Policy Advisor

Do you have excellent communication skills and can manage stakeholders’ expectations?
Can you identify problems and solutions by analysing data?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Policy Advisor to join our team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and we’d love to hear from you.
The Elections Funding Team is responsible for ensuring delivery of the guidance, policy, legislation and funding in relation to UK Parliamentary and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. This includes reviewing the existing funding arrangements and the processes in place as well as managing the claims process for reimbursing Returning Officers for expenses necessarily incurred in the effective and efficient delivery of elections.
This role sits within the Elections Funding team part of the Elections Directorate. The team is responsible for managing payments from the Consolidated Fund to Returning Officers for expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred in the delivery of UK Parliamentary and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work., As a Policy Adviser, you will report to the Head of Elections Funding. Your key responsibilities will include:
+ Supporting work to review the funding of elections in the UK including consideration of innovative solutions to improve existing processes.
+ Working closely with the Elections Claims Unit in assessing and scrutinising Returning Officers expenses claims and providing policy advice to the team as needed.
+ Ensuring effective funding allocations for the running of elections working closely with analysts, including negotiations with HM Treasury and internal department finance to obtain the necessary approvals.
+ Ensuring that legislative instruments are put in place to support the funding of elections as required.
+ Engaging with a wide range of stakeholder and managing those relationships.
+ Supporting the production and publication of financial reports on elections and providing an input to internal departmental financial reports
+ Leading on the drafting of guidance, policy papers and correspondence., As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage.
Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).
Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions, for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
When writing your application, remember:
+ The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.
+ Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.
+ If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)
At sift, we will be assessing
Behaviour 1 (lead behaviour) - Seeing the Big Picture
Behaviour 2 - Changing and Improving
Technical - In 250 words, tell us about what you think the biggest challenges are for HM Government over the next 5 years.
Experience - In 250 words, tell us about a time where you have had to work independently to achieve a positive outcome
There is a 250 word limit per question.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:
Behaviour – Seeing The Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing
Strength - The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates., There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:
Sifting is envisaged to take W/C 06/01/2025 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
Reserve List
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance):
Important note
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the MHCLG Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you.
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by MHCLG. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.
Candidate Pack Information
Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. The candidate pack contains information about the CS Commissioners appeals and complaints procedure.
Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to MHCLG as a participating government organisations. MHCLG then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.
For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 counter-terrorist 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:
+ 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).

+ Have excellent communication skills. You can listen to the needs of stakeholders and interpret them. You can manage stakeholders’ expectations and be flexible. You are capable of proactive and reactive communication. You can facilitate difficult discussions within the team.
+ Have the ability to make a process work. You can identify and challenge organisational processes of increasing complexity and those processes that are unnecessarily complicated. You know how to guide teams through the implementation of a new process.
+ Be a self-starter and have the ability to work independently, managing and prioritising tasks effectively
+ Have the ability to identify problems and solutions, by analysing data and drawing conclusions from it.

Alongside your salary of £37,170, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,768 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 with an employer contribution of 28.97%, In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements:
Behaviours: Seeing The Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing
Experience: Yes
Technical: Yes
Strengths: Yes
We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.
HEO salary
+ The salary for this role is £37,170 (London) or £33,787 (National)., Any move to MHCLG 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