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Job summary

We are MHCLG

Do you have exceptional communication skills?

Would you say you have excellent attention to detail?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Policy Advisor to join our team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and we'd love to hear from you!

The Fire Directorate plays a vital role in keeping the public safe from fires and the harm they cause, as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s vision to end the building safety crisis and transform the fire and rescue sector. We are recruiting for two roles in the Fire Directorate, based in the Fire Safety, Funding and Devolution team Roles Fire and Rescue Authorities operate under a range of locally determined governance arrangements, which are inherently affected by English devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Given most Fire and Rescue Authorities are legally tied to local authorities, when Local Government Reorganisation or English devolution change or abolish those authorities, the fire governance arrangements that sit alongside them must also change. Without a compliant governance model in place, fire and rescue services cannot operate.

The Fire Safety, Funding and Devolution team work to ensure governance remains clear, accountable, and resilient as wider local government structures change. We also respond to wider Government changes affecting fire governance, such as reforms to other emergency services. This is a fast-moving, high impact area of work at the intersection of devolution, local government reform, and public safety. The devolution agenda is high profile both within Government and in local areas, and large scale transformations of the local government sector like this happen once in a generation. The team are currently supporting work on both MHCLG and Home Office primary legislation and will also lead an ambitious programme of secondary legislation to give each of the planned fire governance transfers effect.

Job description

We are looking to recruit two policy SEOs to support this portfolio. The first role sits in the Fire Devolution team and is focused on establishing the impacts of devolution and LGR on fire governance, as well as options for new fire governance arrangements. The second role sits in the Fire Funding team and focuses on the financial implications of fire governance changes. There is a significant amount of overlap and interdependencies between the fire governance and fire funding portfolios, and therefore it is essential that you can work collaboratively across both roles and teams. Both roles will involve policy development, engagement with senior sector stakeholders, and legislative planning and coordination.

As the Policy Advisor you will:

• Support the development of policy on fire governance and funding, helping to assess the impact of devolution, local government reorganisation and wider government reforms.
• Work with colleagues across government and the fire sector to coordinate delivery of legislative and policy changes affecting fire and rescue authorities.
• Build effective working relationships with stakeholders and support engagement with fire and rescue services, local authorities and representative bodies.
• Analyse evidence and contribute to briefings, submissions and advice for senior officials and ministers on complex policy issues.
• Help manage project plans, risks and dependencies across a fast-paced portfolio to support delivery of key departmental priorities.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Be able to grasp complex and technical policy areas at pace.
• Be organised, and able to plan and coordinate various interdependent workstreams to deliver at pace.
• Be confident engaging with senior stakeholders both inside and outside of the Government (for example – Fire and Rescue Services, Fire and Rescue Authorities, the National Fire Chiefs Councils, Home Office), often independently, and able to build strong working relationships at pace.
• Be a team player, and able to effectively communicate and summarise complex information
• Experience in devolution, local government reorganisation, local governance or local government finance is desirable but not essential.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,004, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £12,747 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

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Strengths

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience:

In your CV and covering letter, please include:
a. why you are interested in the role;
b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

If we receive many applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Lead Sift: Seeing the Big Picture

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, Leadership

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 03/08.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 10/08 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a Disability Confident Scheme, Redeployment Interview scheme & Great Place to Work for Veterans employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office:

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.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.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 : Michael Davies
• Email : Michael.Davies@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk