Vacancy -- Head of Social Partnership Reform

'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.

The post holder will support the Deputy Director in managing the delivery of new social partnership legislation for Wales, developing social partnership policy in this new Ministerial portfolio, establishing strategic partnerships, managing complex relationships with internal and external stakeholders and coordinating the work of current cross-government social partnership bodies, including the Shadow Social Partnership Council and the Workforce Partnership Council in support of Ministers’ strategic objectives set out in the Programme for Government.  

Whilst social partnership has been frequently referenced as a distinctly Welsh way of working between Government and our social partners, trade unions and employers, it has not previously been articulated or developed as a distinct policy approach. The post holder will be responsible for the development of policy in this new area and in support of this new Ministerial portfolio, driving its recognition and adoption across Government and externally with our social partners and stakeholders. Leading a high profile, complex and sometimes contentious area of work that will require significant specialist knowledge, strategic and creating thinking, complex problem solving and relationship management, negotiating with senior leaders across public, private and third sector employers and trade unions and with senior officials across Government to influence and find compromise between diverse and often conflicting partner perspectives. 

The post holder will have personal responsibility for leading the reform of existing social partnership structures and frameworks across Welsh Government.  The aim will be to work with partners to rationalise current national-level social partnership arrangements in Wales; and to ensure that the future design and operation of social partnership structures aligns fully with the new statutory framework created through the Social Partnership Bill. The post holder will also oversee the delivery of government and other corporate business across the Division, including Ministerial briefings, Senedd Questions, BIRT reporting etc.

The post-holder’s main responsibilities will be:

• to work with the Deputy Director, to oversee management and delivery of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill, including all relevant policy areas, ensuring that the Bill is introduced in the Senedd before summer recess 2022;
• to oversee a team and develop policy to deliver Welsh Ministers social partnership ambitions in this new portfolio area, developing proposals to establish and embed social partnership as a cross-cutting approach and key feature of Government operations and within our public services. Increasing the involvement and participation of employers and trade unions, including promoting trade union membership on boards and Ministerial groups, to improve cooperation, joint problem solving and mutual gains across different partner interests;
• to develop solutions to complex problems across diverse and often conflicting social partner agendas, working with senior leaders both internally and externally in a high profile area, to address significant and sometimes contentious issues through effective negotiation, creative thinking and complex problem solving;  
• to Implement a Social Partnership Council (SPC), oversee development and scrutiny of legislative proposals for a statutory Council. Design operating mechanisms for the SPC and any related sub committees.  Build on experience of effective partnership working and the outcomes of a cross-government review, to design sustainable provisions and achieve wide buy in to the proposed reforms;
• to ensure that the transition to the new statutory framework of social partnership and supporting structures is managed smoothly and securely;
• to create and maintain strategic partnerships and complex relationships on behalf of Government with senior leaders internally and externally, developing a programme of social partner engagement and acting as an effective advocate for social partnership across the organisation and with partners in the trade union movement and public, private and third sector employers;
• to oversee the work of the Joint Secretariat Team coordinating Minister led social partnership structures, which includes which the Shadow Social Partnership Council, the Workforce Partnership Council and its Joint Executive Committee, developing work programmes in social partnership, engage across department owned SP structures to develop shared agendas and maximise synergies. Lead the intelligent secretariat function to effectively support meetings, preparatory meetings and partner engagement;
• to work with Ministers, senior officials and social partners to undertake a review of existing social partnership structures at national strategic level in Wales, covering all areas of the Welsh Government’s responsibilities. To streamline the current approach and introduce consistency and connectivity between disparate structures, taking action to deliver change, including negotiating with Director level owners of systems and dealing with senior stakeholders with embedded and conflicting views;
• to design and build a cohesive system of social partnership, which reflects the principles established by the Bill, strengthens relationships across Welsh Government and with social partners, and enables the Welsh Ministers to provide strong and effective system leadership for social partnership in Wales;
• to work with the two current Deputy Directors and Director to review the structure and operation of the Social Partnership & Fair Work Directorate to ensure that it can continue to provide effective leadership across Welsh Government and builds on the opportunity created by the Social Partnership Bill;
• to provide HR, industrial relations and employment policy advice to SPC and WPC and act as expert link point across the Directorate for non-devolved matters;
• to ensure that Ministerial and wider corporate business relevant to the Division’s work is managed effectively, coordinating the work of the three branches to manage Divisional priorities and to ensure that Ministerial briefings, Senedd Questions etc are delivered to time and to quality;
• to act as line manager for 2 Grade 7s and one SEO;
• to act as deputy to the Deputy Director for Social Partnership, recognising that as a heavily loaded division, with a significant number of stakeholders whom Ministers have committed to actively involving in developments, the post holder will provide vital capacity at a senior level to take discrete ownership of specific engagement with partners and manage the extensive and in depth engagement required at a senior level, to deliver social partnership outcomes.

The post offers the opportunity to lead key areas of work in a high profile and challenging role and at an exciting time for the Social Partnership and Fair Work agenda.  The post requires a cross-cutting approach to policy and delivery, with significant opportunities to build networks at the most senior levels within and outside the Civil Service through working with Welsh Government colleagues, social partners and others.  The post holder will have an unusually wide-ranging brief with the opportunity to help shape the work of the Welsh Government across Ministerial portfolios. A broad range of policy, planning, operational delivery, negotiating and networking skills will be tested to the full in this role. The post will provide significant exposure to Ministers, including the First Minister.

03/12/2021, 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.