Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays (as well as during your initial training period).
Job Summary
Help us keep the FSA running smoothly — from meeting rooms to helplines.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a non-ministerial department working to protect public health and consumers' interests in relation to food. We're looking for a dynamic and organised Business Services and Facilities Management Adviser to join our team and play a key role in supporting our operational effectiveness.
In this London-based role you will provide dedicated facilities management support across our entire estate. In our newly established London office, you'll take the lead on coordinating event and meeting bookings, setting up meeting rooms, and ensuring all equipment remains fully operational. Your role will be central to maintaining a professional and functional workspace.
You will also act as the Business Services Adviser for our teams in York and London, offering administrative support to the wider FSA. Working closely with other Business Services Advisers, you'll help ensure that operational and administrative processes are delivered consistently and effectively across the organisation.
Job Description
This is a varied and dynamic role that will see you supporting teams across the FSA. You'll be trained to pick up a range of workstreams and contribute to a broad spectrum of business support activities. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to assist with our externally facing helpline, responding to consumer calls and written enquiries submitted through our online system.
A key part of this role involves line management of up to five Executive Officers, including an EO-level apprentice. You'll be responsible for day-to-day resource allocation, maintaining a suitable office presence, and supporting staff performance and development. Experience in line management and performance management is therefore essential.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive and inclusive organisation where your work will make a real difference. If you're organised, proactive, and passionate about delivering excellent service, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now and help us build the foundations of a safer food system.
Working pattern guidance
Due to the nature of the role this role is offered as full time office-based only – with the following shift pattern.
Shift pattern
You Will Be Required To Work One Of The Following Shift Patterns Either As Your Contractual Working Hours Or On a Rotational Basis:
* Monday to Thursday – Friday – including 1 hour lunch break each day.
* Monday to Thursday – Friday – including 1 hour lunch break each day.
Initial Training:
The first four weeks of your employment may be spent as a mixture between the FSA London Office and the
FSA York Office
to undertake initial training (travel, hotel and expenses will be paid).
This is a varied and dynamic role that will see you supporting teams across the FSA. You'll be trained to pick up a range of workstreams and contribute to a broad spectrum of business support activities. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to assist with our externally facing helpline, responding to consumer calls and written enquiries submitted through our online system.
A key part of this role involves line management of up to five Executive Officers, including an EO-level apprentice. You'll be responsible for day-to-day resource allocation, maintaining a suitable office presence, and supporting staff performance and development. Experience in line management and performance management is therefore essential.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive and inclusive organisation where your work will make a real difference. If you're organised, proactive, and passionate about delivering excellent service, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now and help us build the foundations of a safer food system.
Working pattern guidance
Due to the nature of the role this role is offered as full time office-based only – with the following shift pattern.
Shift pattern
You Will Be Required To Work One Of The Following Shift Patterns Either As Your Contractual Working Hours Or On a Rotational Basis:
* Monday to Thursday – Friday – including 1 hour lunch break each day.
* Monday to Thursday – Friday – including 1 hour lunch break each day.
Initial Training:
The first four weeks of your employment may be spent as a mixture between the FSA London Office and the
FSA York Office
to undertake initial training (travel, hotel and expenses will be paid).
Person specification
Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Managing a Quality Service
* Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £35,687, Food Standards Agency contributes £10,338 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.
Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack.
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
Ability:
You will be asked to complete an online Management Judgement Test and, if successful, will proceed to the rest of the application.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
*Experience
Essential criteria*
* Lead criteria 1: Line Management Experience - including setting objectives, overseeing performance, supporting development and fostering a positive working environment
* Lead criteria 2: Proven experience of working with your team to set priorities, create clear plans and manage all work to meet the needs of the customer and the business
* Experience of examining complex information and obtaining further information to make accurate decisions
* Proven ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing in order to influence staff and stakeholders to news ways of working
Lead criteria 1 and 2:
An initial sift will take place on lead criteria 1. If you achieve the benchmark score on lead criteria 1 your application will progress to lead criteria 2 scoring.
In the event we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirement will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final
interview
in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours
.
*Experience*
* Line Management Experience- including setting objectives, overseeing performance, supporting development and fostering a positive working environment
* Ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing in order to influence staff and stakeholders to news ways of working
Behaviours
* Making Effective Decisions
* Managing a Quality Service
* Delivering at Pace
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Occupational Health Referral
Please note that as part of the pre-employment checking process, candidates that are offered a position will undergo an Occupational Health referral to ensure they are fit to carry out the responsibilities of the role.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 7 September 2025
Sift: Expected to take place during weeks commencing 8 and 15 September 2025
Final panel interview: Expected to take place during week commencing 29 September 2025
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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.
Determine your eligibility at
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard
may
be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does
not
hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.
Making a complaint
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA's Director of People at If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
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, Ability and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
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 : Diane Scutt
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Online test instructions
Please note that these tests are not timed.
Further information
If you wish to raise a complaint then please email in the first instance.