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Short Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the team that ensures the department meets its legal responsibilities under Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation. As Head of the Knowledge and Information Access Team, the successful candidate will be an engaging and influential individual, able to make and deliver plans and interpret and convey complex legislation.

Job Description

The post sits within DLUHC’s Strategy and Private Office Directorate. This is a small, friendly and flexible team that works at the heart of the department. The post holder will provide leadership, compliance strategy and policy direction; and advice to the core department, dealing with all information rights requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and Data Protection legislation.

They will ensure that the Department meets its statutory deadlines, including achieving and exceeding the 90% ICO target for timeliness with information requests.

The role holder will play an active role in ensuring the department meets their compliance under the UK GDPR And Data Protection Act, working with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) on duties as necessary.

Responsibilities

The post holder will manage the strategic, policy and operational data protection compliance work. They will develop, maintain and deliver against work plans to achieve full compliance across DLUHC and embed a privacy by design approach. They will also work closely with the DLUHC Group DPO who is responsible for carrying out statutory DPO functions for core DLUHC and named executive agencies and arm’s length bodies.

The post holder will have operational responsibility for the FOI team, setting the process for handling information requests, including triage and reporting. They will work with the Head of Ministerial Operations to set direction, allocate resources and approve FOI/EIR requests. They will ensure that DLUHC meets its statutory responsibilities as it prepares responses to FOI requests and provide quality, professional advice to colleagues across the department.

The post holder will build and maintain a network of relationships with key DLUHC stakeholders (Private Offices, information asset owners, data and digital policy leads, contract procurement specialists and managers), as well as colleagues across Whitehall, including the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The post holder will lead on the quality, professional advice to Ministers, senior leads and staff generally on the interpretation of Information Rights legislation, including its application.

The post is a Knowledge and Information Management Profession one. Professional training leading to a qualification will be offered. It is essential for candidates to hold a KIM professional qualification such as knowledge management, information rights or information management.

The post holder will have line management responsibility for four SEO staff within the team.

Essential Criteria

Expert Knowledge

. Expert knowledge of Information Rights Legislation (FOIA, EIRs, Data Protection, UK GDPR) with the ability to interpret and apply this complex legislation

Leadership

. Lead, motivate and coach the team to deliver outcomes. Build and maintain an inclusive and respectful team that promotes diversity and respects differences.

Changing and Improving

. Look for continuous improvement in the services we deliver, encouraging initiative and challenge within the team. Make effective use of technology and data to drive improvements.

Managing a Quality Service

. Deliver a high quality, efficient and cost effective operational service. Proactively manage risks and identify solutions, creating opportunities to help improve the quality of service.

Communicating and Influencing

. Actively build strong working relationships across DLUHC to achieve progress on shared objectives. Excellent influencing and negotiation skills with key stakeholders

Selection process details

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.

We are for everyone

DLUHC want to bring in and bring on 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:

Behaviours:

- Managing a Quality Service (Lead Behaviour)

- Changing and Improving

- Communicating and Influencing

- Leadership

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 based on the lead behaviour.

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviour, experience and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates. Experience will be assessed through a presentation; further details will be provided at a later stage.

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

Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Leadership

Experience: Assessed via presentation

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

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:

London

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 from 09/02/2022 with 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. 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.

CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance):

Important note

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 counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.

Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you.

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.

Grade 7 salary

The salary for this role is £53,132 (London).

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

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 and guidance on:

• Internal Fraud Database

• Reserve List

• Notes on Security Clearance

• Additional Information on Modernised Terms and Pay

Contact details

Job contact :

Name : Marcia Jackson

Email : Marcia.Jackson@communities.gov.uk 

Recruitment team :

Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk