DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The main responsibilities of the two roles include: Leading on clauses within the Troubles Bill - justifying their aims to parliament, working on supporting products and reacting to amendments; Working closely with lawyers to develop innovative policy and handling solutions in relation to the UKGs approach to dealing with the past - this could be in terms of developing government amendments, litigation strategies and working with inquiries; Leading briefings on legacy policy and/or casework matters for senior officials and Ministers; Working closely with other government departments to deliver work on cross-cutting issues with the confidence of Whitehall; Developing and maintaining good working relationships with a range of stakeholders, both seniors inside government and influential / high-profile external stakeholders; Line management within the team; and Working closely and effectively with the wider team to proactively identify opportunities to contribute to team and business area objectives and priorities. The Head of Litigation post will include closely with NIO legal advisors and the Crown Solicitors Office to coordinate the approach to and lead the strategy for legacy litigation. It will also include leadership of policy issues such as victim support and aspects of the bill such as disclosure and scope. The Head of Governance post will include working closely with NIO legal advisors and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on the reforms to their organisation. The post will drive forward the legislative reforms to the organisation's structure and governance, and will work closely with the implementation team on issues such as appointments. Candidates will be asked if they have a preference for the posts at interview. ESSENTIAL CRITERIA: The post holder(s) will need to demonstrate the following in their application and at interview: Sound analytical skills and judgement; The ability to make evidence based recommendations and decisions; Excellent communication (oral and written) and influencing skills to influence a wide variety of stakeholders at different levels - including the ability to present and communicate complex information and recommendations to senior decision makers in a clearly and impactfully manner; Strong partnering and collaborating skills, and the ability to build strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders to support effective delivery of strategic outcomes; The ability to deal with self-organise, prioritise and pay close attention to detail; Resilience to deal with uncertainty, scrutiny and set backs; and Line management. DESIRABLE CRITERIA: We are particularly interested in any demonstration of: Understanding of the political and security environment in Northern Ireland; and Experience working on legislation, policy, projects or programmes in Northern Ireland or Whitehall. BEHAVIOURS: We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours at the Grade 7 level during the application sift and interview process : Delivering at pace; Leadership; Making effective decisions; and Communicating and influencing. EXPERIENCE: Please provide a CV and to submit examples of a time you have demonstrated the four behaviours mentioned above. You will also be asked to complete a CV with details of your education, professional qualifications, previous skills and full employment history. More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here. Please note that in the event of a large number of applications being received we may run the initial sift on the lead behaviour of Making Effective Decisions. INTERVIEW: You will be assessed against the same behaviours at the interview stage and will be asked to provide examples of how you have demonstrated the behaviours. It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model to explain: WHO- What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or STAR- What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions? STRENGTHS: It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this. If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. OFFER: Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first. The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful security checks. Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview. SECURITY CLEARANCE: This role requires National Security Vetting given the access to sensitive information afforded by the job role. You can find more information by reviewing the information held in the following links: United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK ( The vetting charter - GOV.UK ( In addition, there is a minimum UK residency requirement set by the Cabinet Office which is dependent on the security level required for the role. This role requires SC and to be eligible to apply for this role you should have been present in the UK continuously for the past 5 years. Neither Detached Duty terms nor relocation costs will apply to this post. Further Information: Further information about the post may be obtained from Charlotte Brennan via email to. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment. Please note that due to the high interest in NIO opportunities, feedback cannot be given if you are unsuccessful at the sift stage. Feedback is available on request if unsuccessful following the interview. COMPLAINTS: The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. Please contact SSCL () in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: RESERVE LISTS: In the event that the advertised post following interview, identifies more appointable applicants than available posts, we may hold applicant details on a merit/reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further future appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact to be removed from the reserve list. Additional Information Working Arrangements & Further Information The NIO offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different NIO sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyones circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. Flexible working hours The NIO offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. NIO welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the NIOs Flexible Working policy. Benefits: Access to learning and development A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension 25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after five years service. Public Holidays Season Ticket Advance