Policy

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Job Title / Group / Directorate

Head of City Deals and Levelling Up, Policy Division, Scotland Office

City/Town  

Edinburgh/ London 

Grade  

Grade 6

Post Type  

Fixed term 12 month contract for maternity cover

Working Pattern  

Full Time, Part Time/Job Share

Role Type  

Policy

The successful candidate will either be based at the UK Government hub at Queen Elizabeth House, Sibbald Walk, Edinburgh, EH8 8FT or Dover House, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AU. The post holder will be expected to undertake frequent travel to either office and across Scotland. 

The Scotland Office is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, people engagement forums, facilities and services to support people from different backgrounds have a rewarding career.

Summary

Would you like an opportunity to play a leading role in supporting Ministers and the Scotland Office to deliver a £3bn delivery programme on City and Growth Deals and how best to support the levelling up agenda regionally in Scotland? We are looking for a dynamic self-starter and expert collaborator to join our policy and delivery division to lead this work on behalf of the Secretary of State and wider Ministerial team.

Job Description

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland supports the Secretary of State in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a stronger United Kingdom. It ensures Scottish interests are fully and effectively represented at the heart of the UK Government, and the UK Government’s responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Scotland. 

As Head of City Deals and Levelling Up your role will be to ensure the continued successful delivery of our flagship joint £3bn programme with Scottish Government on regional economic development, the City and Growth Deals, alongside developing a new approach to how UK Government can work together with Other Government Departments (OGD), Scottish Government and local partners across Scotland to deliver the UK Government’s Levelling up ambitions and tackle local issues that hold people and places back. 

You will be the local face of City Deals activity in Scotland and will be encouraged to develop deep relationships with senior partners across Scotland, including with Scottish Government, local authorities and wider local partners and networks to drive the agenda forward. To achieve this the candidate will be strategic, organised, have strong and concise communication skills, and be adept and building and maintaining a broad network at Senior levels across Scotland

You will lead a small team of policy and delivery professionals and matrix manage activity of a wider team of policy experts to implement the existing 12 deals and develop the next phase of activity to support levelling up in Scotland and build on a hugely successful programme. This work covers a very broad policy canvas and will require an ability to think creatively to overcome policy and delivery challenges at a local level and across fields as diverse as net zero and climate change, innovation and R&D, infrastructure development and poverty/social mobility.  

The Role

To support the Secretary of State, Ministerial team and Scotland Office on City and Growth Deals and implementing the Levelling Up White Paper in Scotland, including but not limited to:

• Successful management of a maturing £3bn Joint City and Growth Deal programme in Scotland, including leading on 1.5bn of UK Government investment in Scotland as part of the wider delivery programme across 12 Deals working closely and in partnership with Scottish Government, deal partners and Whitehall departments.
• Manage and Secretariat to the Joint City and Growth Deal Delivery Board in Scotland, including developing a forward-looking agenda and supporting documentation to enable the Joint Delivery Board to execute robust management of the wider Programme of activity and to deliver Value For Money across the Programme.
• Providing advice, analysis and support to the Secretary of State, Ministers and Special Advisors on Levelling Up and maximising its impacts across all of Scotland
• Working across Whitehall and with OGDs to influence, develop and implement plans to deliver on the Government’s flagship Levelling Up Programme in Scotland
• Supporting Ministers and Senior Officials in terms of local and regional engagement on deal and levelling up delivery and acting as an ambassador for the Scotland Office in support of this agenda.
• Working collaboratively with Ministers, the wider the policy division and external partners to develop a pipeline of new proposals and activity to support Levelling Up, including preparing new funding and policy proposals ahead of funding rounds and fiscal events
• Leadership and management of the City and Growth Deal and Levelling Up Team. Developing a forward looking vision and team business plan that supports staff to deliver a high level of service to Ministers and the Department while maintaining a positive culture and personal development across the team;
• Exemplify the culture and values of the department, acting as a role model for others and operating as part of a collective, collaborative and divisional leadership team.

Person Specification 

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and capability in implementing a high profile programme of existing work and developing a framework for policy development to creatively overcome policy challenges that holds places and people back. This includes the following:

Essential criteria

• A proven track record of working closely with senior Government Ministers and Special Advisers, and the ability to get under the skin of political/policy priorities and translate that into concrete actions;
• Highly developed communication, networking and negotiation skills with the personal presence and credibility to secure confidence at the most senior levels across Scotland and Whitehall.
• Outstanding management and leadership skills with the proven ability to maintain a high-performing motivated team to deliver at pace on a challenging agenda;
• Experience of working collaboratively with, and delivering through, a large and diverse group of internal and external stakeholders. 

Desirable

• Experience of programme or project management, including tools and techniques
• Experience of working in a pressurised environment, involving high levels of personal autonomy and evidence-based decision making;
• Demonstrable experience of working across more than one policy area and an ability to innovate and create new solutions and sell them in a compelling, inclusive manner

Interview dates  

Interview dates are expected to be scheduled for mid April

Contact information  

For further information, please contact kris.krasnowski1@ukgovscotland.gov.uk / miriam.simpson@ukgovscotland.gov.uk.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing – 250 word limit 
• Leadership – 250 word limit 
• Making Effective Decisions – 250 word limit 
• Delivering at Pace – 250 word limit 

Experience

CV 

Statement of Suitability – 750 word limit 

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy. 

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing 
• Leadership 
• Making Effective Decisions 
• Delivering at Pace 

Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance. 

Additional Assessment(s)

Presentation 

 

Salary

The national salary is £63,185 - £72,720, London salary is £66,698 - £76,760. Your salary will be dependent on your base location

Additional Information

The Scotland Office is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, people engagement forums, facilities and services to support people from different backgrounds have a rewarding career.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.