applicants
Executive Officer Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship
at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs London in London (Published at 04-12-2023)
Details
Reference number
326146
Salary
£25,915 - £30,402
National: £25,915 - £27,116, London: £29,082 - £30,402.
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
DEFRA - FBT - Animal & Plant Health
Type of role
Administration / Corporate Support
Other
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, South East England, South West England, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber
About the job
Job summary
About Defra: In Defra group, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s food and farming sectors, environment, countryside and rural economy, and have lead responsibility for protecting against a wide range of natural threats and hazards. About Animal and Plant Health and Animal Welfare (APHW) Directorate: APHW Directorate’s objective is to protect the nation from animal and plant diseases and pests, and to uphold the UK’s high animal welfare standards. These are major priorities for Defra, creating a healthy environment that everyone can enjoy, a successful, productive food and farming sector and a thriving rural economy.
The UK Office for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Trade Assurance
Defra’s UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance (the UK SPS Office) represents the four governments of the UK, working closely with risk and policy experts in other government departments and agencies to support high standards for biosecurity and food safety, while facilitating international trade in Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) products.
Who are we looking for?
The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance are recruiting one highly motivated individual to join Defra on a Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship. See the attached candidate pack for more information on what the apprenticeship will involve.
No previous experience is required. The apprenticeship will provide you with the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to be fully effective in your role.
On successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will have the skills, knowledge and behaviours to enable you to:
- Effectively prioritise and manage your time.
- Write effective and factual communications for government.
- Communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Understand and manage to good effect the principles of project management.
Job description
Your role will include but will not be limited to:
- Providing support to manage the central mailbox, ensuring queries are allocated to relevant leads in a timely manner and responses drafted.
- Co-ordination of responses to Ministerial questions and other commissions.
- Providing secretariat for a varied range of meetings with both internal and external stakeholders. This will include managing bookings, invites agendas, managing action logs, distribution of documents and producing clear and concise notes.
- Maintaining lists of communications to third countries to ensure all necessary approvals are sought.
- Providing support to maintain robust project management across workstreams including managing risk registers, and project planning.
- You may also have the opportunity to draft material for different audiences, e.g. quarterly reports, blogs, and official communications.
Person specification
We expect to see demonstration in your application of the following:
- High standards of communication skills, able to work across business areas and government agencies with colleagues at all grades and professions.
- The ability to plan and prioritise effectively to deliver a quality service and results at pace, with good attention to detail.
- Strong collaborator across teams to support the work of the business.
- The ability to learn fast and get to grips with an area of expertise quickly.
- Self-motivated, self-aware with high inner resilience and calm under pressure.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £25,915, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £6,997 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%
Office attendance
Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed in this advert in order to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. Defra’s current policy is that no more than 40% of the working week should be spent at home, averaged over a month unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or the post-holder is a contractual home worker.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
To be eligible for this role you need to:
1. Be ordinarily resident in the UK
2. Work for more than 50% of your time in England – it is not essential to live in England, but you must physically work for more than 50% of your time in England
3. Ideally work for more than 30 hours per week
4. Be able to spend a minimum of six contracted hours per week on your apprenticeship
5. Be able to demonstrate that the apprenticeship will provide “substantive new skills and learning” and that the apprenticeship programme it is “materially different to any other training undertaken or qualification held”.
See the candidate pack for more information.
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement (max 500 words) and two behaviour statements (max 250 words)
- For your Personal Statement please explain why you feel you are suitable for this role and your interest in undertaking an apprenticeship. Please detail the interpersonal or relevant practical skills you believe you could bring to this role and how they relate to the content in the job description and responsibilities sections above and the behaviour statements (500 words max). Please refer to the candidate pack for more information on the personal statement.
- Please complete statements on the specified Behaviours (250 word max, per statement)
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift date to be confirmed. Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your behaviours. The interview will take place on Teams and will last approximately 45-60 minutes.
There will be a short presentation as part of the interview. Details of the presentation will be included when the invites to interview are issued.
There will be an assessment of the two identified behaviours as part of the interview process. Assessment of the suitability of all candidates will take place once all interviews are complete.
Date and time of the interviews to be confirmed. Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.
All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.
Defra continues to support a blended working model and candidates are currently expected to attend their office base for 40-60% of the week.
Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.
Please note candidates can be based anywhere in the regions identified in the advert to meet the eligibility for your application and you will be asked to state your preferred location on your application form. Refer to the candidate pack for further details.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
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 defrarecruitment.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.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Criminal Record Check
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.
Internal Fraud Database Check
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.
Higher Security Clearance
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.
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
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
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.
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.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Name :
gerald.bright@defra.gov.uk
Email :
gerald.bright@defra.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email :
defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact:
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission.
