Head of Science, Technology & Innovation Strategy And
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Head of Science, Technology & Innovation Strategy and Commissioning Recruitment Information Contents About the Home Office 3 Role Description 4 Person Specification 6 Response Instructions 7 Indicative Timetable 9 Terms and Conditions 10 Annex A – Home Office Equal Opportunities Statement 12 Annex B – Application Forms (separate document) Annex C – Diversity and Nationality Forms (separate documents) Annex D – Government Internal Fraud Policy 14 2 About the Home Office The Home Office is one of the original great Departments of State and has one of the most challenging jobs in government. Its mission is fundamentally important: to keep Britain’s streets safe and its borders secure. Each and every member of Home Office staff plays a part in making that happen. With a budget of £10.7bn and a staffing profile of up to 32,000, the Home Office leads on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy, counter-extremism and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. These issues are at the heart of the Government’s agenda. The challenges the Department faces are significant and can change rapidly in the global environment in which we operate. This makes it one of the most exciting and stimulating Departments to work in. Home Office Structure Further information on the key Directorates in the Home Office can be found overleaf. 3 The Home Office includes: . Crime, Policing and Fire Group works with police, fire and rescue services and other partners, to reduce crime, vulnerability and extremism, keep citizens safe and become more efficient. Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, which works with other departments and agencies to ensure an effective and coordinated response to the threat of terrorism and organised crime; . Border, Immigration and Citizenship Policy and Strategy Group, which delivers our overall policy approach to tackling migration and border issues; . Border Force is responsible for securing the UK border and controlling migration at 138 ports and airports across the UK and overseas; . A high-volume UK Visas and Immigration Command that makes high-quality decisions about who comes here, with a culture of customer satisfaction for business people and visitors who want to come here legally; . An Immigration Enforcement Command that enforces the law against those who break our immigration laws; . Her Majesty’s Passport Office is responsible for issuing UK passports and for overseeing the system of civil registration in England and Wales; . Capabilities and Resources is responsible for ensuring that operational and policy teams in the Home Office have the support they need to achieve the Department’s priorities. The work is captured in a wide portfolio of enabling functions including human resources, estates, finance, investment management, performance management, governance and assurance, commercial, science and innovation and security; . A small strategic centre, which advises the Home Office board on strategy and direction, as well as the allocation of resources. Role Description Job Title: Head of Science, Technology & Innovation Strategy and Commissioning Grade: SCS PB1 Location: London Reporting to: Alan Pratt, Chief Security, Science and Innovation Officer Background Home Office Security, Science and Innovation brings together the teams supporting the Home Office’s security, physical science and technology, regulation, independent scientific advice and forensic information databases. We keep the Home Office’s people, buildings, assets and information safe. We ensure that the Home Office has access to robust, independent science and technology to underpin its decisions and enable its operations. We ensure there is effective and appropriate delivery of forensic information databases and regulation of the use of animals in scientific procedures and quality of forensic science. Science and technology (S&T) is vital to the Home Office as it provides the capabilities and evidence base underpinning our policies and operational practice across law enforcement, counter terrorism and borders, immigration and citizenship. 4 The Home Office has integrated its laboratories into the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to create a more capable and resilient S&T delivery organisation servicing defence and wider security and resilience. We have created a science and technology commissioning hub to identify customer problems that science and technology could contribute to, identify the S&T requirements, and ensure the work is commissioned, delivered and the impact of the S&T is understood. The Role This role will develop the Home Office’s overall science, technology and innovation strategy, working with each of the Home Office business areas, the Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of Strategy. Key to this work is embedding horizon scanning across the department so that it informs all parts of Home Office business, has clear links to system planning, frames the S&T commissioning and leads to potentially transformative demonstrators. The post holder will oversee the S&T commissioning hub to ensure the Home Office continues to drive science, technology and innovation across the full range of its business. Key responsibilities The post holder will be responsible for: Developing the overarching Home Office Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy; Building effective working relationships with the Chief Scientific Adviser, the Analysis & Insight Directorate, OSCT Science & Technology and key stakeholders across the department to deliver a coherent strategy; The establishment and embedding of processes to ensure that the right S&T is being asked for, and delivered, to meet the Home Office’s current and future challenges; Design and delivery of a prioritised portfolio in line with available funding; Overseeing the central function to task external work, particularly to Dstl/CAST, and oversee delivery; Building strong relationships with MoD DST to leverage shared problems; and Drive regular and effective financial and output reporting on the impact of S&T deliverables to key governance boards. The role will have responsibility for a budget of £20 Million per annum, though this is anticipated to rise. Staffing responsibility will be c. 15 FTE. 5 Person Specification In your application you should provide examples of your experience in meeting the appointment criteria listed below. These will be the key criteria for selection. ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Demonstrable experience of leading science and technology in a complex environment. Relevant degree in the physical sciences, engineering, or a relevant discipline. Experience of developing strategies that have a real impact across an organisation. Strong understanding of science, technology and innovation, and their strategic use in large organisations. Leading and delivering significant portfolios of work. Establishing new workflow and governance processes. Engaging and establishing strong working relationships at senior levels. Demonstrate evidence of working with complex multiple stakeholder groups across an organisation. DESIRABLE CRITERIA Experience of delivering horizon scanning programmes across government. Knowledge and understanding of horizon scanning in the fields of counter terrorism, policing and at the border. 6 Response Instructions The Home Office is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. We will not discriminate on grounds of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, those with caring responsibilities, part time workers or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates and people with disabilities as they are currently underrepresented at this level. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. We are committed to providing all staff with opportunities to maximise their skills and achieve their potential, offering flexible working arrangements wherever possible. If you wish to apply for this position please complete the application form with your personal details and: A comprehensive CV (maximum 2 sides of A4) setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements, and details of your current salary and benefits (in confidence). A supporting statement (maximum 2 sides of A4) highlighting your suitability and setting out how you meet the essential criteria. Please note that the supporting statement is an important part of your application and is as much the means by which you will be assessed as your CV. Please also complete and return Annex C, which includes: diversity monitoring form – please note that the panel may not consider your application if this form is not returned as it will be considered incomplete. If you do not wish to provide any of the information requested, please tick the ‘prefer not to say’ boxes. Details of why we request this information and how it is used can be found below. guaranteed interview request form for disabled persons (please complete for consideration if required). Further information on the Guaranteed Interview Scheme can be found below. nationality form which will be used to verify that you have the right to work in the UK. Please do not PDF your application form. Please note: the documents stated