Deputy Director, Special Adviser HR

The Propriety and Ethics Directorate (P&E), within the Propriety and Constitution Group, is responsible for providing advice to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary and departmental Permanent Secretaries on standards and ethics issues linked to the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. This includes advice on ministerial appointments and senior civil servants, policy on the Business Appointment Rules, advice on conduct in respect of elections and referendums, and support to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The P&E Directorate is also responsible for advice on public appointments and inquiries, and Special Adviser HR.

This is an HR leadership role in a unique environment. Following the centralisation into the Cabinet Office of payroll for special advisers in 2019, a central Special Adviser HR team was formed. The Deputy Director, Special Adviser HR is accountable for the team’s strategy, keeping service delivery professionally anchored in the wider HR function and in step with employee offers across the wider Civil Service, whilst creating bespoke policies and processes for special advisers where their contracts and context require it.

The postholder will be responsible for senior stakeholder management within the Cabinet Office, No10, departmental Secretaries of State and Civil Service HR, and for quality assuring all advice and operational activity. The Deputy Director, Special Adviser HR will be responsible for:

• Leading and developing an inclusive, engaged and high performing team in a high profile environment, ensuring they are motivated, supported to deliver and change priorities at short notice.
• Building relationships in No 10 with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and senior special adviser team, supporting them in the management of the special adviser workforce.
• In close collaboration with No10 and private offices across other government departments, ensure that special advisers are effectively onboarded and offboarded. This includes assessing relevant outside interests and providing HR input into the remuneration process.
• Understanding business requirements and translating those into a set of clear and tailored employment policies for special advisers, ensuring they are in keeping with broader Civil Service policies.
• Driving the delivery of longer term HR interventions (e.g. learning and development), evolving the in role support and the employee offer for special advisers.
• With or on behalf of Secretaries of State, managing complex casework and offering HR consultancy support where appropriate.
• Ensuring finances are secured to fund special advisers across departments, and that budgets (of £10-15m) are appropriately managed, with close working with CO Finance and HM Treasury (HMT) on observing MPM (Managing Public Money) and other HMT requirements.
• Publication of annual transparency releases and regular handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, Parliamentary Questions, and correspondence.

It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post.

Knowledge of current and emerging Employment Law, with a proven track record of designing and embedding end to end HR frameworks, where employees are supported and senior stakeholders are confident in HR policies and processes.

Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to maintain team morale and productivity during periods of pressure, ambiguity and sudden changes of priorities.

Experience negotiating complex employment solutions with senior colleagues, ensuring alignment between business needs and HR best practices.

Experience of rapidly re prioritising resources to meet shifting departmental goals without compromising on the quality of output or staff wellbeing.

Experience of influencing those in authority, and specifically influencing, consulting and negotiating with senior stakeholders on HR/employment issues.

Experience mediating between competing interests across diverse business units, with an ability to find "middle ground" solutions between stakeholders in complex, ambiguous and sensitive environments.

Proven experience of drafting high quality briefing materials, including (or similar to) Ministerial Submissions, Parliamentary Questions, and Freedom of Information responses.

Specialist skill requirement; CIPD Level 7 qualification. You must already hold the CIPD Level 7 qualification as this is essential for the role. You will be asked this question as part of your application. Please indicate this in your application if you hold the qualification and provide further details in your application on how you meet this criteria.

Desirable criteria (this will only be considered in a tie break situation or if there is a need for a second sift): Knowledge of the Civil Service Code, Special Adviser Code of Conduct and wider integrity systems (e.g. Business Appointment Rules, conflicts of interest) and how these apply to the HR space. Experience of engaging directly with Trade Unions.