Policy Adviser - Smart Data Governance

This is a brilliant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of Smart Data, an innovative cross-government policy with wide reaching opportunities for businesses and consumers.

Smart Data is the secure sharing of consumer data, with their consent, to third parties to provide innovative services.

Open Banking is currently considered the only live example of an arrangement comparable to a Smart Data; it enables consumers to use third party services to securely move and manage their money.

Open Banking services are used by 9.7 million people in the UK and the ecosystem is worth more than £4 billion.

The Government has committed to enabling Smart Data schemes so that customers can ask for help from authorised third parties to better use the data about them.

The aim is to drive innovative new money management and other services.

Beyond the possibilities enabled by Smart Data in Open Banking, other potential initiatives include, amongst many others: Supporting grid-level energy demands, and saving consumers money, by using energy data to recommend the most cost or energy efficient times and locations to charge their electric vehicles.

Health benefits and cost and time savings for consumers by providing data-driven insights to help them plan more affordable and more nutritious grocery shopping.

Wage increases for gig workers, by providing data to help workers choose the best platform and to improve gig workers’ access to finance.

The team works to coordinate activities across Whitehall and public and private sector organisations to further Smart Data in a number of priority sectors, including banking, financial services, and telecoms.

This includes progressing Smart Data legislation and brokering agreement across government on the institutional arrangements to support the policy in the long term.

Job description Core responsibilities will include: Supporting the development of future governance arrangements for a cross-economy Smart Data ecosystem.

Supporting publication of future consultations on the design of a cross-sector governance model.

Supporting the management and delivery of the cross-sector governance research projects.

Working with the International Strategy and Engagement parts of the Smart Data team to ensure a coherent approach to delivery.

Proactively collaborating with dedicated analysts and project managers to ensure work is evidence-led and delivered in line with parallel priorities.

The team often flexes to meet workload demands.

As a result, wider responsibilities may include: Engaging and influencing stakeholders, building and maintaining the community of industry and Whitehall stakeholders that are needed to drive forward Smart Data.

Leading on commissions to further the policy area, including submissions and briefings.

Continuous monitoring and regular reporting of deadlines, milestones, and risks of complex work streams.

Supporting relevant research projects from a policy perspective, from scoping to delivery and management.

Person specification Essential criteria The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage; Making Effective Decisions - Experience of developing and delivering policy proposals; finding pragmatic solutions to policy challenges and evaluating different options.

Seeing the Bigger Picture - Ability to synthesise complex policy information and communicate it clearly, while considering wider factors and seeing other people’s perspectives.

Delivering at Pace - Strong organisational skills and experience in managing competing priorities, delivering high quality outcomes at pace, and proactively anticipating and planning for any issues in advance.

Communicating and Influencing - Able to identify common goals with others and achieve buy-in on challenging initiatives to deliver on objectives.

Desirable criteria The below criteria are desirable only.

These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates; Experience of working across and negotiations with government departments.

Experience of working on data related policies.

Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Making Effective Decisions Seeing the Big Picture Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Benefits Alongside your salary of £34,254, Department for Business and Trade contributes £9,923 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression.

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities.

We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.

Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually.

We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application: A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.

Provide employment history that relates to the Essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.

A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the Essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours and Strengths.

Reasonable Adjustments We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process.

This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment: Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidate Support You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session.

These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information: A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.

Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers.

This includes moves between government departments.

The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.

We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences.

This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty.

Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Terms and Conditions are attached.

Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity.

Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.

Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities.

As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy . Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.

You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Dom Hember Email : Recruitment team Email : Further information Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: . If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.