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We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel within the UK will be required on a regular basis, possibly with overnight stays.
Job Summary
Do you have strong leadership skills with the ability to work collaboratively across a variety of organisations?
Are you passionate about developing multidisciplinary teams, driving improvements to achieve exceptional results?
If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Head of Resilience and Prevention, and we’d love to hear from you!
The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.
We are seeking a proactive and experienced leader to oversee our Resilience and Incident Prevention function. This critical role involves leading a dedicated team to enhance food and feed safety by identifying and implementing improvements within cross-Government resilience and preparedness networks.
Job Description
The key responsibilities for this role are:
* Leadership and Strategy: Provide senior leadership and a clear sense of purpose for the resilience and prevention function. Ensure effective delivery through planning, prioritisation, risk management, and performance reporting.
* Resilience Planning: Represent the FSA in cross-Government resilience and emergency preparedness meetings. Contribute to UK-wide resilience planning to improve supply chain resilience.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Drive the development of progressive stakeholder relations within and outside the FSA to mitigate risks, prevent incidents, influence food policy, and promote best practices.
* Preventative Strategies: Collaborate with stakeholders to promote the use of root cause analysis (RCA) to inform and apply preventative strategies.
* Modernisation and Change Management: Work closely with the Head of Incidents Unit to modernise structures, processes, data, and engagement to maintain an effective incident response capability.
You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on food and feed safety, working with a passionate team and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. We offer a supportive and dynamic work environment, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional development.
Working pattern guidance
If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers?, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
The Key Responsibilities For This Role Are:
* Leadership and Strategy: Provide senior leadership and a clear sense of purpose for the resilience and prevention function. Ensure effective delivery through planning, prioritisation, risk management, and performance reporting.
* Resilience Planning: Represent the FSA in cross-Government resilience and emergency preparedness meetings. Contribute to UK-wide resilience planning to improve supply chain resilience.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Drive the development of progressive stakeholder relations within and outside the FSA to mitigate risks, prevent incidents, influence food policy, and promote best practices.
* Preventative Strategies: Collaborate with stakeholders to promote the use of root cause analysis (RCA) to inform and apply preventative strategies.
* Modernisation and Change Management: Work closely with the Head of Incidents Unit to modernise structures, processes, data, and engagement to maintain an effective incident response capability.
You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on food and feed safety, working with a passionate team and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. We offer a supportive and dynamic work environment, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional development.
Working pattern guidance
If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers?, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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:
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Changing and Improving
* Leadership
* Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Technical Criteria:
* Proven knowledge of the UK Government resilience landscape and risk management (National Security Risk Assessment - NSRA).
Alongside your salary of £65,868, Food Standards Agency contributes £19,081 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, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).
Experience
Essential criteria
* Lead criteria: Leading teams in delivering resilience and incident related activities, working collaboratively with other organisations and agencies i.e.; Government Departments, local authorities and other stakeholders.
* Evidence of successfully developing industry stakeholder networks to leverage business benefits/objectives.
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage multidisciplinary teams. Driving improvements and exceptional results and engaging and leading through periods of change and uncertainty.
* Experience of building team/organisational capability to deliver an effective resilience function, utilising best practice in this area.
Note: These are listed in order of priority to help distinguish merit order of joint scoring candidates.
Technical
* Proven knowledge of the UK Government resilience landscape and risk management (National Security Risk Assessment - NSRA).
Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).
Experience
* Working knowledge of the food industry and food safety experience.
Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that 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 or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements 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.
Behaviours
* Seeing the Big Picture (Assessed via Seen / unseen presentation)
* Changing and Improving
* Leadership
* Communicating and Influencing
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Experience
* Leading teams in delivering resilience and incident related activities, working collaboratively with other organisations and agencies i.e.; Government Departments, local authorities and other stakeholders.
* Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage multidisciplinary teams. Driving improvements and exceptional results and engaging and leading through periods of change and uncertainty.
Assessment exercise
As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you in the invitation to interview email.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 14/05/25
Sift: Expected to take place w/c 19/05/25
Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 02/06/25
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.
(DV - United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) Requirements (DV)
Appointment will be subject to the candidate having, or being able to achieve, National Security Vetting at Developed Vetting (DV) level.
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
The requirement for DV clearance is to have been present in the UK for the majority of the last 10 years (although there are some exceptions e.g. if you have been serving abroad with HM Armed Forces).
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your DV application being rejected.
Checks Will Be Made Against:
* a departmental/company records check which will include personal files, staff reports, sick leave returns and security records
* a check of both spent and unspent criminal records
* a check of credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
* a check of Security Service (MI5) records
* a full review of personal finances
* a detailed interview conducted by a trained Investigating Officer
* further enquiries, including interviews with referees conducted by a trained Investigating Officer
* checks may extend to third parties included on the security questionnaire
* the full review of personal finances will include an assessment of an individual’s assets, liabilities, income and expenditure both on an individual basis and taking into account the joint position with a spouse or partner.
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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
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.
Eligibility
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and will be withdrawn.
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, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
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 : Darren Whitby
* Email : darren.whitby@food.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk
Further information
If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.
Seniority level
* Seniority level
Executive
Employment type
* Employment type
Full-time
Job function
* Job function
Other
* Industries
Government Administration
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