Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee (NIFAC) Secretariat

We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff or York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel to and across Northern Ireland will be required on a frequent basis (once a month), including overnight stays, The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a relatively small government department with a big remit: to keep food safe, ensure that it is what it says it is, and work towards making it healthier and more sustainable. We work across three nations to make a tangible and positive impact on what consumers eat.
The Assembly Liaison team sits at the heart of our efforts in the country, working to represent local interests whilst working alongside the wider FSA to ensure a coherency to all that we do., We are in search of a dynamic individual to join us as the Secretariat for the Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee (NIFAC). In this pivotal role, you will collaborate with a diverse array of stakeholders, fostering in person engagement, preparing meticulous papers, ensuring accurate minutes are kept. Your contribution will play a crucial role in maximizing NIFAC's impact on food safety.
This is an opportunity to organise and manage in-person meetings across Northern Ireland. As the orchestrator of NIFAC's day-to-day operations, your responsibilities will span from meticulously organising meetings in different venues to facilitating public appointments to the Committee. Your adept management will uphold a seamlessly functioning operation, ensuring that Committee advice is delivered to the Agency.
Interacting with colleagues from the FSA to external stakeholders in governmental and non-governmental organisations, you will navigate a broad spectrum of relationships. Your effective communication skills will be instrumental in achieving shared goals. Your organisational prowess, integral to the role, will ensure that NIFAC optimally utilises its time and resources.
Above all, if you are driven, organised, and possess key secretariat skills, this is an opportunity to contribute significantly to NIFAC's mission. If you are passionate about leveraging your abilities to support our crucial work in the realm of food safety, we invite you to apply today. Join us in making a lasting impact on the safety and trustworthiness of the nation's food supply.

Person specification
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:
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Working Together, If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Strengths requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours Level 3.
Behaviours
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Working Together
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Strengths
We will also assess you against a number of Civil Service Strengths – these are not disclosed prior to interview.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 10th October
Sift: Expected to take place from 14th October
Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 21st October
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
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
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.
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 the Civil 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.
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.

+ Lead criteria: Secretariat skills including minute taking, meeting organisation, preparing agendas and organising venues and speakers
+ Experience of working with senior leaders in an organisation including providing written and oral briefings e.g. to Director/Senior Management Team
+ Effective communication skills with a broad range of colleagues and stakeholders (orally and in writing)

£32,505
32,505 (National) £34,647 (London) (2024/25 pay award pending)
Salary will be pro rata for if working part time or as part of a job share partnership. If applying on a job-share basis, the expectation is that you are already in an established job-share partnership.
Applicants who wish to work part time / compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available, and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Due to the nature of the role, we are unable to consider requests for part time working of less than 30 hours per week.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP, Alongside your salary of £32,505, Food Standards Agency contributes £9,416 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.