Head of Location Support - Edinburgh

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy., We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy., Are you enthusiastic about championing the DESNZ Places for Growth agenda? If the answer is yes, you’ll have the opportunity to shape and develop the overall employee experience in our Edinburgh office, so that it is a great place to work.
We are looking for a Head of Location Support for the Department’s Edinburgh office. The role will be based in the Energy Markets and Supply (EMS) Director General’s Office (who is the sponsor for the Edinburgh office), but will work across the whole department to make the Edinburgh office a brilliant place to work.
This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with the Director General (DG) and wider senior leadership team across the department, who can help make a reality of the Places for Growth vision. The DG’s Private Office is a close-knit, friendly and dedicated team, prioritising support for each other as well as delivering on the DG’s priorities. We are currently based in London and Salford and are excited to have an Edinburgh-based member join the team.
This new role will also have a dotted line into the DESNZ Places for Growth Team (of which there is a team member based in Edinburgh) which sits under HR Programmes and Change. The Places for Growth (PfG) Programme is a high-profile Ministerial priority which will enable the UK government to better represent the people it serves with more roles, including senior leaders, being based outside London., Coordinate central activity in the Edinburgh office:
+ Act as a central point person for issues relating to Edinburgh, specifically focusing on building an excellent community in Edinburgh, ensuring those who work there have a positive experience and are engaged. This will involve working with the DG, Edinburgh staff and the designated Location Lead in the PfG team.
+ Coordinate logistical support, and collaborate with PfG for location events, including ministerial visits, Perm Sec visits, and other senior stakeholder visits, e.g., ExCo Champions, POpCo and Departmental Outcome Boards.
+ Collaborate with other location support roles to share best practice and maintain a consistent level of support across all PfG locations.
Support new-starters in Edinburgh:
+ Oversee onboarding and induction for new joiners – acting as a buddy, helping them integrate into the new department/location, facilitating office orientation, and supporting them and their line managers.
Local partnership lead:
+ Lead on location specific outreach, to include liaising with local schools, colleges and academia to promote career opportunities in the region and support HR teams at recruitment fairs and events.
+ Act as point of contact with regional networks, OGDs, facilitating engagement with external stakeholders like councils, community events.
+ Support local activity to help build the community and engagement in Edinburgh, including through practical steps such as maintaining email distribution lists and local MS Teams channels, and working with PfG Location Leads to publicise offices through blogs, Hive articles, open days etc. - and through identifying new opportunities and options for improvement.
There will also be an opportunity to get involved in the wider DG’s office including through being a member of a Cross-Site Working Group and providing support to the wider team, particularly where activities, events and meetings are taking place in Places for Growth locations., This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to set out how you meet the essential skills and experience set out in this advert.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on he personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 28/11/2024.
Interview dates: w/c 04/11/2024.
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to 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
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.
Feedback
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).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Essential:
You do not need prior experience within a Private Office or HR - the most important thing is that you are an outstanding teammate who is committed to providing a great service.
The successful candidate will:
+ Be self-motivated and confident, with a focus on delivery and problem-solving.
+ Be collaborative and personable, with an ability to build positive working relationships at varying levels of seniority, across a range of organisations and locations.
+ Have great organisational skills and be able to balance multiple priorities.
+ Have excellent verbal and written communication skills, showing attention to detail and an ability to adapt their style to suit different audiences., + Changing and Improving
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Communicating and Influencing

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work at the forefront of current policy making decisions? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero. Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive, Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work in a government department that is at the forefront of current policy making decisions that will impact the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are securing the UK’s long-term energy supply, bringing down energy bills and halving inflation.
We are seizing the opportunities of Net Zero to lead the world in new green industries and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are Bold, we are Collaborative, we are Inclusive and we Learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.

Alongside your salary of £33,635, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £9,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
+ A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
+ Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
+ A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
+ An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
+ Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.