Senior Advisers to the Civil Service Commission and to the Commissioner for Public Appointments

• Details
• Reference number
• 474738
• Salary
• £62,988 - £68,588
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• Grade 7
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• CO - Civil Service Commission
• Type of role
• Administration / Corporate Support
• Business Management and Improvement
• Governance
• Human Resources
• Operational Delivery
• Policy
• Secretarial
• Strategy
• Working pattern
• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
• Number of jobs available
• 2
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

London

About the job

Job summary

These are two exciting, strategy-focused Grade 7 roles in the Independent Offices which support the Civil Service Commission and the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) sits at the heart of government, regulating recruitment into the Civil Service and is the final appeal body for complaints made under the Civil Service Code. The CSC also provides independent advice on applications made under the Business Appointment Rules for Senior Civil Servants and Special Advisers.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPA) is the government’s independent regulator of public appointments, overseeing the process by which ministers make appointments to 4,000 different roles across government. This important work receives considerable scrutiny from the media, academics, and parliamentarians.

We are looking for two exceptional people to deliver significant strategic change in both organisations. They will quickly and competently evaluate key strategic challenges, work effectively with senior office holders to define their plans for the future, and go on to lead the delivery of those plans to challenging deadlines. These roles present a unique opportunity to own end-to-end strategic change processes at the heart of government. This is high profile work and will involve working alongside ministers and the most senior officials.

The successful candidates will lead teams of between one and four colleagues. They will also take on important corporate leadership roles as part of the wider team in the Independent Offices.

Job description

In these roles you will:

• Lead the development of strategies for regulating: entry into and exit from the Civil Service; or the process by which ministers make appointments to regulated roles.
• Work with senior office holders to translate those strategies into coherent plans, closely aligned with their statutory duties and objectives.
• Lead a team to deliver those plans, including through audits of government departments and through investigations and inquiries, as required.
• Lead a team to deliver thematic reviews and other reports, drawing on qualitative and quantitative data to produce evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
• Make important contributions to Annual Reports published by the Civil Service Commission and Commissioner for Public Appointments.
• Line manage and support a team, and provide visible senior leadership across the Independent Offices, working collaboratively to build staff capability.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Leadership: Ability to take personal responsibility in setting the direction of and coordinating and motivating a team, establishing culture, ways of working and values.
• Innovation: Ability to creatively drive improvement through innovation, maximising available tools to create an efficient, reliable process and bringing others with you.
• Decision-making: Ability to decisively reach reasoned verdicts by designing, interpreting and protecting the integrity of agreed decision-making frameworks.
• Communication: Ability to clearly communicate complexity verbally and in writing, demonstrating nuance in adapting style according to the audience.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions

We only ask for evidence of one behaviour on your application form - Leadership.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

A minimum 50% of your working time must be spent in the Commission’s Westminster office, the role’s principal location, 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:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• As part of the interview, candidates will also be asked to complete a task. This will be to prepare a response to a list of questions, using the material provided, and demonstrating alignment to the essential criteria.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,988, Cabinet Office contributes £18,247 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete:

• A 750 word Statement of Suitability;
• A CV detailing your career history, and skills/experience; and
• A 250 word behaviour statement for the following behaviour - Leadership.

Your Statement of Suitability should be no more than 750 words. It should provide real life examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role and how you would apply them to this position. It will be assessed against the essential criteria and used to add depth to the best evidence in your CV.

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will also be assessed against the essential criteria.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the Statement of Suitability. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview

Selection process

At the interview stage for this role, we will assess you based on the Civil Service Success Profiles. You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours in your interview for the role:

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions

As part of the interview, candidates will also be asked to complete a task. This will be to prepare a response to a list of questions, using the material provided, and demonstrating alignment to the essential criteria. Shortlisted candidates will be provided with the material ahead of the interview.

We will also test you on a range of strengths. These are designed to test your ability to respond to situations that you may face in your day to day role.

The interview will take place in person at 1 Horse Guards Road, SW1A 2HQ.

At the interview you will be scored on your task, behaviours and strengths. Appointments will be made in merit order.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

• Expected sift date – w/c 31 August 2026
• Expected interview date/s – w/c 14 September 2026

Reasonable adjustments

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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

Further information

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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years UK residency in the past 3 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.

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

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

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.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to 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.

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

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

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

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.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check .

See our vetting charter .

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)
• 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

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.

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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : Thomas Price
• Email : thomas.price@csc.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/.