Head of Legislation, Secure Technologies Team - #1754716

Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

Job Summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. 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.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job Description

The Department for Science Innovation and Technology is seeking a dynamic an experienced individual to lead on legislation policy within our Secure Technology team. This role is pivotal in ensuring that we make the most of prospective government legislation to support and deliver our aim to improve the security of technology within the UK.

The role will lead on the development, implementation, and management of policies and regulations that enhance the security and compliance of technology products under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the future of secure technology and ensuring that the PSTI Act remains fit for purpose. The role will also look at how secure technology policy can be embedded into legislation and other initiatives across Whitehall.

The role will also be responsible for looking at international product security legislation, such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act, and assessing its compatibility with UK legislation

The post holder will need to develop and maintain relationships with technology policy and legislation teams across DSIT and HMG to deliver, sometimes time-limited, cyber and Internet of Things specific interventions where required. In addition, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in the NCSC, FCDO, Cabinet Office and DBT is key to ensure a whole of government response is applied to the interventions.

The Department for Science Innovation and Technology is seeking a dynamic an experienced individual to lead on legislation policy within our Secure Technology team. This role is pivotal in ensuring that we make the most of prospective government legislation to support and deliver our aim to improve the security of technology within the UK.

The role will lead on the development, implementation, and management of policies and regulations that enhance the security and compliance of technology products under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the future of secure technology and ensuring that the PSTI Act remains fit for purpose. The role will also look at how secure technology policy can be embedded into legislation and other initiatives across Whitehall.

The role will also be responsible for looking at international product security legislation, such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act, and assessing its compatibility with UK legislation

The post holder will need to develop and maintain relationships with technology policy and legislation teams across DSIT and HMG to deliver, sometimes time-limited, cyber and Internet of Things specific interventions where required. In addition, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in the NCSC, FCDO, Cabinet Office and DBT is key to ensure a whole of government response is applied to the interventions.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

Policy Development and Regulation:

• Engage with Whitehall contacts regarding their legislative programmes to identify potential opportunities to incorporate DSIT sponsored measures to improve the cyber security and resilience of technology.
• Explore the relationship and impact of the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and its implications on the UK.
• Lead the development and amendment of policies and regulations under the PSTI Act, developing and implementing a comprehensive communications plan for stakeholder engagement.
• Lead international mutual recognition efforts, including collaboration with countries such as Japan, India, and Singapore.
• Acts as the policy lead for the post-implementation reviews and research to assess the effectiveness of the PSTI Act.
  
  

Project And Program Management

• Oversee the management of PSTI related correspondence
• Work with the Office for Product Safety and Standards as the enforcing body for PSTI, ensuring that they deliver their responsibilities on time and to budget.
• Manage peripheral tasks such as product exemption statutory instruments (SI).
  
  

Essential Criteria

• Experience in influencing and leading a range of projects with competing priorities and shifting timeframes to deliver timely evidence-backed interventions.
• Experience in policy development and implementation.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills to assess complex issues and develop long-term strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with stakeholders, and ability to translate technical information for a policy audience to shape and influence actions.
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of secure technology trends and their applications in both public and private sectors.
• Experience with international collaboration and mutual recognition agreements.
• Knowledge of cyber security or wider digital policy in government.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management experience, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver complex initiatives.
• Knowledge of the PSTI Act, its purpose and aims, how it works, and how it is enforced.
  
  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Alongside your salary of £54,415, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £15,764 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 Science, Innovation and Technology 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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours 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 750 words) to set out why you are applying for this role and how you meet the essential criteria.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the 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 questions.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

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 DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT 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 Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DSIT 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).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT 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 and Barring Service /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 [email protected] 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 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email [email protected]

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

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

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

Security

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 developed vetting (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.

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 developed vetting (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.

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.

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).

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 : Stuart Peters
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance [email protected] . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.