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* Please note, you will need to merge your personal statement and CV into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and personal statement. If you experience any technical issues, please contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk.

Short Summary

As a senior service designer in the Local Digital Cyber team at DLUHC, you’ll be responsible for designing the end-to-end journey of our services, helping users achieve their goals and delivering policy objectives for cyber security in local government. You’ll help us design digital and non-digital services for councils, and help councils design better, secure services for their residents. You’ll be improving upon existing interventions such as our cyber support offer and cyber health framework, as well as designing entirely new ways to support councils and protect local services.

Job Description

We’re looking for a personable, flexible problem-solver who enjoys working with others to make things happen. You’ll have a broad range of skills, including being a strong communicator; having the ability to think both critically and creatively about new and existing services; and the tenacity to see things through.

The <a href=https://www.localdigital.gov.uk/>Local Digital team at DLUHC</a> supports councils across England to deliver the local public services of the future – services that meet the needs of citizens and deliver better value for money, based on modern technology and new, collaborative ways of working. We’re building upon the ambition of the <a href=https://localdigital.gov.uk/declaration>Local Digital Declaration</a> – our vision for the future of local public services that has been co-signed by over 200 local councils, sector bodies and Government departments.

We were voted Apolitical’s ‘Global Public Service Team of the Year 2019’ in the ‘New Ways of Working’ category for our innovative approach to incentivising collaboration.

The Local Digital Cyber team are protecting local services, increasing the resilience of local authorities to cyber attack through <a href=https://dluhcdigital.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/18/the-cyber-support-teams-technical-remediation-and-support-activities/>technical support and guidance</a> as well new initiatives like the a href=https://dluhcdigital.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/02/kicking-off-the-cyber-health-framework-alpha-phase/>cyber health framework</a> to help councils understand where they need to be.

The impact of a significant cyber attack can be crippling and prevent councils from delivering essential services to their residents for weeks or months. Because of this, Cyber is a crucial part of the Local Digital team.

We have recently a href=https://dluhcdigital.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/22/exciting-next-steps-for-local-digital-and-cyber/>announced exciting next steps for the programme</a> following the increase announced at Budget and Spending Review last year.

Responsibilities

We’re looking for an experienced service designer who:

Is a confident and competent designer able to develop designs based on evidence of user needs and organisational outcomes

Can be trusted to make good decisions

Can recognise when to ask for further guidance and support

Will contribute to the development of design concepts

Is able to interpret evidence-based research and incorporate this into their work.

Agile working

You know about agile methodology and can apply an agile mindset to all aspects of your work. You can work in a fast-paced, evolving environment and use an iterative method and flexible approach to enable rapid delivery. You are unafraid to take risks, willing to learn from mistakes and appreciate the importance of agile project delivery for digital projects in government. You can ensure the team knows what each other is working on and how this relates to practical government objectives and user needs.

Communication skills

You can listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders, and interpret them in a way that is clear for both audiences. You know how to manage stakeholder expectations. You can be flexible and you are capable of proactive and reactive communication. You know how to facilitate difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders.

Community collaboration

You know how to work collaboratively within a group, actively networking with others and varying feedback for the appropriate time to ensure the discussion sticks. You can use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them. You can pull out issues through agile health-checks with the team to provoke the right responses. You ensure the team is transparent and that the work is understood externally.

Digital perspective

You are responsive to changes in technology, adapting your approach accordingly. You can make decisions to meet user needs in the government context. You understand the importance of assisted digital and can design services and make decisions to meet users needs.

Evidence- and context-based design

You can visualise, articulate and solve complex problems and concepts, and make disciplined decisions based on available information and research evidence. You know how to move from analysis to synthesis and/or design intent. Such skills include: demonstration of the ability to apply logical thinking, gathering and analysing information and evidencing key performance indicators (KPIs).

Experience of working within constraints

You understand and can work within given constraints (including but not limited to technology and policy, and regulatory, financial and legal constraints). You know how to challenge constraints that can be changed. You can ensure compliance against constraints by adapting products and services where needed.

Facilitating decisions and risks

You can make and guide effective decisions, explaining clearly how the decision has been reached. You have the ability to understand technical complexity and risks, run collaborative design activities, influence others and build consensus.

Leadership and guidance

You understand the sustainability and consequences of your decisions and can make decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity. You can resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, taking into account all views and opinions.

Prototyping

You approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of methods of prototyping and choose the most appropriate ones.

Prototyping in code

You know how to talk to developers and know when to switch code. You understand security, accessibility and version control. You can use ‘what you see is what you get’ tools.

Strategic thinking

You can take an overall perspective on business issues, events, activities and discuss their wider implications and long-term impact. This could include determining patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements. You know how to focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities.

User focus

You understand users and can identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You know how to collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You understand the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You put users first and can manage competing priorities.

Selection process details

<b>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.</b>

<a href=https://design102.wistia.com/medias/9zdk0p2ffg>We are for everyone</a>

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors.

<b>At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing:</b>

Experience

Technical Ability

Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

In your CV and covering letter, please include:

a. why you are interested in the role;

b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required

<b>You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. Please ensure your document is anonymised – remove any personal details such as name and email address. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter.</b>

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, behaviour, ability and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates. Candidates will be required to deliver a task at interview, more details will be given at interview.

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:

Experience: - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description

Technical - Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description

Strength: Yes

Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the big picture

Ability: Yes

<b>We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs:</b>

<b>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</b>

<b>BENEFITS:</b>

<b>Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:</b>

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 <a href=https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk>https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk</a>.
For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.

<b>GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:</b>

• London

• Wolverhampton

• Warrington

• Leeds

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.

<b>SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:</b>

We will perform a sift to assess and score the evidence provided in the CV and covering letter. Applicants achieving the pass mark will be offered an interview on a rolling basis. We will be sifting and interviewing applicants as we go – so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit your application. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.

<b>RESERVE LIST:</b>

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. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.

<b>SC (Security Check):</b>

<b>Important note</b>

Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the Security Check – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Security Check (SC).
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.

<b>Grade 7 salary</b>

• The salary for this role is c£59,000 (London); c£54,000 (National).

• For existing civil servants, the usual terms and conditions on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable.

<b>Fixed Term Details</b>

<b>For external candidates</b>– you will be offered a 23 months fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency.

<b>For existing civil servants</b> – you will be offered a 23 months loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful.

<b>For DLUHC employees</b> you will retain your existing contract

<b>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</b>

<b>Candidate Pack Information</b>

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.

<b>Internal Fraud Database</b>

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- <a>href=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/internal-fraud-register-privacy-notice/internal-fraud-register-privacy-notice>Internal Fraud Register</a>

Contact details

Lindsey.dodd@levellingup.gov.uk