Location

Multi-location from one of our FSA Offices (Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, London or York), or home based in the UK. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas. Travel across the UK maybe required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.

About the job 

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1300 people, with a big vision – to drive change in the food system so that it delivers “food we can trust”. Our primary goal is to continue to protect public health and consumers’ wider interest in food. As we have now exited the EU the FSA faces a significant period of change and activity.

The Operational Transformation Programme has been established to introduce a once in a generation transformational change to the way that the FSA delivers its legal obligations as regulator in the meat, dairy and wine food production sectors. The Programme is one of three flagship work programmes within the Agency and the Programme Team have a crucial role to play in shaping and defining how the FSA will deliver operational controls as an excellent accountable modern regulator in the future.

A fulfilling job is all about making a difference and being able to show how the work we do has a positive impact on society. For some organisations and roles, it is sometimes difficult to define a direct positive link between what we do and the lives of others. This is not the case for the FSA as it does not matter where we live, what our socio-economic background is or what our interests or preferences are, we have one thing in common – we all need to eat. Consequently, the work of the FSA in making sure that food is safe and is what it says it is touches on the lives of us all and helping the Agency to continue to be the trusted voice of the consumer by protecting consumers interests across the whole food supply chain is a great motivator and keeps us excited and passionate about what we do.

This post is advertised as a 6 months fixed term / Loan appointment (with a possibility of an extension). Candidates that are already established Civil Servants will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this job.

Job description

The key responsibilities include those listed below but this may alter depending on changing business needs.

• We are looking for an enthusiastic team player to join the team as a legislative specialist. Initially you will support the team's forward planning, including supporting the detailed work required to build the OTP legislative strategy and forward work programme.
• Later you will provide support for specific workstreams within the Operational Transformation Programme.
• This role will require skills in building relationships with legal and policy leads across Government and internal stakeholders, detailed knowledge of developing policy to feed into new legislation, strong communication skills and the ability to win buy-in to support ambitious goals and support legislative delivery across the OTP.
• The ability to understand complex issues and apply critical thinking to identify positive outcomes and opportunities is essential in this role.
• You will be expected to support functions within the team, such as programme and project management, communications and stakeholder management.
 

Responsibilities

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process. We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. This will consist of shortlisting against the essential and desirable person specification criteria stated. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to the final selection stage consisting of an experience/behaviours-based interview.

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated below:
• Demonstrable experience of delivery in a policy and/or legislative making environment.

The FSA is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Part-time applicants are also welcome to apply. All appointments are made on merit.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached terms and conditions statement.

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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.
Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

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

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

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.

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.

Apply and further information

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 :   Karen Simpson Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected] Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email [email protected] in the first instance.
 

Attachments Legislative Strategy Specialist (SEO) Candidate Pack Opens in new window(pdf, 1281kB) Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 Opens in new window(pdf, 61kB)