EOI - Head of Visitor Economy
Job summary
This is a short-term role for a maximum of 6 months, which is available on both
level transfer and temporary promotion. This is a busy time for the Visitor Economy Team with a number of ongoing priority projects. This role is an opportunity to shape a high-profile government strategy and put in place the foundations for its implementation. The successful candidate will play an important leadership role during this period, providing line management to 4 Grade 7s and leadership of the wider policy team of 10, and provide essential support to the deputy director.
Job description
Key responsibilities during this period will be:
- Driving forward delivery of the Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, working across government and with senior sector stakeholders to ensure it is ambitious, coherent and ready to deliver.
- Post-publication, providing oversight of the implementation framework needed to turn the Strategy’s ambitions into action, including clear ownership, governance, delivery structures and ways of tracking progress across Government.
- Maintaining important stakeholder relationships with the Visitor Economy Advisory Council and the British Tourist Authority, including acting as the DCMS observer for the VisitEngland Advisory Board.
- Preparing for and coordinating DCMS's activity around World Travel Market and delivering ministerial priorities
- Supporting the Minister ahead of her Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing, examining the future of the UK’s tourism industry.
Person specification
Essential requirements:
- A strong track record of leading people and programmes through complex, uncertain or changing circumstances, setting a clear direction and enabling teams to deliver at pace.
- The ability to move confidently between strategy, policy development and practical implementation, ensuring that advice is grounded in a strong understanding of how outcomes will be delivered.
- The ability to assess complex and sometimes competing evidence, identify the key issues and make sound judgements about options, risks, dependencies and consequences, translating this into clear advice, including for ministers.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders, commanding their confidence and leveraging their expertise and work through other teams to deliver your own priorities.
- The ability to explain complex issues clearly and provide confident, well-judged advice to Ministers and senior leaders.
Desirable skills:
- Knowledge of the visitor economy sector and stakeholders.
- Experience of project or programme management.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £64,903, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £18,802 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:
Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working - DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home
26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice
3 days of paid volunteering leave
Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year
Occupational sick pay
Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice
Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks
Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work
Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!
Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.Selection process details
Please discuss this opportunity with your line manager for approval before applying, if successful, you’d be required to start as soon as possible (ideally in the week commencing 19th October).
To express your interest in this role, please send a statement of suitability of no more than 750 words describing your suitability for the role, along with your CV setting out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements by 17:00 on Monday 12th October to laura.backhouse@dcms.gov.uk.
Your statement of suitability should focus on how you meet the criteria set out above and will also be assessed using the same criteria.
The successful candidate will be selected via interview. If you are invited to an interview, the vacancy holder will confirm what to prepare in the invitation.
For further information on this vacancy, please contact laura.backhouse@dcms.gov.uk.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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
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 theCivil 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 : Laura Backhouse
- Email : laura.backhouse@dcms.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Further information
The law requires that 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.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 recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/