UKRA Sponsor and Policy Advisor

Job summary

This is a unique opportunity to join the Training, Exercising and Doctrine (TED) Team at the very heart of government in the COBR Directorate. Our team's mission is to strengthen the UK's resilience to crises. We do this by developing world-leading doctrine, driving innovation, and delivering expert training and exercising.

In this role, you will be at the centre of this mission, shaping the future of the UK Resilience Academy (UKRA), as the leading national provider of resilience learning and expertise, building a community of trained professionals and individuals in civil society to be better prepared for current and future risks. It was officially opened by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on Monday 28 April 2025.

This is not a typical policy role. You will be instrumental in building a national capability, working with experts across government, the Public Sector and emergency services, the voluntary sector, and private industry to ensure the UK is prepared for the most challenging risks we face by guiding the UKRA to deliver against its objectives.

We are a friendly, supportive, and high-performing team. We are looking for a proactive and motivated individual to join us. This post would be an excellent fit for someone with a background in project delivery, policy, or learning and development, and a keen interest in capability building, civil contingencies, and national security.

Job description

As the UKRA Sponsor and Policy Adviser, you will be leading a high-profile national programme. This is a dynamic role that blends strategic policy development, robust project management, and senior stakeholder engagement.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Policy and Programme Delivery: Providing robust project management and governance to deliver key workstreams, ensuring our strategic policy goals are met on time and to a high standard. This includes providing the secretariat for key governance boards to ensure they run effectively.
  You will enable our lead supplier to translate resilience policy into tangible learning offers, working with colleagues to respond to new and emerging risks.
• Future Delivery Model: A significant part of the role will be to provide dedicated support to the next stage of the UKRA's Future Delivery Model, leading and collaborating with commercial colleagues on key workstreams for the Strategic Business Case and helping to design the future commercial solution.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach: Championing the UKRA across government and beyond, acting as a key representative for the Academy. You will work collaboratively to drive forward our 20+ strong 'Affiliate' network, turning partnerships into a genuine delivery capability.
• Analysis and Continuous Improvement: Gathering and analysing insight from our lead supplier and wider stakeholders to identify system improvements, provide creative solutions, and drive the continuous improvement of the UKRA's curriculum.

Person specification

We are seeking potential and value a diversity of experience. To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate the following skills and behaviours at SEO level:

Essential criteria (Civil Service Behaviours):

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour): You are a confident and clear communicator, able to convey complex ideas persuasively to a wide range of senior stakeholders. You build strong, collaborative relationships and can champion your work with authority.
• Delivering at Pace: You have strong project management and organisational skills, with a proven ability to manage competing priorities, track progress, and deliver projects successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Working Together: You have a strong track record of building and maintaining positive working relationships with diverse stakeholders inside and outside of government, demonstrating a collaborative and inclusive approach to achieve shared goals.

Desirable criteria:

• A professional interest in resilience, national security, or capability building.
• Experience in supporting commercial processes or business case development.
• An understanding of skills/learning frameworks or policy.
  Requirement: You must hold, or be willing and eligible to undergo, Security Check (SC) clearance.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,670, Cabinet Office contributes £13,809 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you should provide a CV (no more than 2 pages)

A Statement of suitability (no more than 500 words) based on the essential criteria in the Person specification.

Examples of each of the following behaviours (250 words each)

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

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 lead Behaviour, [Communicating and Influencing].

Should you be successful at application stage, you may then be invited to an interview which will test the following behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – WC 19/01/2026

Expected interview date/s – WC 02/02/2026

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.

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 AdvertRecruitment.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.

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

Further information

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Any move to the 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.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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

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 : sct@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
• Email : sct@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)