Supply Policy Advisor

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.
The Supply Resilience Directorate coordinates and drives DHSC’s work on supply, delivering a more strategic approach working closely across Government, the NHS and with industry. We respond to challenge and disruptions to the supply of medicines and medical products and drive long-term strategic thinking to improve resilience of key products., We are recruiting two SEO Senior Policy Advisors in the Strategic Supply and Continuity Team. These roles are an exciting opportunity to work in a challenging and often fast-paced area within the Supply Resilience Directorate, and to support the delivery of a key government priority to increase supply resilience across critical medicines and medical products.
Senior Policy Advisor - Continuity of Supply
The role will require you to support existing and new programmes to identify key risks and consider mitigation strategies across known threats to supply and deliver fast-paced projects to enhance supply resilience in specific areas across the system. You will be responsible for driving forward priority work to enhance resilience across critical products, taking into consideration national and international interests and risks across supply resilience.
Senior Policy Advisor – Strategic Supply Resilience
The post holder will be supporting programmes of work that underpin the development of long-term strategic direction to help enhance resilience for critical products, for example developing manufacturing policy for critical products and driving international engagement to maintain a global focus on supply resilience activities. The post holder will play a crucial role in developing policy on a critical Government priority.
In both roles you will have the opportunity to develop skills across policy development, project management, operational response/delivery and stakeholder management. Our teams work flexibly to ensure that individuals have stretching objectives and wide-ranging portfolios.

Person specification
Responsibilities will include:
+ Leading on complex policy work relating to cross-cutting threats to supply resilience and consider resilience plans across a number of policy interventions.
+ Supporting strategic priorities across national security and international impacts to supply chains, working with the team to develop supply resilience strategies that support the UK’s broader supply resilience objectives.
+ Influencing cross-government activity on supply chains to ensure health supply chains are considered, by drafting policy papers and briefing for Ministerial and Cabinet Committee meetings.
+ Delivering priority projects to meet the Directorate’s strategic ambitions, working with colleagues across the Department, Government, and the Devolved Administrations.
+ Building and maintaining strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including trade associations and industry representatives, on policy changes and threats to inform policy and decision making.
+ Drafting and/or feeding into submissions, briefing and communications for Ministers, senior leaders and other policy teams.
+ Supporting international engagement on supply resilience to ensure health supply chains are included and to drive forward the UK’s strategic supply resilience objectives., Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need.
There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace, A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DHSC 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
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 dhscrecruitment.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.
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 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.
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.
This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
Terms and Conditions
Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
New Entrants to the Civil Service
New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:
+ Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
+ Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
+ Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
+ Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
+ Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
+ Probation: 6 month probation period
Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion
All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion
If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
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).
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+ Experience in policy and strategy development, including the ability to understand complex policy issues and/or incomplete data, assess risks and impacts, and make evidence-based recommendations.
+ Ability to demonstrate outstanding written and verbal communication skills, and are able to communicate complex and sensitive information in an understandable form to a variety of audiences.
+ Good project management and delivery skills, including being comfortable managing multiple priorities and delivering high quality outcomes at pace.
+ Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
+ Ability to work collaboratively across a broad portfolio on cross-cutting policy.
+ A strong team player, happy to support and work effectively alongside team members of all grades, experience and backgrounds.
Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds. Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support.

Alongside your salary of £40,025, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,806 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 average employer contribution of 27%