Senior Occupational Psychologist

The job is in the Occupational Psychology Service (OPS), which sits within the Government People Group (GPG) in Cabinet Office. The job is part of the wider Government Occupational Psychology Profession (a recognised government specialist profession).
GPG
GPG exists to work with departments, professions, and functions to build a modern, effective Civil Service.
We support the government workforce with the right skills and capability. We are working with leaders to get the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills and continuous learning to excel in their roles.
We provide leadership, and in turn, create leaders with exceptional line management capability across departments, influencing partners in the wider public sector and beyond. This involves getting our retention and reward strategy right, to nurture specific skills, and create pride and resilience in our workforce.
Our role is also to provide system leadership across central government in pulling together back office services. Collectively, we help support the Cabinet Office’s priority to drive efficiencies, and reforms that will make government work better, to ultimately provide a better service to the public.
OPS
Acting as an internal consultancy to all of the Civil Service, we collaborate with government departments, functions and professions to develop and deliver high quality, customer-focused assessment products and solutions grounded in great digital standards and best practice occupational psychology and psychometrics principles. Our services aim to help identify and develop the best people from all backgrounds, including the Civil Service’s prestigious talent programmes.
You will be joining a high performing multi-disciplinary team of occupational psychologists, psychometricians and digital experts who use evidence-based practice to put the client and user at the heart of what they do.
The Government Occupational Psychology Profession
The profession comprises over 250 members across all the major government departments and many agencies and arms-length bodies – which makes us the largest Occupational Psychology community in the U.K. The Head of the Government Occupational Psychology Profession is Dr Antonia Dietmann. Building on the foundation of skills that you developed in your Master’s degree, your career in the Government Occupational Psychology Profession will develop both your technical and consultancy capabilities. Throughout the year there will be many opportunities to connect with other members of the profession and build the relationships that will make the most rewarding occupational psychology career., As Senior Occupational Psychologist you will work closely with the Head of the Occupational Psychology Service to provide thought leadership in the areas of selection and assessment for the Civil Service.
You will play a critical role in supporting the design, development, trialling and evaluation of a suite of online tests used for recruitment and talent selection in the Civil Service. You will also provide support and advice for clients to ensure best practice use of assessments and create guidance to support candidates through their testing journey.
You will have the opportunity to lead on psychological and insight-led research projects using both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the wider recruitment context and better enable the Occupational Psychology Service to make evidence-based decisions. Examples of such work could include:
+ evaluating the impact, and potential, of artificial intelligence methods for selection and assessment.
+ working with digital specialists to research and develop transformative ways of defining job requirements, assessing people and ensuring automated recruitment processes are fit for purpose from a people measurement perspective.
You will act as a subject matter expert and represent the Occupational Psychology Service professionally with a wide range of customers and stakeholders. You will also be expected to contribute to the development of professional practice and work collaboratively with colleagues on a wider portfolio of activities when the need arises.
Key responsibilities include:
Psychological Assessment at Work
+ Scoping and designing bespoke assessment solutions including: psychometric tests, situational judgement questionnaires and other evidence-based sifting tools, behavioural work sample simulations, assessment centres and interviews.
+ Using online assessment platforms to implement and support delivery of assessment solutions; working with digital, data assurance and diversity colleagues to ensure new assessments are compliant, fair, and meet customer and user needs.
+ Managing multiple assessment projects at all stages of the consultancy cycle.
+ Working with customers to ensure best practice use of assessments to support client decision making including pass-mark setting, moderation processes, and reducing risk of adverse impact.
+ Evaluating the effectiveness of assessment solutions by identifying appropriate statistical methods/techniques and interrogation of data to ensure they are robust, fair, reliable and valid (e.g. predictive validity, adverse impact analysis).
Leadership, Engagement and Motivation
+ Act as a subject matter expert providing expert advice on recruitment, use of assessments and wider Occupational Psychology areas.
+ Keep up-to-date with the latest innovations in assessments, psychometrics, modern testing methods and in particular recruitment testing.
+ Line management of one trainee psychologist may be required.
Providing expert advice and research
+ Providing professional occupational psychology advice and guidance to clients and senior leaders to ensure adherence to industry best practice and the highest ethical standards.
+ Providing occupational psychologist support for information gathering exercises such as surveys and focus groups, and providing activities to support organisational development.
+ Representing the Occupational Psychology profession at working groups, committees and other forums across government to inform policy and operations.
+ Researching new and emerging assessment methods/processes; setting up and conducting detailed studies to explore their impact and efficacy.
+ Chartered Psychologists and Registered Occupational Psychologists are required to supervise Trainee Occupational Psychologists on the qualification to achieve Registered Occupational Psychologist status. If not already registered on the Register of Applied Practice Psychology Supervisors (RAPPS), work towards RAPPS eligibility within a reasonable timescale., A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
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.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
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
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
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 terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Reasonable Adjustment
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.
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).

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.

+ Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society.
+ Full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, British Psychological Society.
Licences - Essential
+ Registered Occupational Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council., + MSc Occupational Psychology (or equivalent titled course) approved as Stage 1 by the British Psychological Society.
+ British Psychological Society Qualification in Occupational Psychology Stage 2 or have completed Part 1 and Part 2 of a professional doctorate in occupational psychology, which confers Chartered Member with the BPS (see Memberships) and Registered Occupational Psychologist with the HCPC (see Licences).
Technical Skills
+ We will assess the technical skills (Knowledge Base, Consultancy and Research and Evaluation) listed in the Government Occupational Psychology Skills & Standards at Senior Psychologist level (p17 – 23).
+ We will assess Ambassador, from the Government Occupational Psychology Skills & Standards (p15 – 16).
+ These technical skills should have been demonstrated in the application of occupational psychology in recruitment, selection and assessment, especially development and implementation of psychological assessments and in-depth experience of using statistical analysis software packages., Each of the following:
• MSc Occupational Psychology (or equivalent titled course) approved as Stage 1 by the British Psychological Society.
• British Psychological Society Qualification in Occupational Psychology Stage 2 or have completed Part 1 and Part 2 of a professional doctorate in occupational psychology, which confers Chartered Member with the BPS (see Memberships) and Registered Occupational Psychologist with the HCPC (see Licences).

Each of the following:
• Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society.
• Full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, British Psychological Society.

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Knowledge Base
+ Consultancy
+ Research and Evaluation
+ Ambassador, Alongside your salary of £42,382, Cabinet Office contributes £12,278 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.