Vacancy -- Specialist Senior Policy Manager – Seren

'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.

Seren is a Welsh Government initiative dedicated to helping Wales’ brightest learners achieve their full academic potential and support their education pathway into leading universities in Wales, the UK, and overseas through the Seren Academy, Seren Foundation, and Seren International strands. The programme is delivered across all Welsh schools and colleges, supporting approximately 21,500 learners from years 8-13, and forms part of the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commitments.

This is a specialist role, which requires knowledge of supporting high achieving students across key stages 3, 4 and 5 within the schools and colleges through a similar widening participation programme. Since Seren was established, Wales has seen a considerable increase in applications and offers from the leading universities. A key part of the role will be to work with Oxford, Cambridge and other leading universities to understand where there are gaps in learner knowledge, and to adapt and formulate new interventions to support Welsh learners in achieving their academic potential.

Previous experience and knowledge of the educational community across Wales for both pre and post-16 is required, as is knowledge of the admissions requirements of the highly-selective universities in the UK and overseas through the Ivy League’s in the US. Admissions to these universities require extremely strong applications from Welsh students competing with private schools across the UK and globally. Supporting these learners to compete and succeed against their counterparts globally requires in-depth knowledge of the admissions process at Oxbridge and other selective universities across specific subjects and through offering support on the admissions tests being sat by the Seren students. This role requires experience of supporting the high-achieving students through identifying academic stretch and challenge provision to the learners.

The post-holder will lead on the Seren policy within Welsh Government, will provide advice to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and their teams, and also support on various events and meetings.

 

• Lead on policy development and implementation for Seren in line with the Programme for Government commitments
• Lead on integrating the Seren policy into the national and Seren hub programmes and aligning to Ministerial priorities
• Align key policy priorities to the Seren strategy 2022-2025, across Welsh Government, and with key stakeholders from Welsh, UK and global universities
• Lead on the creation and implementation of a policy to safeguard Seren learners, staff and external partners
• Identify and influence senior decision makers across Wales including identifying best practice, which supports and complements partner programmes such as Fulbright, Sutton Trust, local authorities
• Be the policy lead for each of the sub-brands of Academy, Foundation and International
• Oversee and coordinate the national steering group of Seren co-coordinators and other working groups to further develop and enhance the Seren offer
• Establish new interventions with leading universities across the UK to support the delivery of activities to support Seren learners from years 8-13 across schools and FE colleges

Opportunities to develop partnerships with universities in Wales, the UK and overseas.

04/07/2022, 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.