Senior Higher Education Policy Adviser (SHEPA) (pay band 9 - £45,537 - £47,814)

Person specification
All criteria essential unless in italics which indicates it’s desirable
Shortlisting criteria / Interview / Presentation/written submission
& follow up questions / Reference
Experience
Experience of or ability to manage teams / √ / √ / √
Experience of planning and managing activities and/or projects / √ / √ / √
Experience of writing formal documents for example committee/board/policy papers or minutes / √ / √ / √ / √
Experience of working with or in Higher Education providers, with providers of services in a regulated environment, or with Government / √ / √
Knowledge and learning
Understanding of context in which HEFCE operates, including relationships with higher education providers and government. / √ / √ / √ / √
Ability to take a broad based view of issues, events and activities and a perception of their longer term impact or wider implications / √
Strong analytical skills, demonstrated through an ability to understand new issues, interpret and evaluate complex text, presentations and data and form conclusions / √
Able to organise and share information / √ / √
Able to form autonomous judgements for recommendation to others / √ / √
An ongoing commitment to learning and developing new knowledge and skills, demonstrated through an ability to take responsibility for identifying and managing own development needs / √ / √ / √
Planning
Able to manage own workload, resolve competing demands, and cope with changing priorities in a flexible and proactive way / √ / √
Effective delegation skills, providing clear briefs to colleagues / √ / √ / √
Communications
An ability to develop and present arguments, negotiate with and influence people / √ / √ / √ / √
Ability to lead meetings with internal and external stakeholders, chair meetings, give presentations and facilitate discussions / √
High quality writing skills, demonstrating awareness of political sensitivity and avoiding ambiguity / √ / √ / √
Relationships
Able to establish and maintain constructive and effective working relationships with people at all levels, including senior leaders / √ / √ / √
Ability to manage and support others / √ / √ / √
Other factors
Flexibility to travel to meetings, including sometimes working outside of office hours and staying away overnight / √

Notes for candidates

Eligibility

Whilst the current Government recruitment restrictions apply, only internal candidates and candidates from eligible Civil Service departments or accredited non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) can apply for posts advertised by HEFCE within the first 10 working days. For this post, that is between 25/08/2017 and 11/09/2017.
Eligible Civil Service departments are defined on the Civil Service website. Candidates who are not currently employed in an eligible Civil Service department will not be considered for the vacancy within the first 10 days.
If there is an adequate candidate pool after the initial 10 working days advertised, i.e. by 11/09/2017, we will close the vacancy on that date. Therefore, during the period 25/08/2017 and 11/09/2017 this vacancy is open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners` rules.
If we have been unable to gain an adequate candidate pool after 10 working days the advertised closing date will apply, during which time we will accept applications from individuals external to the civil service.
Candidates from other Civil Service organisations
Subject to the above, fixed term posts are only available to candidates from other Civil Service organisations on loan or secondment only, and should have approval from their organisation prior to application.


Application process

Applications can only be accepted via the on line application process at www.careers.hefce.ac.uk

All candidates should pay particular attention to the criteria against which we will shortlist. Candidates should also provide an overview of their employment history, together with any other information they consider relevant to their application.

We will assess candidates suitability for the posts through the mechanisms indicated above, and related to the criteria identified in the person specification. More information will be provided should you be shortlisted.

Your supporting statement should cover all of the criteria identified in the person specification but candidates should pay particular attention to those criteria against which we will shortlist.

Selection and assessment process

Shortlisting: 2nd October 2017

Shortlisting panel: Jack Smith (Senior HE Policy Adviser), Davina Madden (Regional Consultant) and Liz Jebby-Jones (HE Engagement Manager)

Interview: Interviews will be held on 9th October 2017 and will take approximately 1 hour, including a 10 minute presentation (no visual aids).

Interview panel: Jack Smith (Senior HE Policy Adviser), Davina Madden (Regional Consultant) and Liz Jebby-Jones (HE Engagement Manager)

Presentation: 10 minutes, no visual/technical aids

Title: to be confirmed to short listed candidates.

Written submission: candidates will be asked to submit a written statement of no more than one side of A4 based on the presentation topic (to be confirmed to shortlisted candidates).

References: References will be sought following interview and subsequent appointment will be subject to satisfactory receipt of those references. The references will focus on the criteria indicated above.