlessly across our team and with our legal advisers in a way that makes the best and right use of the skills that they have to offer us. In addition, the SEO will have particular responsibilities in respect of contractual arrangements for the external law firm, as well as having responsibility for assuring legal spend for other areas.
Reporting to the G7 Legal Liaison Lead, you will be responsible for:
Ensuring that there are effective process in place for the oversight of all the legal services
Providing contract management for the legal services contract ‘owned’ by the Department
Ensuring that the department is obtaining value for money by monitoring performance against contractual obligations
Before accepting delivery, or approving invoices for payment, verifying that (i) goods, works and/or services delivered are to the contract standards, (ii) the quantities invoiced were actually delivered, (iii) the invoice is as detailed as the contract stipulates, (iv) the prices and rates applied are as per the contract
Providing assurance to the Business management team that invoices are correct
Liaising with the divisions business manager to ensure all invoices are paid and recorded
Have already completed or be willing to complete contract management training
Person specification
We are looking for someone with attention to detail and who appreciates value for money principles within government and an ability to build strong relationships across the organisation, particularly as we move towards a hybrid working model. If you are right for this role, you will be someone who likes to work flexibly and be comfortable working within a geographically dispersed team.
In addition, the right candidate will have the following Essential Skills:
· Project Management Skills
· Good Analytical Skills
· Confidence to challenge suppliers
Desirable Criteria
Contract Management Experience
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Managing a Quality Service
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Benefits
Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.
We are for everyone
At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.
We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.
DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.
Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).
Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
When writing your application, remember:
The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
At sift, we will be assessing
Behaviour 1 (lead behaviour) - Managing a quality service
Behaviour 2 - Making effective decisions
Behaviour 3 - Communicating and influencing
Behaviour 4 - Working together
There is a 250 word limit per question.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviour and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.
In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:
Behaviours: Managing a quality service, Making effective decisions, Communicating and influencing, Working together
Strengths: Yes
We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs.
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.
Grade 7 salary
The salary for this role is£49,697 (National).
For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable.
BENEFITS:
Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to DLUHC 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:
Bristol
Leeds
Wolverhampton
There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:
Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 20/02/2023with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
RESERVE LIST:
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this.Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules
Candidate Pack Information
Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.
For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
UK nationals
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
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.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.