Vacancy -- Business Secondee

'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.

Social Partnership and Fair Work Directorate:

The First Minister is committed to developing and strengthening social partnership in order to drive up the quality of work and improve knowledge and awareness of employment rights and responsibilities and to find solutions to economic and social challenges facing Wales. Social partnership refers to tripartite working that brings together the Welsh Government, trade unions, and employers to advance a common agenda. The Government intends to legislate to provide a statutory basis for social partnership, improve the approach to public procurement and embed fair work in the approach to well-being.

The Social Partnership and Fair Work Directorate has responsibility for implementing the recommendations of the Fair Work Commission, for developing policy and legislation to embed social partnership, and for providing support to the Social Partnership Council that will be established. The Directorate provides support to Ministers, but also forms a focal point within Welsh Government to promote and develop best practice in areas that do not require legislation, but where progress can be made with this important agenda. The Directorate consists of civil servants and secondees from trade unions and representatives from businesses and public sector bodies, working together to deliver this exciting agenda.

The Directorate consists of civil servants and secondees from trade unions and representatives from businesses and public sector bodies, working together to deliver this exciting agenda.

The Private Sector Secondee Role:

We are looking to appoint a member of the team from the private sector or able to represent the views of the private sector. We are looking for someone who has credibility within the business community and who can play a full role in the Directorate’s work to develop and deliver social partnership and fair work.

The successful candidate will undertake policy development and carry out internal and external engagement to shape effective delivery. They will have opportunity to work with Ministers and use their networks and expertise to ensure the views and perspectives of the private sector are considered. They will be a focal point for enhancing the relations between all social partners.

The post holder will:

• Establish and support approaches to engaging a wide range of businesses and business and private sector representative bodies.
• Advise on and convene working groups as required by the Directorate to progress its work and engage social partners on relevant policy development or task and finish issues.
• Provide advice to business organisations on engagement with the Welsh Government.
• Provide expert advice to Welsh Government departments on engaging with business organisations across a range of issues.

Contribute to developing a ‘business for fair work movement’ including:

• Establishing employer role models who demonstrate and actively champion fair work to peers.
• Diffusing best practice, learning and advice, including business to business peer learning.
• Communicating the business and economic case for fair work.
• Showcasing fair work through inspirational case studies that have wide reach and impact.
• Creating shared ownership of the fair work agenda – with a strong business element.
• Working with trade union secondee to build case studies of good union/employer relationships into the movement.
• Consider what leadership and management training and/or additional resources and tools are necessary to support business to be fair work employers.
• Secure private sector input into emergent and high profile policy agendas, including the shorter working week and flexible working more broadly and equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Work as part of the team to improve collaboration across social partners and support the effective articulation of social partners’ view on a range of issues.
• Support the Directorate in providing strategic policy advice and support to Ministers, that reflects social partners’ views on a range of issues relating to social partnership and fair work.

This post provides an opportunity to gain a wider understanding of Welsh Government policy development. The post holder will contribute to the development of this policy, as well as to contribute to advice on opportunities for the Welsh Government to support employers promote fairer work and become fair work employers. The post holder will also work closely with and provide advice to Ministers and senior representatives of the social partners, whilst building and maintaining a wide network of stakeholders.

01/07/2022, 16:00

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:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

• 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.

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)

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.