Head of Facilities Management Policy

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced policy professional to take up the role of Head of FM Policy. This is a critical role that will support the Programme Directors for FM and Resilient Estates in shaping and delivering multiple facets of the government’s approach to facilities management and resilience, driving delivery in the near term while innovating for the long term.

The role will offer you autonomy and stretch in a supportive environment. You will harness the programme team’s extensive network and experience to evidence, shape and lead policy and system change across a broad agenda. Importantly, the Head of FM Policy will also play a crucial role in helping the Programme Directors to build strong business cases and spending review bids, whilst leading and supporting aspects of change management and implementation.

You will work across a range of internal and external stakeholders, including local and central government, wider public sector partners, industry experts and professional bodies to design and implement solutions to bring about improved outcomes

Job description

The post holder will lead policy and system change across a broad FM agenda, drawing on the programme’s broad network, deep experience and unique insight as well as maximising the tool and platforms that we have. Specific responsibilities of the role include:

• Policy Development: Acting as the lead for FM policy development, working in conjunction with internal teams and external stakeholders to identify, develop and embed system change opportunities.
• Business Case Support: Supporting work on in-year business cases and spending review bids in conjunction with the Programme Director and wider OGP teams.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging at senior levels, bringing partners together to understand barriers to delivery, test approaches and develop different ways of working. Utilising a range of policy tools and techniques to do so, including workshops and roundtable discussions.
• Building Evidence: Building evidence to inform recommendations on policy change to maximise better outcomes across the public sector estate
• Strategic Influence: Influencing a broad range of senior stakeholders in central and local government, and joining-up work across key stakeholders on common agendas. Key to this will be development of the recently formed FM & Resilience Taskforce to be a catalyst for delivering change.
• Programme Contribution: Leading the programme’s contribution to OGP and Property Function-wide strategy and policy, including Strategic Asset Management Plans and the Government Property Strategy.

Person specification

During the assessment process we will assess you against the following skills, experience and behaviours:

Essential Skills and Experience

• Policy - extensive experience of leading policy development and implementation across the public sector is essential for this role, preferably with experience of doing this is an infrastructure/property/estates/facilities management environment
• Strategic thinking - political awareness and the ability to generate new ideas and assess their impact within a complex policy environment
• Leadership and management - to inspire; give clear direction across the programme team and stakeholders in order to develop policy interventions; and deliver through others, balancing a range of different objectives
• Communicating and influencing - excellent communicator, able to listen, persuade a broad range of stakeholders including very senior partners of shared goals, create strong buy-in and successfully deliver change. This includes writing effective ministerial submissions
• Collaboration – able to break down policy barriers and join-up programmes across government and between central and local government.
• Decision-making – skilled in developing robust, evidence-based proposals and making effective and timely decisions in a complex and ever changing environment

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess the relevant skills outlined for this role within a Facilities Management environment, accompanied by (or currently pursuing) an FM-related professional credential at IWFM Level 4 or higher (or equivalent qualification).

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,207, Cabinet Office contributes £17,152 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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, Strengths and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process, we will assess your skills and experience. Behaviours and Strengths will be tested at interview.

To apply, please submit a CV and personal statement of no more than 1,250 words, clearly demonstrating how your skills, career history, experience and qualifications meet the essential criteria requested.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

The interview will consist of questions based on the Success Profiles:

• Seeing the Big Picture (Behaviours)
• Making Effective Decisions (Behaviours)
• Communicating and Influencing (Behaviours)
• Working Together (Behaviours)

There will also be two questions to assess your Strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – week commencing 28th September 2026
Expected interview date/s – week commencing 12th October 2026
Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.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 : Andrea Frankish
• Email : andrea.frankish@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)