Location
Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford
About The Job
Job summary
The Government Office for Science works at the heart of Government, ensuring policies and decisions are informed by the best scientific evidence and strategic long-term thinking. It's an exciting time to join the organisation; we have outstanding and high-profile positions providing you an opportunity to inform and influence policy-making and the systems for use of science and engineering across government. If you are highly motivated and looking for your next career challenge we want to hear from you.
Our mission is:
- Science advice mechanisms that are efficient, effective, speak truth to power and are embedded irreversibly in Government systems.
- Visible impact through both pro-active and demand-led science advice that is relevant, excellent, and delivered fit for purpose.
Further information can be found here:
gov dot uk/government/organisations/government-office-for-science
We strongly believe diversity of experience, thought, perspectives, skills, and background makes us a more innovative, welcoming Department, thus making better decisions and better delivering our objectives. We are actively seeking applications from every part of the community and particularly welcome applications from candidates of any age, background, disability, or from an ethnic minority background and any other protected characteristics. This will help us move to a workforce that reflects the people we serve to deliver better policies.
We are a friendly, inclusive team and emphasise personal development. We will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided adjustments to participate in the job application and interview process. We support your wellbeing by putting flexible working at the heart of our offer.; if successful, you will be able to discuss working arrangements with your new manager.
We maintain an internal surge capability of staff who may be called at short notice to support an activation of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Training and support will be provided. This is an excellent opportunity to develop crisis management skills.
Job Description
Science and engineering have never been more important in Government! If you're interested in being a part of building science and engineering capability across government, come and join our passionate and diverse team at the Government Office for Science (GO-Science).
This role sits in the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) Profession team within GO-Science, however, as a profession we have a government wide remit and work with stakeholders right across government and beyond.
As the Learning and Development Lead you will have a significant impact in developing and influencing learning across the GSE profession and government, from deep specialists to wider civil servants. You will work with GSE subject matter experts so won’t need to have a STEM background for this role. Your work will be key in helping to increase science-literacy across government.
You will manage the development, delivery and promotion of science and engineering (S&E) related skills and wider GSE talent and leadership learning with the support of a HEO. You would lead projects such as technical learning for specialists or investigating how AI might transform our learning offer. You will gain a deep understanding of how science and engineering operates across government and the role provides an opportunity for developing excellent stakeholder and team management skills.
This role will suit you if you are passionate about developing digital approaches for developing capability and enjoy engaging with a wide range of stakeholders.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and delivery of the GSE profession learning and development offers, including specific products/tools, learning hub, professional recognition and mentoring schemes.
- Lead on the development of using AI for GSE learning and development, thinking strategically about the impact of this on the profession community with wide engagement across depts and professions to share learning.
- Help develop the L&D strategy and action plan, working with the Skills portfolio lead and wider team to align with the profession strategy.
- Manage and collaborate with various stakeholders, spanning across government, including other professions, Government People Group, Government Skills and wider e.g. science and engineering institutions.
- Collaborate closely within the team and departments to embed GSE profession products in organisations e.g. in inductions.
- Lead on L&D programme assurance and continuous improvement, reporting progress periodically, managing issues as they arise by formulating appropriate interventions and involving senior leaders as needed.
- Manage the long-term evaluation of the L&D offer and incorporate findings into team strategies and plans.
- Support scheduling of priorities for GSE Profession Board activities, including preparation and presentation of your relevant papers to the GSE Boards.
- Line manage one HEO to deliver the GSE Profession learning and talent and leadership offers.
Skills And Experience
- Ability to effectively manage multiple strands of work, with often competing priorities and a track record of efficient project delivery.
- Experience of developing L&D with digital learning approaches or with the use of AI in an organisation.
- Ability to communicate and successfully engage (both verbally and written) effectively to a wide range of stakeholders, from policy professionals through to deep specialist scientists and engineers.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a strong ability to build and maintain strong relationships and networks both internally and externally.
- An understanding of the science or engineering community, either through background or interest would be beneficial, but not essential.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £38,860, Government Office for Science contributes £11,257 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We offer 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 average employer contribution of 27%.
- 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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, a personal statement, and behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 250 words) to provide evidence of your experience of implementing improvements in learning through digital approaches.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement Changing and Improving.
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 questions.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
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.
I nformation 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 childcarechoices.gov dot 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 Chec k 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 at cabinetoffice.gov dot 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 at disclosurescotland dot co dot 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
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality Requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window) .
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Tracey Rimmer
- Email : tracey.rimmer at go-science.gov dot uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitmentsupport at energysecurity.gov dot uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs at cabinetoffice.gov dot uk . 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