Expert Advisors (3 roles available)

These roles present a fabulous opportunity to work at the heart of government, advising and supporting Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and wider leadership team. These are important roles, embedded in key policy teams, helping to develop excellent advice and helping to shape the approach on ministerial priorities. You will be an expert in your field and able to consider how best to shape policy and work across the delivery landscape to ensure successful delivery.
DWP is looking to fill Expert Advisor roles in Policy Group directorate, with separate portfolios, the 3 roles are:
Employment Expert Advisor – focussing on the Government’s priority mission of achieving highest sustained growth in the G7, by reducing the number of people inactive and achieving 80% employment.
Pensions Expert Advisor – focussing on the commitment to undertake on a review of the pensions landscape – a core DWP and HMT priority, reforming workplace pensions and to increase investment from pension funds into UK PLC.
Social Security and Disability Expert Advisor – focussing on the Department’s wide range of social security legislation, including on Fraud and Disability., Employment Expert Advisor: Your primary focus will be acting as a trusted adviser to the DWP Secretary of State, managing that critical relationship and supporting the Secretary of State in her delivery of key DWP priorities as set out in the Government’s Missions statement. This requires significant impactful personal leadership working collaboratively with senior officials in DWP, other Government Departments and external delivery partners.
The role will focus on supporting the delivery of a Labour Market White Paper and resulting policy, particularly on the National Jobs and Careers Service and Youth Guarantee. You will offer critical thinking and challenge to the Department’s approach.
Pensions Expert Advisor: The post holder’s primary focus will be acting as a trusted adviser to the DWP Secretary of State, managing that critical relationship and supporting the Secretary of State in her delivery of a key DWP priority as set out in the Government’s Missions statement. This requires significant impactful personal leadership working collaboratively with senior officials in DWP, other Government Departments and external delivery and industry partners.
This role will focus on the Government’s commitment to undertake a critical two-stage review of the UK pensions landscape. The review – a priority for the Ministerial Team and Chancellor – will focus initially on the private and workplace pensions landscape, followed by a review into retirement outcomes more broadly.
Social Security and Disability Expert Advisor: The Social Security and Disability Expert Advisor role is in service of the Government’s social security manifesto commitments; Social Security and Disability – focussing on the Department’s wide range of social security legislation, including Disability.
Your primary focus will be acting as a trusted adviser to the DWP Secretary of State, managing that critical relationship and supporting the Secretary of State in her delivery of a key DWP priority as set out in the Government’s Missions statement. This requires significant impactful personal leadership working collaboratively with senior officials in DWP, other Government Departments and external delivery partners.
This role will focus on social security policy and disability. You will support policy teams with the delivery of a high-profile Health and Disability White Paper. You will offer critical thinking and challenge to the Department’s approach.
Please see the candidate pack attached to this advert to learn more about each role and their responsibilities., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Leadership
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together, Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 18 months. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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:
o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o 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)
o 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)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o 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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Are you an experienced leader and an expert in your field? Do you have a passionate about making a difference to the lives of millions of people? this is the role for you., + Experience working at a whole system level - with experts and stakeholders at all levels – to develop approaches based on a deep understanding of customers, and the levers to effect positive outcomes.
+ Strong evidence of successfully influencing and managing complex senior stakeholder relationships and an ability to build trust-based relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across dispersed multi organisation teams, developing and maintaining effective networks.
+ Strong analytical skills, with the ability to quickly distil large amounts of information from a variety of sources into sound recommendations and communicate complex issues clearly.
+ An ability to work independently and proactively, bringing flexibility, professional curiosity, and diverse perspectives into your work.
+ Extensive experience of providing visible and collaborative leadership within a complex organisation with a proven ability to build high performing teams – growing confidence and capability, employee engagement, and an inclusive culture.

Alongside your salary, the Department for Work and Pensions contributes 28.97% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
+ Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
+ Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
+ Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
+ Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
+ Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
+ Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
+ An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.