Summary

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1300 people, with a big vision – to drive change in the food system so that it delivers “food we can trust”. Our primary goal is to continue to protect public health and consumers’ wider interest in food. As we have now exited the EU the FSA faces a significant period of change and activity.

Job description

The day to day running of any government agency is awash with data of all kinds. The FSA is no different. From the research and evidence that we employ to support and guide our policy work, to figures and private details regarding the food business operators at the heart of our regulatory work, our Agency is built on the data we use to keep our operations running and keep consumers safe.

This post will be essential to ensure that information is protected throughout its lifecycle and that information assets are managed to deliver corporate priorities in a way that identifies and mitigates privacy risk.

The FSA has a diverse range of functions including delivering official controls, incident management and food crime investigation. Our workforce is distributed across five offices, approved premises and as homebased. All of this means that there is a need to embed good practice in information governance across the FSA and take account of user needs.

The purpose of this role is to embed a culture of privacy by design that supports good information governance at the FSA so information is valued, used, managed preserved and shared to underpin delivery of corporate priorities while ensuring that personal and commercially sensitive data is protected and held compliantly with all relevant statutory obligations including the GDPR and DPA 2018. This role will involve working with teams across the agency.

If you have a background in interpreting and applying information governance legislation and are a strong communicator with experience guiding and advising colleagues on how to manage information appropriately, apply for this position today.

Responsibilities

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:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Experience of delivering Data Protection and information governance outcomes, preferably with a qualification to demonstrate competence (but not essential).

Benefits

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. This will consist of shortlisting against the essential and desirable person specification criteria stated. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to the final selection stage consisting of a behaviours-based interview.

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated below:

• Track record of providing advice in information governance and data protection including breach management to a range of different stakeholders.

The FSA is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. If applying on a job-share basis, the expectation would be that you are already in an established job-share partnership. All appointments are made on merit.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached terms and conditions statement.

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

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Timeline:

Sift: from 10 March 2022

Interviews: week commencing 24 March 2022

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams.

Please note that the interview date maybe subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

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.

Apply and further information

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

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

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