Higher Executive Officer

B2

Please note, the following is considered essential experience for this role:

• Experience of working in a challenging, fast- moving media or PR environment

For further information on how to apply, please see the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

The recruitment process will consist of an online application, interview and assessment which will be held on week commencing 1st May 2023.

Interviews may be conducted face to face or through online video via Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact the CPS Recruitment Team at Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk.

You should keep these dates free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.

The successful applicant will be required to secure SC clearance; to speed up this process; you should bring 3 forms of ID with you on the day of interview. Data gathered from unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.

If successful in obtaining an interview you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form and Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire and Security Vetting Form.

(If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance)

Personal Statement (using the text box provided online)

You will also be asked to complete a personal statement of no more than 1250 words setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience, match the requirements as detailed in the Candidate Pack. You will also need to address the core behaviours for this role, detailed in the Behaviours Section of the Candidate Pack, which are;

1. Communicating and Influencing Lead Behaviour
2. Making Effective Decisions

Please note, the panel reserve the right to only assess the lead behaviour at shortlist and raise the minimum standard pass mark.

You will need to demonstrate the following experience required for this role, detailed in the Experience Section of the Candidate Pack, which are:

• Experience of working in a challenging, fast-moving media or PR environment

Further to this, you will also be required to make reference to the Government Communications Service’s Professional Competency Framework within your application;

Insight – Use insight to identify target audiences and partners, support decision making and help inform the overall communication approach.

Ideas – Design and develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels.

Implementation – Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills. Write clearly, concisely and accurately.

Impact – Support the design and delivery of techniques to assess the effectiveness and impact of communication.

CV Section (using the text boxes provided online)

You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section.’ You will be required to provide information regarding your employment history.

Please note that it is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post.

Other

This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, considering at all times the operational needs of the Department.

Waiting List

Candidates who are recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy will be placed on a waiting list for 12 months and may be offered another post, should any further vacancies for a Press Officer arise in CPS HQ Communications during this period. CPS may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles requiring similar knowledge and experience.

Excess Fares

Please note excess fares will not apply.

Fair Processing Notice (FPN)

From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.

Current Civil Servants

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;

Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

Civil Service Commissioners

From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.

Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete

If you are dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commissioners complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/

Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles can be found here –
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 security 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.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.