Head of Central Response and Coordination Unit

This is a high profile and pivotal role in the department to support its role in responding to emergencies. The successful candidate will lead the Central Response and Co-ordination Unit (CRCU). CRCU complements and works alongside, other existing resilience functions within DLUHC, and its main purpose is to take a strategic, bird’s-eye view during a crisis and run, grip and co-ordinate a Department-wide response, acting as the interface with Ministers and the Executive Team and helping orchestrate the Department’s engagement in cross-Government structures and responses.
Outside of crisis response, the team plays a key role in short to medium term horizon scanning for threats and hazards and risk assessments, keeping the Department’s senior team informed on emerging ‘rising tide’ emergencies and events that may require a significant and wide-ranging response from the Department. The team has a vital role to play in preparing the Department for different types of crises, including through exercising.
Please note that the expectation is that this role will involve periodic unsociable hours working, including weekends. Candidates should reflect on whether they will be able to work unsociable before applying. Any additional hours worked and duty cover will be remunerated in line with DLUHC Pay Policy.
Due to the close engagement that will be required with Ministers and the Executive Team, and the potential need to physically attend certain meetings in Whitehall, the role will require a level of office working in the Department’s headquarters in 2 Marsham Street in London. There will also be an expectation to travel to London during an emergency., In crisis mode, the post holder will lead CRCU to co-ordinate a cross departmental response. Tasks will include leading teams to deliver across the operational, situational and policy remit held by CRCU in a response.
The post holder will provide strong leadership - ensuring the smooth functioning and effective delivery of a strong CRCU-led crisis response.
This will include – ensuring strong situational awareness, effecting strategic decision making across the Department and ensuring that commissioning of core work is carried out effectively and to suitable timescales, drafting high quality briefing products for the Ministers and seniors and quality assuring briefing products produced by the wider team and department. You will also be expected to provide strong verbal briefings for Ministers and senior officials.
The post holder will lead on policy preparedness and resourcing, working closely with policy leads across the Department to develop preparedness plans for our top priority risks. You will be responsible for maintaining and developing other core planning products, including the Department’s Resilience Policy Toolkit and its Crisis Response in a Box guidance.
You will lead departmental planning for major events.
You will ensure our Executive Team and Ministers are fully sighted of progress through effective briefing, including at the department’s Resilience Board.
You will lead CRCU’s efforts to develop a strong network of colleagues across the department by building on our existing cross-departmental engagement programme, for instance through the use of regular Roadshows.
You will provide strong line management and development support for G7s in the team who will support across the functions outlined above.
You will maintain close links with Cabinet Office, and other key Departments and agencies (e.g. Home Office, DHSC, DEFRA, UKHSA) to support effective future cross-Government responses., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Leadership
+ Delivering at Pace, At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.
Please contact the vacancy manager if you have any questions about the role.
As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process.
We are for everyone
CV and Cover Letter Declaration
We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment.
Please remove references to your:
+ name/title
+ educational institutions
+ age
+ gender
+ email address
+ postal address
+ phone number
+ nationality/immigration status
You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors.
At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing:
Lead Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing, Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.
Benefits
Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.
Location
+ Birmingham
+ Darlington

• 
  + Wolverhampton
  
• Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.
At present, a minimum of 60% of your working time will be spent in your contractual office location. Requirements to attend other office locations or off-site meetings will be counted towards this. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis, if you are successful for the role.
(Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, Hastings, Hemel Hempstead, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield, Truro, Warrington)
Sift and Interview dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 29 April 2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
If interviews are held in London for a national based role, the vacancy manager must consider offering travel expenses.
Reserve List
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
SC (Security Check):
Important note
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the Security Check – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Security Check (SC).
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.
Candidate Pack Information
Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned.The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.
For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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) (opens in a new window)
+ 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.

This role would suit a robust, confident leader with strong ministerial engagement and organisational grip skills., + Be resilient with exceptional leadership skills.
+ Have excellent communication skills and the ability to think strategically.
+ Be able to demonstrate your ability to build strong working relationships at all levels across the Department, to co-ordinate delivery across multiple teams and policy areas, and be comfortable working at pace.
+ Be at ease with analysing data and gripping the key elements of policy development to make clear recommendations to senior leaders and ministers.
+ Provide leadership, support and guidance to the team whilst allowing them to take ownership and deliver., + Experience of working with Ministers and crisis management
+ Having a Developed Vetting (DV) level security clearance.

Alongside your salary of £61,599, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £16,631 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 average employer contribution of 27%, Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience and behaviour based questions as listed in the advert. Candidates invited to interview will be expected to prepare a presentation. Further details on this will be sent along with the interview invitation.
In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:
Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description
Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing The Big Picture, Leadership, Delivering at Pace
We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs:
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign
Grade 6 salary
+ The salary for this role is £61,599 (National).