Details Reference number 398379 Salary £56,532 - £69,338 The national salary range is £56,532 - £64,048, London salary range is £61,201 - £69,338. Your salary will be dependent on your base location A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP Job grade Grade 7 Grade 7 Contract type Fixed term Loan Secondment Length of employment For a period of up to 2 years, extendable by mutual consent Type of role Operational Delivery Working pattern Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time Number of jobs available 1 Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location This position is based at NIO Erskine House, BT1 4GF, NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE LONDON, SW1A 2HQ About the job Job summary Please refer to Job Description Job description On 11th September 2024, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that he would establish an independent statutory inquiry into the murder of Mr Patrick Finucane on 12th February 1989. The Inquiry is being established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to enable the Government to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the ECHR in line with the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal judgment in July 2024. The inquiry will build upon the previous reviews and investigations which have already been conducted into this case, take specific account of the materials and information provided to and generated by them, and avoid unnecessary duplication of investigation. The Chair of the Inquiry (once appointed) will be supported by a small secretariat, providing administrative and policy support to the Chair and other office holders. The Inquiry is at the very early stages and this role offers an opportunity to make a real impact on the future direction of the Inquiry. As a member of a small team, you will have a varied role on a high-profile topic, working with a diverse group of stakeholders. Delivering the Inquirys overall operations (including HR and finance, legal operations, contract management, estates and hearings, project management, and governance) is crucial to the success of the Inquiry. This role requires a diverse set of skills to oversee and lead the different functions, and the successful candidate will need to demonstrate they have the skills and experience to succeed in the role without necessarily being a professional in any one of the functions. Its an exciting time to be part of a growing and energetic team with lots of potential for development and growth within this role. Please note this appointment will be made subject to HMT business case approvals. Duties and Responsibilities: The main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to: This role, which can be based in either Belfast or London (with regular travel between both), will lead the Inquirys operational functions. This will include responsibility for HR and finance, legal operations, contract management, estates and hearings, project management, and governance. The post-holder will also work flexibly across the wider secretariat team, providing support to the Secretary and taking responsibility for a range of daily issues and tasks while leading the implementation of the operations of the Inquiry. Essential Criteria: The post holder will need to demonstrate the following in their application and at interview: Leadership You are a credible leader who can command the confidence and trust of the Inquirys chair and statutory office holders, and other senior stakeholders. You enjoy building, leading and managing a team to deliver at pace, while remaining calm under pressure and setting a positive team culture where individuals are supported to be their best. Communication skills You are an excellent communicator, able to provide clear advice, briefings and other materials to senior stakeholders. Relationship building and stakeholder management skills You build and maintain strong and positive relationships with stakeholders at all levels, and you leverage those relationships to deliver your priorities. In particular, you will build and maintain relationships with external suppliers providing specialist services to the Inquiry (such as solicitors, barristers, bespoke information management services) and the sponsor team in the Northern Ireland Office. Prioritisation You are confident juggling a large number of issues and work well under pressure, prioritise effectively, and maintain attention to detail. Attention to detail you have the skills and experience to set up key systems for finance, HR, legal and other operations, and lead a team managing them with a focus on accuracy, robust governance and accountability. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities; the precise job description will be subject to views of the Chair and Secretary once appointed. Desirable Criteria: Previous experience working on or with independent inquiries (or similar work) An understanding or experience of working on NI legacy issues (or similar work) Behaviours: We will assess you against the following Success Profiles behaviours for Grade 7 level during the application sift and interview process: Leadership Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Developing Self and Others How to apply: You will be asked to provide a CV setting out your job history, with key responsibilities and achievements. You will also be required to provide a personal statement of suitability (no longer than two pages and no more than 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience to provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification. Candidates applications will be sifted by the sponsor Department. If successful you will be shortlisted for a panel interview. The final appointment is subject to HMT business case approvals and confirmation by the Secretary (once appointed). Please confirm with your manager that they can support a timely release if you are successful. A reserve list of appointable candidates will be maintained for a period of up to 12 months after the initial appointment is made. 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? All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. Person specification Please refer to Job Description Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Developing Self and Others Benefits Alongside your salary of £56,532, Northern Ireland Office contributes £16,377 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. 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 with an average employer contribution of 27% Annual Leave Public Holidays Season Ticket Advance For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. 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. See our vetting charter. 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) 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 Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code 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. 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team Email : Telephone : Recruitment team Email : Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL () in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and 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: