Head of Organisation Design & Development

Job summary

This is a high-profile opportunity to lead organisation design and development across the Defra Group at a time of significant organisational pressure and change. With the Permanent Secretary now established in the organisation, Defra is considering how its structures should evolve in response to political direction, including devolution and the future Civil Service, while ensuring the Group is organised to deliver Defra’s organisational outcomes.

As Head of Organisation Design & Development, you will bring deep professional expertise and practical leadership to the design and restructuring of Core Defra and its agencies and arm’s-length bodies. You and your team will work directly with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, offering trusted advice and constructive challenge and translating complex requirements into deliverable organisational solutions.

The role sits in the Workforce Strategy & Transformation directorate and will be central to enabling the Rightsizing pillar of the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme. Organisation design will be the strongest emphasis, alongside organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and wider workforce strategy.

You will lead a team of around seven Grade 7 practitioners, strengthen its bench strength and professional practice, manage demand across the Group and bring in specialist OD&D contractors where required. This is a practical, delivery-focused role for an experienced practitioner who can shape the organisation while building a strong, resilient and responsive OD&D service.

Job description

• Lead organisation design and restructuring across the Defra Group, aligning structures with political direction, including devolution and the future Civil Service, and enabling delivery of Defra’s organisational outcomes.
• Lead OD&D work in Core Defra, agencies and arm’s-length bodies, ensuring expert resource is deployed to the highest-priority organisational and transformation challenges.
• Work confidently with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, providing trusted evidence-based advice, constructive challenge and practical organisational solutions.
• Play a central role in the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme, particularly enabling the Rightsizing pillar through organisation design expertise and delivery.
• Provide expert consultancy across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and workforce strategy, with organisation design as the principal focus.
• Lead the central OD&D service and act as Head of Practice, setting professional standards, assuring quality and strengthening OD&D methods and capability across the Group.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of around seven Grade 7 OD&D practitioners, building bench strength, professional confidence and a cohesive, inclusive and high-performing service.
• Manage demand, priorities and practitioner deployment across the Group, balancing urgent restructuring activity with longer-term organisational development.
• Commission and procure specialist OD&D contractors where needed, integrating them effectively into the team and ensuring quality, value and delivery.
• Use organisational evidence, workforce insight and professional judgement to shape options, recommendations and implementation plans that are practical and sustainable.

Person specification

Essential experience and skills

• Deep professional expertise in organisation design and development, with substantial experience of leading complex organisation design and restructuring.
• A strong track record of operating in a large, complex organisation and translating strategic, political or operational requirements into practical organisational solutions.
• Experience of influencing and advising at the most senior levels, including providing credible constructive challenge and building trusted relationships across organisational boundaries.
• Demonstrable expertise across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and workforce strategy.
• Experience of applying evidence-based OD&D practice, models, data and organisational insight with professional rigour.
• Experience of leading an expert service and senior practitioners, developing capability and bench strength while managing competing demand and priorities.
• Experience of commissioning or managing specialist external expertise and ensuring it is integrated effectively into delivery.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills, with the judgement to move between strategic advice and practical implementation.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,931, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £20,259 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 with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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 please submit a tailored CV demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. Please also provide a 750-word Personal Statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria in the Person specification section of the advert, alongside a 250-word statement on the following Behaviour:

• Changing and Improving

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

The Personal Statement and CV will be scored as one and given a combined score.

Sift

Should there be a large number of successful applications, there will be an initial sift assessing the CV and Personal Statement. Those who pass the initial sift will either be progressed to a full sift to include the Behaviour statement, or to the next stage of the process.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Pre-recorded Video Interview Question

Candidates who pass the sift, will be asked a stand-alone 'Experience' question via a pre-recorded video interview platform. You will be sent a link along with details of how to proceed.

Interview

If successful at pre-recorded video interview stage, you will be invited to an MS Teams interview where you will be assessed on the following Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

You will also be assessed on Strengths and Experience. Experience will be tested through a pre-prepared presentation.

The presentation details will be sent out with the sift results.

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.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee. There will be travel required as part of the undertaking of this role, particularly to London.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

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

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

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 defrarecruitment.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 interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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.

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

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 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.

Higher Security Clearance

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Feedback

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 : HR Resourcing Delivery Team
• Email : HRResourcingDelivery@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

Defra Core Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1518kB)