Head of Services Academy - Newport
Head of Services Academy
This is a new, exciting and varied role with responsibility for technical training and capability management across the IPO's Services directorate. The role holder will establish/manage a 'Services Academy' for technical and professional training and development, with initial focus on Secure Patents (including the Private Applicant Unit and Examination Support teams) i.e. circa 550+ staff with differing technical training/development needs. It is anticipated that the role will evolve to encompass trade mark and design registration services and copyright operations.
Technical training for Secure Patents includes both structured and informal technical/legal training, and bespoke training for internal systems/processes. Core skills, management, and Civil Service wide training is delivered through our in-house Talent and Learning team.
The purpose of the role is to assess the effectiveness, inclusivity, and efficiency of our technical training/development, whilst also considering scalability and sustainability for a growing directorate. The role holder will be expected to manage the design and delivery of technical training/development programmes (including both existing and new materials) for multiple roles; provide guidance, and support to our people; and support our leaders & managers, and their teams, by working alongside our Talent and Learning team/HR Business Partners to identify suitable internal/external training and coaching and to create career pathways that value breadth and depth of experience. The role holder will share our commitment to strengthen our talent pipelines and improve workforce agility and adaptability.
Reporting to a Head of Patents, the role holder will provide matrix management to technical trainers/programme managers to deliver a diverse technical training portfolio.
and has commercial awareness, great stakeholder skills, and a real people focus on personal development.
To establish and manage the Services Academy, providing matrix management to trainers/training programme managers
Provide strategic leadership for Services to ensure we equip our people to deliver current and future rights granting work in a rapidly changing technological environment
Development and ownership of strategies relating to technical learning and development and their implementation
Working with our HR Business Partners to ensure the continuous improvement and evolution of the existing Services talent management schemes e.g. Patent Degree Apprenticeships, STEM returners
Working with the Services budget holders to ensure optimal value across a broad spectrum of technical training and development initiatives.
Developing management information tools/solutions for technical training and development activities to monitor and evaluate technical learning and development, talent management and succession planning, ensuring alignment with broader IPO approaches
Working closely with the Services leadership team, contributing to decisions around development of our current and future workforce and ensuring that the training and development offered is adaptable and scalable
Work closely with the Talent and Learning team and Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Academy to align delivery and approaches
Work with HR Business Partners to inform strategic workforce planning activities.
Leadership Expectations - This role is aligned with the IPO's Leadership and Management Skills & Qualities Framework (SQF), which sets out the qualities/behaviours and skills we expect from all leaders and managers regardless of grade or function.
The role is initially for up to two years Fixed Term Appointment with the possibility of permanency. This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office.
The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.
Experience of working in a technical training and/or development area, identifying opportunities for staff to develop their skills and abilities in line with organisational needs
Understanding of proactive risk and opportunity management
AI Usage
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. For further information on the sift and interview stages of this recruitment campaign, please head to our 'Things you need to know' section below.
Please visit our Civil Service Careers page - IPO - Recruitment Support, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.Telephone: /
Alongside your salary of £66,162, Intellectual Property Office contributes £19,167 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
~ A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities
~25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities
~ A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group
~ Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments
~ The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups, find out more by looking at Intellectual Property Office (IPO) (diversityjobsgroup.A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities
~ Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office
~ On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office
For more information about what's on offer at the Intellectual Property Office please review our IPO benefit pack attached to the bottom of this advert.
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check and if successful you must also hold, or be willing to obtain, a higher Security Clearance.
For this role the successful individual will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a minimum 5 years in order to meet the relevant security clearance.
Further information on the vetting process can be found at National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.Interviews for this role will be carried out in person at our Newport Office.
This recruitment campaign will keep a reserve list for 12 months. We do not routinely reimburse travel expenses for candidates, however if participating in the selection process would cause you undue financial hardship or if it restricts your ability to participate, please contact the recruitment team for more information.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know via ;
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
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.
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) .