POST TITLE: Policy Advisor

UNIT/DIVISION: Corporate Centre/ Priority Projects Unit

PAY-BAND: HEO/SEO, DExEU Band B2 

SALARY SCALE: £34,236 - £46,464

LOCATION: MOD Main Building (or in the immediate vicinity)

START DATE: As soon as possible

POSTING DURATION: For internal candidates, this position will be offered as a two year loan from your home department. For external candidates, this is a two year fixed term appointment. 

NUMBER OF POSTS:2

Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU)

DExEU is responsible for overseeing negotiations to leave the EU and establishing the future relationship between the UK and EU.

Our organisation

We support the Government’s highest priorities.

Our roles and offices are based in Whitehall, London. The wider DExEU team is based in Brussels at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) which represents the UK at EU level.

Our objectives

Published in our Single Departmental Plan, our objectives are to:

Lead the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU and establish a new partnership between the EU and the UK;

Work with the devolved administrations, Parliament, and a wide range of other interested parties throughout the negotiations;

Lead and coordinate cross-government work to seize the opportunities and ensure a smooth process of exit, including the required domestic legislation, on the best possible terms;

Work across Whitehall and in Brussels to ensure collective government on European business, exercise our rights and meet our obligations as a member of the EU until we exit;

Attract and develop great people and organise ourselves flexibly to deliver our objectives efficiently and effectively.

Could you play a role in this unique and crucial work? 

For us, it's not just about what we do - it's how we do it. We’re a small, exhilarating department focused on policy development and delivery. We offer Civil Servants early exposure to Ministers and senior officials; opportunities to develop critical expertise in the UK’s relationship with the EU; and tailored staff development opportunities that are second to none. We’re driven by our values of:

• Embracing our exceptional context 

• Empowered to deliver

• Fostering collaboration

We’re committed to creating a fair and inclusive working environment. The DExEU Difference brings to life our commitment to supporting everyone to give their best; to use their time here to help develop their potential; and, longer term, to achieve their aspirations. If you are interested in supporting the diversity and inclusion agenda, we have a number of active staff networks which all staff are welcomed to join.

Description of PPU

The Priority Projects Unit (PPU) operates on a consultancy basis, providing high-calibre professional support to DExEU directorates, working on the department’s highest priority and complex projects. Team members undertake short-term postings, embedding themselves within a directorate to support and manage new policy and delivery priorities, as well as areas under pressure that require additional resources. We aim to meet the changing business needs and priorities of the department, while providing team members with the best opportunities for individual development.

Successful candidates will be given specific, short-term assignments ranging from one to four months where they will be expected to take ownership of hitting tight deadlines and managing competing priorities without compromising on quality of output. Therefore, ideal candidates will be self-starters who are able to work autonomously and flexibly as work emerges and evolves.

Description of role, including responsibilities

The role within the Priority Projects Unit offers the opportunity to directly support DExEU’s ever evolving agenda and top priorities. The priority projects unit is a team of high calibre individuals available for deployment to teams across DExEU to support the Department’s highest priority work. PPU projects typically are a well defined strategic piece of work around one or two issues, or sometimes temporary cover for a high priority vacancy. Placements are typically three to four months long.

PPU offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable insight into the work of the DExEU as a whole and be supported to develop through a range of formal and on-the-job development opportunities, including project management qualifications and role shadowing opportunities. The culture of the PPU supports flexible working options and encourages inclusion and diversity. 

As a PPU Policy Advisor, you will be involved in the delivery of a range of important, consequential and historic policies in areas for which you have a real passion- across DExEU. The role offers the opportunity to work with stakeholders at the most senior levels, including Ministers. You will play a supporting role in delivering policies of significance in the context of our exit from the EU. You can expect to be involved in issues that are a priority for the UK government and of wider national interest. 

Alongside this, 10% of your time will be reserved for Corporate work, of which you can choose a champion area to join, such as Induction or Recruitment. As a policy advisor you will also have the option to become a Champion of a Corporate area. 

Person Specification and Essential/Desirable Criteria

Candidates should demonstrate the following skills:

• We are looking for an individual who is able to work autonomously, flexibly and with attention to detail;

• Be comfortable with frequent change - both moving between projects and as priorities change during projects;

• You will work well on your own initiative, and be comfortable with minimum supervision;

• You will time manage your tasks well and be able to prioritise in an order to meet deadlines – this will include 10% of your role which will be based within the PPU team’s corporate responsibilities; 

• Have strong report writing skills being able to communicate key messages clearly and succinctly to senior leaders;

• Be able to settle into new teams, forming good work relationships and working effectively without understanding all the details;

• Be a strong, solution-focused analytical thinker with a lens on the big picture impact of our work and how it impacts others; 

• Be highly organised, with the ability to work on, manage and plan multiple projects within tight timelines and with minimal supervision; 

Candidates will need to have satisfactory IT capabilities and will need to be able rapidly to pick up Gmail and GSuite applications, alongside other internal systems. 

Ideally, you would have some previous experience in a similar role however this is not essential. 

Selection Process Details

Success Profiles: Experience, Strengths, Behaviours 

Sift: please note that we will sift primarily against sift questions 1 (Managing a new workload as well as assisting others with previous projects) and 3 (Stakeholder management under pressure) from the BeApplied platform if we receive a high volume of candidates.

Interview: this will be a blended assessment process, including an evaluation of your Experience, Strengths and Behaviours at interview. 

The Civil Service Success Profiles framework is available here on gov.uk.

Success Profile: Behaviours

The Civil Service Behaviours listed below are essential to this post. In your interview you will need to demonstrate how you meet the following behaviours. 

These Behaviours will be assessed at Interview.

Delivering at Pace

• Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation.

• Regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. 

• Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Seeing the Big Picture

• Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. 

• Remain alert to emerging issues and trends that might impact your work area. 

Communicating and Influencing

• Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.

• Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs.

Working Together

• Encourage joined up team work within own team and across other groups. 

• Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support

Further Information

If you have any questions about the role or would like to discuss the post further, please contact: ppurecruitment@dexeu.gov.uk 

Recruitment Process

Who Can Apply?

The post is advertised to the external market, as well as existing Civil Servants and those in accredited Non Departmental Public Bodies approved by the Civil Service Commissioners as being eligible for Civil Service campaigns.

Existing Civil Servants Applying On Promotion

These posts are open on promotion for staff from other Government Departments. There is an expectation that your promotion will be recognised as substantive on return to your home department, however you should confirm this with the HR team in your home department.

Nationality Requirements

• Please note that these posts are open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

How To Apply:

Please submit your application online through the BeApplied system by the deadline stated.

Applications from candidates applying on promotion from the Civil Service are accepted. Please note, DExEU cannot make home departments recognise a promotion as substantive; please do not assume you will return to your Home Department at the higher grade. 

Recruitment Timetable 

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

• CLOSING DATE: 23:55 on 10th December 2019         

• EXPECTED SIFT DATE: w/c 9th December 2019

• EXPECTED INTERVIEW DATES: w/c 16th December 2019

• EXPECTED START DATE: as soon as possible

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage. If you are unable to meet these time frames, please let us know in your application.

Interviews will take place in London. 

Selection Process And Arrangements For Interview

You will be advised of the format in advance

If you are required to prepare a presentation in advance for the final interview, you will normally be given at least one week’s notice of the subject.

Expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Department except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed with the Department in advance.

Release From Current Role

From 1st January 2019, there is an expectation that staff in EU Exit roles will serve a three month release period before transferring to another government department. This period falls within the boundaries set out in the Civil Service Management Code. This means all staff in DExEU will be expected to serve a 3 month release period unless mutually agreed otherwise with the transferring department. This is to retain staff in critical EU roles and ensure effective handovers and minimal disruption to the work of the department. Conversely, for people moving from non-EU Exit to EU Exit roles, there is an expectation of a shorter release date of one to two weeks.

Reserve Lists

If there are more successful candidates at interview than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable candidates on a reserve list for six months, and future vacancies in the Civil Service requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

Alternative Formats 

If you wish to receive a hard copy of the information, or in an alternative format e.g. Audio, Braille or large font, then please contact: Recruitment Team at recruitment@dexeu.gov.uk.

Data Protection 

Detailed information on how and why the Department for Exiting the European Union handles your personal information during the recruitment process is available in the Privacy Notice. 

Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:

• Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.

• Hearing and determining appeals made by Civil Servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values – honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity – and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer.

Complaints

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Recruitment Team at recruitment@dexeu.gov.uk in the first instance. 

Full details of the Civil Service Commissioners complaints procedure can be found here. 

Terms, Conditions and Benefits

The information offered in this document is supplied in good faith but does not in itself form any part of the contract of employment.

Appointment Term

For internal candidates, this position will be offered as a two year loan from your home department. For external candidates, this is a two year fixed term appointment. 

Location

MOD Main Building. All DExEU sites are in central London.
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Working Arrangements 

This role is available for full-time, part-time or flexible working arrangements (including job share arrangements). 

We are a flexible employer and give all colleagues the opportunity to request alternative working patterns. 

Please see the Civil Service Jobshare website and our blog on flexible working for more information.

Modernised Terms And Conditions 

Externally appointed candidates will be automatically placed onto modernised Terms and Conditions.

Civil Servants taking up appointment on promotion will adopt the current Civil Service terms and conditions, which came into effect on 1st July 2013. Existing Civil Servants appointed on level transfer will retain their existing terms and conditions. 

Eligibility

The post is advertised to the external market, as well as existing Civil Servants and those in accredited Non Departmental Public Bodies approved by the Civil Service Commissioners as being eligible for Civil Service campaigns.

This vacancy is open to permanent or fixed term appointees (FTA) who were recruited to the Civil Service on merit following a fair and open competition, or were appointed to a permanent Civil Service post in accordance with an exception certified by the Civil Service Commission. For FTA, if successful, the terms of transfer to DExEU i.e. continued/extended FTA or permanent transfer will be considered on a case by case basis.
*NDPBs must be accredited by the Civil Service Commission

Grading

In DExEU, some of our grades are merged grades. Band B2 equates to HEO/SEO and Band C equates to AA/AO. Band B1 equates to EO. Staff joining on promotion terms will have their salary calculated based on their substantive grade.

Salary

Existing civil servants will take up the post on loan from their parent department for two years unless agreed otherwise. 

The anticipated starting salary for this appointment is within the pay ranges which for London is £34,236 - £46,464 - Band B2 (HEO/SEO)

Allowances (except London weighting) will not be carried forward unless applicable to the role as per DExEU Pay Policy. London weighting will be honoured but will be consolidated and paid as part of the base salary for the loan duration. This will be confirmed in all loan agreements so it can be unconsolidated upon return. 

Those joining on level transfer will retain their current substantive salary (or be uplifted to the DExEU band minimum if their current substantive salary is below this). 
Staff joining on promotion terms will receive either a 10% increase of their salary (with London weighting consolidated) or the pay band minimum, whichever is higher. 
For example: An existing Civil Servant joining DExEU on promotion to Band A with a current salary of £45,000 and London weighting of £5,000 would have a consolidated salary of £50,000. As this is above the Band A minimum, their DExEU salary would be calculated as follows: £50,000 + 10% = £55,000. 
If after the calculation the salary exceeded DExEU's pay range for the grade, the difference between the salary and the band maximum would be held as mark time. This would be eroded by subsequent salary increases, for example, by a pay award.

For external candidates, in the vast majority of cases, the starting salary will be the minimum of the pay scale which has been advertised for the role. By exception, the department can recognise specialist skills and experience through a higher starting salary. 

Other Terms And Conditions

Candidates accepting a post from external employment or promotion will transfer onto DExEU’s modernised terms and conditions, including salary. These conditions include:

• Full time working week of 42 hours including lunch breaks. 

• Annual leave allowance of 25 days, rising to 30 days after five years’ service with eight days’ bank and public holidays and the Queen’s Birthday privilege holiday.

• Occupational Sick Pay: staff successful on promotion will be entitled to a maximum five months full pay and five months half pay up to a maximum of 10 month’s sick pay in a rolling four year period. Please note that staff successful on promotion who were appointed to the Civil Service on modernised terms will continue to earn entitlement to sick pay up to the maximum five months' full pay and five months' half by the fifth year of service.

• You will be considered mobile. This means that you may be compulsorily be posted to other civil service departments within the UK.  

• Allowances (excepting London weighting) will not be carried forward unless applicable to the role as per our pay policy.

• Excess costs will only be payable where there is a proven business case. 

• From 4th October 2018 individuals moving across the Civil Service to a new PAYE scheme will lose the right to continue to claim Childcare Vouchers. However if you are moving between DEXEU and Cabinet Office and are currently on the Childcare Voucher scheme, then you are still able to claim Childcare Vouchers. You may still be eligible to claim Tax Free Childcare.

Staff on pre-modernised terms accepting a post on level transfer will retain pre-modernised terms.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application.

Security Clearance

Candidates must hold, or be willing to obtain security clearance to SC LEVEL before taking up the post, and should be willing to undergo DV clearance where this is required.  

Internal Fraud

From 31st January 2018, Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) is to provide a Fair Processing Notice to all new candidates after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the SSCL Extract Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances. SSCL will also include the Fair Processing Notice wording advising of the check against the extract Internal Fraud Database in the advert for employment for departments. SSCL will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform candidates when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.

Pension

You can choose to enter the Civil Service Defined Benefit Scheme (for most people this is alpha). Alpha provides pension benefits each year calculated as 2.32% of your actual pensionable earnings, plus a cost of life adjustment which is applied each scheme year to the total pension. In April 2018, this was 3%. 

 Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where: 

• the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; 

• your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken.This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and 

• 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. 

For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/.

Equality And Diversity 

The Department is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We value and welcome diversity. We aim to develop all our staff to enable them to make a full contribution to meeting the Department's objectives, and to fulfill their own potential on merit. We will not tolerate harassment or other unfair discrimination on grounds of sex, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, religion or sexual orientation. We will promote and support the use of a range of flexible working patterns to enable staff to balance home and work responsibilities; and we will treat people fairly irrespective of their working arrangements.

 Under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, we are legally required to consider making reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and selection process. We are therefore committed to meeting, wherever possible, any needs you specify in your application. We will also consider any reasonable adjustments under the terms of the Act to enable any candidate with a disability (as defined under the Act) to meet the requirements of the post.

The Department uses the Disability Confident Leader Symbol, showing it is an employer which ensures that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations and has a positive attitude towards applications from disabled people. 

Wherever practicable the Department, under the DCL scheme, offers an interview to all candidates who have applied under the Scheme and who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post, as set out in this candidate pack. Where practicable may mean that in high-volume recruitment we may need to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, we would interview the candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria. In DExEU, the minimum criteria is a score of 4 against each behaviour on the scale of 7.

To be eligible, your disability must be within the definition laid down in the Equality Act 2010. A disabled person is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as someone who has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities.  For the purposes of this policy, these words have the following meanings:

• ‘substantial’ means more than minor or trivial

• ‘long-term’ means that the effect of the impairment has lasted, or is likely to last, 12 months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)

• ‘normal day-to-day activities’ include everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going shopping.

Should you consider yourself eligible to apply for this post under the Disability Confident Scheme, please complete the associated form.

Civil Service Code

All civil servants are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code that details the Civil Service values, standards of behaviour and rights and responsibilities. For further information visit gov.uk.