Guidance and Practice Manager; HEO; FTC; Liverpool/Newport

Job summary

• Can you easily pick out important points in information?
• Can you explain complicated concepts in plain English?
• Do you like constantly learning and testing your knowledge?

The Guidance and Practice team write the Charity Commission’s guidance for charity trustees, giving them the information they need to perform that role. We are looking for a Guidance and Practice Manager, who will lead on projects to write guidance, so strong writing skills is essential. Moreover, we are looking for someone who can take complex information and explain that in plain English.

You will Also have strong research, analytical and collaboration skills, so that you can quickly get to grips with a topic and its implications and work effectively with people across the Commission. You can also be asked to deliver presentations based on guidance to internal audiences or to trustees and umbrella bodies.

Our projects can be long, and our drafting is rigorously tested internally and externally. You do not have to be a charity law expert, but you will need to be curious, have resilience, an eye for detail and good organisational skills.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Write guidance, using plain English, which is based on the law and on Commission expectations
• Thoroughly research a topic and consider impacts and implications, to assess what the Commission’s policy position should be on a particular issue
• Make sound decisions (or where appropriate recommendations) on what to include and exclude, particularly whether feedback and editorial suggestions (including from senior colleagues) have merit
• Test drafts with colleagues internally, and with charities and sector bodies
• Work effectively with relevant colleagues to launch and promote the guidance with appropriate external messaging, and to track and measure the awareness, engagement, and impact of guidance
• Provide advice or briefings using our guidance, or what we would say in guidance, to for example answer press enquiries

Person specification

Ability:

• Understand a new topic reasonably quickly, and what it means both for the Commission as regulator and trustees
• Write clearly and using plain English on topics that are technical or complex, and structure your writing so that you meet the needs of an online audience
• Obtain feedback on proposals through surveys, focus groups, or other means, and translate that feedback into appropriate actions
• Make sound judgements about information (such as survey results, legal advice, data, editorial comments) to make sure guidance is accurate, complies with agreed writing standards and is responsive to technical feedback; know when to escalate an issue for decision-making
• Manage relationships to work effectively across the Commission and with senior staff
• Communicate effectively on paper and in person, including the ability to persuade others
• Work proactively, with good planning and prioritising so you keep the project on track and deal with any unexpected developments; maintain version control

Experience:

• Writing on technical issues, for example guidance, papers or external correspondence
• Making decisions or recommendations that are taken up on complex issues
• Achieving successful outcomes through collaborative working
• Presenting or facilitating workshops or meetings

Technical:

• Using Microsoft 365 and track changes (Technical)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,384, Charity Commission contributes £10,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

This is your chance to make a contribution that really matters and to make an impact in an organisation where your voice will be heard and your hard work noticed.

Watch this short video to find out more about us. short video

We operate a flexible hybrid working policy where office attendance is combined with homeworking days dependent on role and corporate requirements.

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring from all backgrounds and we aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion inclusion and wellbeing, aiming to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and has a sense of belonging.

We do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

We offer access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme (employer contributions of 28.97%), far more than in the private sector, and a flexible, family-friendly environment. Additionally, you can look forward to other great benefits via our ‘Perkbox’ and ‘Edenred’ schemes. These include everything from an interest-free season ticket loan and bicycle loan (after two months) to discounts on gym membership, cinema tickets and restaurants. Please see the attached Charity Commission benefits document.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days per year.

The Charity Commission’s operational ambition is to realise the Commission’s values of being an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent, which works in a way that is supportive, collaborative, and innovative to achieve our ambitions. We want to develop our capability to regulate charities to realise this goal and meet our statutory and public duties to ensure that charity in England and Wales can deliver maximum benefit to society in a way that upholds its reputation in the eyes of the public.

Work at the Charity Commission and you’ll make a difference every day to:

• The 170,000 charities of all shapes and sizes that we regulate across England and Wales.
• The trustees we partner with and advise.
• The people and causes that benefit from the £10bn generously donated each year by the public.

Find out more about working for us here.

To note: Any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete the following:

• A blind CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skill and experiences.
• A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role outlined on the Job Description.

We will assess your experience and the following Behaviours at Interview stage:

• Communicating and influencing
• Working together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

You will also be asked to complete a task before the interview. This will assess your knowledge and experience.

Interviews will be conducted via MS Teams.

The filtering process is due to take place on 26/06/2026

Interviews will be held on 08/07/2026

We will try to meet the dates specified in the advertisement. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be given sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

At the interview, the panel may probe further and ask candidates to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent sentence. Read more about recruiting people leaving prison.

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Behaviours:

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

Reasonable Adjustment:

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Fixed Term Contracts – Important Information

This is a fixed-term appointment as Guidance and Practice Manager within Comms and Policy. Your responsibilities are listed in the Job Description for this post. This post will therefore begin from the date of your appointment and end on 31/03/2028.

Permanent civil servants joining the Charity Commission on a Fixed-term Appointment:

If you accept a Fixed-term Appointment with the Charity Commission it must be a transfer from your home department on a loan basis to ensure you can return to your home department at the end of the Fixed-term Appointment.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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 : Mazeda Alam
• Email : Recruitment@charitycommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles,and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact hrsupportservices@charitycommission.gov.uk. in the first instance
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 page here.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Attachments

Guidance and Practice Manager Opens in new window (pdf, 411kB)Guidance and Practice Manager (Welsh) Opens in new window (pdf, 395kB)Charity Commission Benefits Opens in new window (pdf, 168kB)Benefits - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 170kB)