Vacancy -- Repair and Re-use - Policy Lead

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Climate Change and Rural Affairs Group
Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division
SEO - £41,700 - £49,370
£41,700
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Fixed term
Two years Fixed Term Appointment
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

This post will lead delivery of the Programme for Government commitment to support re-use and repair hubs and develop community recycling facilities in town centres as well as the commitment to promote repair and re-use facilities and encourage zero-waste shopping.

The commitment to work on repair and re-use is part of the statutory requirement to deliver on the waste hierarchy, it is expressed in a number of key plans and strategies including Beyond Recycling – a strategy to make the circular economy in Wales a reality; Net Zero Wales; and the Manufacturing Action Plan.

In leading on re-use and repair, the post-holder will lead on the Welsh Government’s strategic aim to:

Develop a universal culture of re-use, repair and remanufacture within our communities and town centres, and
develop and provide the detailed policy and support cross-government action to support the delivery of a re-use, repair and remanufacturing culture in business and the public sector.

This policy area is significant in terms of preventing prevent waste and delivering significant carbon savings, also in realising the potential economic gains of action, within a decarbonising global economy and the significant social benefits. The role plays an important part in meeting statutory minimum recycling and emissions reductions targets.

The post-holder will engage with businesses, public and third sector stakeholders and lead the development of policy and the successful delivery of initiatives increasing the available infrastructure and working on the behaviour change needed to embed re-use, repair and remanufacture in Wales’s culture. 

Key tasks:

  1. Lead on delivery of specific work items within the overall programme covering both repair and re-use, driving delivery of key PfG commitments and Beyond Recycling strategy.
  2. Oversee scoping and delivery of evidence studies and pilots in relation to repair and reuse in Wales, assessing data and information to develop credible policy options and solutions.
  3. Work in complex and multifaceted areas, understanding the linkages, which span a range of functions within and outside of government. 
  4. Identify potential issues, determine processes and procedures for policy implementation.
  5. Assess resources required to deliver reforms and use governance structures and divisional business planning to secure the necessary resources for successful implementation.
  6. Set up a pack of performance metrics to enable the monitoring of delivery.
  7. Work closely with wider programme governance structures and delivery teams, escalating issues where appropriate and providing accurate and timely updates to the senior level project and programme board structures.
  8. Work with colleagues across Welsh Government, in particular Communities and Tackling Poverty and Economy, to ensure that activity to encourage increased repair and reuse is understood and managed.
  9. Engage with communities and citizens to understand how repair and reuse can support town centres and wider place-based initiatives.
  10. Represent the policy area and Welsh Government at external meetings or networks, becoming expert in this policy area.
  11. Work closely with Welsh Government communications colleagues and delivery partners to drive delivery.
  12. Prepare policy briefing and advice to support Ministerial decisions and responses to Ministerial correspondence, in close liaison with legal services and other functions across Welsh Government.
  13. Lead the provision of evidence and assurance to Welsh Ministers on the effectiveness of actions to encourage repair and re-use.

Development opportunities:

A chance to work in a fast-paced, emerging policy area.  Opportunity to play a key role in driving forward the Welsh Government’s aim to encourage the move to a Circular Economy, contributing to addressing the Climate and Nature Emergencies.

Closing Date:

26/06/2023, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Desirable
Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding
Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh
Can understand parts of a basic conversation
Can write basic messages on everyday topics

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Competencies

Setting Direction - Making Effective Decisions - Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key conclusions, outlining costs, benefits, risks and potential responses. 

Engaging People – Leading and Communicating - Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner with all stakeholders and stand ground when needed. 

Delivering Results – Achieving Commercial Outcomes - Gather and use evidence to assess the costs, benefits and risks of a wide range of delivery options when making commercial decisions.

Delivering Results – Managing a Quality Service - Make effective use of project management skills and techniques to deliver outcomes, including identifying risks and mitigating actions.

Job Specific Criteria

  1. Ability to interpret information to inform policy decision making, including drawing out key points from complex evidence, and seeing the interconnections between different areas and policies.
  2. Experience of project management and planning, with the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and evidence. Strong interpersonal skills, including engagement with senior stakeholders, influencing and negotiating.
  3. Excellent writing skills, with experience of synthesising information from a wide range of sources to draw out key points, and of drafting guidance, briefings and correspondence.

Assessment Process

Applications will be sifted and successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.
Applications will be sifted and successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
Gail Merriman - ResourceEfficiencyAndCircularEconomy@gov.wales

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.