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Salford
Job Summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.
Our Inclusive Environment
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We supportcandidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm
You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/
Job Description
In central government, our compliance with the Freedom of Information Act is crucial to building trust with the general public on the issues that matter to them. Transparency allows our ministers and officials to be held accountable for their actions and decisions, which is fundamental to safeguarding the democratic process.
Since May 2024, we have dramatically improved our timeliness in responding to requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This progress has been driven by an extensive improvement programme that included procuring best-in-class technology, optimising internal processes, and significantly investing in the support and leadership of our casework team. As a result, our timeliness is now among the very best in central government.
We are currently recruiting two Information Rights Advisers to take a leading role in the continued enhancement of our information rights services in DSIT. These roles will help us further refine and improve our processes, strengthen our training offer to staff, and establish a model service for transparency reporting aligned with our publication scheme.
The Information Rights Team is responsible for delivering a range of information rights services. This includes managing casework for requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), as well as publishing transparency information under the department’s publication scheme. Some services—such as subject access requests, GDPR advice, and transparency reporting under the Central Government Corporate Transparency Commitments—are provided by our shared corporate service provider, Integrated Corporate Services.
We are excited to offer prospective candidates the opportunity to shape their roles according to their interests and development needs.
We are committed to demonstrating the outstanding service that can be delivered by a lean, high-performing, and agile team.
We also recognise that talented and aspirational team members will seek to progress into more challenging roles as they develop. We are open about this and measure the success of our development offer by the stretching roles our team members go on to pursue. Your personal development is important to us, and we will work with you from the outset to tailor your work so that you gain the skills and experiences needed to make compelling applications for even more impactful roles in the future.
In central government, our compliance with the Freedom of Information Act is crucial to building trust with the general public on the issues that matter to them. Transparency allows our ministers and officials to be held accountable for their actions and decisions, which is fundamental to safeguarding the democratic process.
Since May 2024, we have dramatically improved our timeliness in responding to requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This progress has been driven by an extensive improvement programme that included procuring best-in-class technology, optimising internal processes, and significantly investing in the support and leadership of our casework team. As a result, our timeliness is now among the very best in central government.
We are currently recruiting two Information Rights Advisers to take a leading role in the continued enhancement of our information rights services in DSIT. These roles will help us further refine and improve our processes, strengthen our training offer to staff, and establish a model service for transparency reporting aligned with our publication scheme.
The Information Rights Team is responsible for delivering a range of information rights services. This includes managing casework for requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), as well as publishing transparency information under the department’s publication scheme. Some services—such as subject access requests, GDPR advice, and transparency reporting under the Central Government Corporate Transparency Commitments—are provided by our shared corporate service provider, Integrated Corporate Services.
We are excited to offer prospective candidates the opportunity to shape their roles according to their interests and development needs.
We are committed to demonstrating the outstanding service that can be delivered by a lean, high-performing, and agile team.
We also recognise that talented and aspirational team members will seek to progress into more challenging roles as they develop. We are open about this and measure the success of our development offer by the stretching roles our team members go on to pursue. Your personal development is important to us, and we will work with you from the outset to tailor your work so that you gain the skills and experiences needed to make compelling applications for even more impactful roles in the future.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
As an Information Rights Adviser, you will play a key role in delivering a high-quality, timely, and robust service across a range of casework. This includes handling requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), internal reviews (IR), and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) casework.
You will be responsible for managing relationships with key stakeholders across the department. This includes engaging with private offices of senior officials and ministers, senior leaders, and policy teams to ensure alignment and effective communication.
A core part of the role involves working closely with the supplier of our casework management system. You will help optimise how our caseworkers use the platform—automating processes, improving record keeping, and enhancing the overall experience for stakeholders.
You will also be expected to build strong and productive relationships across the department and wider government, including with the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Cabinet Office. This includes monitoring and reporting quarterly and annual statistics to the Cabinet Office.
In addition, you will organise and deliver comprehensive training sessions and develop resource materials to educate the wider department and policy teams on the Freedom of Information Act. This ensures colleagues understand its application and remain up to date with any changes.
Finally, you will coordinate efforts across the department to proactively publish information in line with our publication scheme. This work is vital to making it easier for the public to access information about our work and the services we provide.
Essential Criteria
Experience working in information rights would be desirable but this isn't essential to be successful in this role. Instead, we are looking for candidates with strong transferrable soft skills who are:
* Excited by change and can role model and embed a constructive culture of continuous improvement in their teams.
* Effective and concise communicators who can explain difficult issues to senior departmental stakeholders to obtain direction and steers whilst providing their own expert advice.
* Excellent writers with an eye for detail who can support policy teams to synthesise complex issues into written responses, briefings and papers that are accurate, concise and credible.
* Emotionally intelligent colleagues who can leverage strong interpersonal skills to build strong, trusting relationships with senior leaders and the wider department.
* Well-organised and great at prioritising multiple demands on their time.
* Proactive at identifying and solving problems, exercising judgement when there aren't clear solutions before escalating to seniors when needed.
Desirable Criteria
The Following Criteria Is Desirable, But Not Mandatory
* Expert knowledge in the application of the Freedom of Information Act in the public sector.
* Experience working on casework in a tightly regulated environment.
* Experience improving and optimising transactional, administrative processes using technology.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Managing a Quality Service
* Changing and Improving
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
Alongside your salary of £40,415, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £11,708 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
* A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
* Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
* A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
* An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
* Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home-based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Judgement Test and Civil Service Work Strengths Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 24 June 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, Behavioural Statements and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to explain why you want to be an Information Rights Adviser in DSIT and what skills and experiences would you bring to this role?
Applications will be sifted on Behavioural Statements and Personal Statement.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the Personal Statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of Behaviour and Strength-based questions.
To help you to prepare for your interview, for this campaign behaviour questions will be shared in advance of interview if you are successful at sift stage. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared.
The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared with you in advance, including any follow-up questions, and other elements listed in the job advert, for example, experience, abilities, strengths and technical skills. The panel will be looking for examples of your own work, experience, and ability so do try and avoid using AI written answers without any human oversight.
Sift and interview dates
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in ourDSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
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, Strengths, Ability and Experience.
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 security check (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 security check (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.
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 : Head of Information Rights
* Email : FOI-requests@dsit.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.
Seniority level
* Seniority level
Entry level
Employment type
* Employment type
Full-time
Job function
* Job function
Information Technology
* Industries
Government Administration
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