Senior Freedom of Information Case Adviser

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth!

About the Team

The Correspondence and Information Rights Team (CIRT) consists of:

• The Information Rights Unit (IRU) – which consists of the Freedom of Information Team who deal with requests for recorded information and the Data Protection team who oversee all data subject access requests and advise on data protection across Treasury.
• The Correspondence and Enquiries Unit (CEU), who handle correspondence from the public and Members of Parliament.
• The CIRT Technology Team oversee our technology improvement plans, run our case management system and provide day to day management information in relation to our casework performance.

This role sits in the Freedom of Information Team within the Information Rights Unit.

We’re a friendly team based across London, Norwich and Darlington, and we encourage people from different ages, experiences, and backgrounds.

About the Job

Accountabilities:

As part of our wider technology transformation programme, you’ll lead improvements to the FOI process, particularly improvements to the timeliness of our internal review responses. This is an exciting area of work – where the change you’ll deliver will have a significant impact and long lasting benefits for the Treasury.

1. Provide visible leadership to empower your casework team to achieve business priorities, ensuring they are equipped to provide expert and trusted FOI handling advice.
2. Improve HM Treasury’s timeliness performance for internal reviews.
3. Transform and streamline processes and ensure new ways of working are successfully embedded in the team.
4. Lead our most complex casework working with senior collaborators and engaging directly with the ICO and lawyers acting for us at FTT stage.

About You

We’re looking for a senior caseworker (subject matter expert) who has the experience and ability to deal with complex information requests. To be the Treasury lead contact to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) on cases they’re investigating and manage lawyers to coordinate HM Treasury’s responses to First Tier Tribunal (FTT) casework. This post offers a fantastic opportunity to work with and influence Senior Civil Servants, Ministerial and Perm Sec offices, No10 and Special Advisers and acquire the stretch and development for onward progression to Grade 7.

Sitting at the heart of Government policymaking, the Treasury receives a diverse range of FOI requests. In addition to leading complex casework, you’ll have line management responsibilities, being responsible for their performance and ensuring their casework and operational delivery is of the highest quality.

As the senior caseworker you’ll have the autonomy and flexibility to make business critical decisions on behalf of the Treasury, which impact its medium to long term goals. Acting as a FOI subject matter expert, you’ll establish and maintain confidence amongst senior partners and the public in our FOI service, ensuring your team provides clear and persuasive advice that can be trusted and takes account of political sensitives.

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.

Some of the Benefits our people love!

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing you to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, compressed hours).
• Generous parental leave and adoption leave packages.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 28%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
• Access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal allowing you access to a range of discount codes for online shopping.
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity