Job summary
Rewiring the state and delivering the Government’s missions needs high-quality, well-connected leaders. The role of public sector leaders is more important than ever in the context of the government's ambitions for an activist but not expansionist state and because of their place-based leadership role in the delivery of missions.
Within the Cabinet Office, the Public Sector Leadership team runs programmes and events for the most senior officials across the UK public sector, aimed at increasing their capability and networks for systems leadership. The team brings the community of public service leaders together through formal and informal learning, community and network building and large-scale events. As part of a new skills model, this work is growing over the next two years to increase impact and quality of what is delivered.
We deliver a range of events and programmes designed to enhance the skills, knowledge and networks of public sector leaders. This includes the National Leadership Forum UK, the place-based National Leadership Forums up and down the UK, and two programmes for public sector CEOs and aspiring CEOs.
Our largest scale intervention, the National Leadership Forum is an annual event which brings together CEO-leaders en-masse to improve networks, provide inspiration, and spark collaboration across the public sector. The Public Leaders Programme is a 12-month programme for CEO-level leaders, while the Leading Collaborative Organisations course will be 3-4 months long for aspirant CEO leaders.
Job details
This advert is for four delivery roles, two working on the National Leadership Forum portfolio and two on the residential leadership programmes.
These roles will each be working with a team lead for one of these projects, collaboratively developing the programmes and events, with a strong focus on the audience experience. An appreciation of the needs of public sector leaders at the most senior levels will be advantageous. You’ll have areas of personal responsibility as well as collectively driving excellence in your projects. And as a whole team we set an intentional culture of mutual support and collaboration, which is very important to us and how we work together.
These roles involve a clear expectation of travel to attend event delivery, conduct site visits, build relationships with the leaders we support and maintain face-to-face connections with our geographically dispersed team.
We deliberately cultivate a flexible working and inclusive environment; we are keen to have a team that represents the breadth of citizens and varied perspectives.
In advertising quite broad roles, we are asking that applicants are comfortable with a level of ambiguity and applying to work across the portfolio of our work. We will be able to specify the role and provide a job description at the point of offer, but it's not unusual for people in the team to move between products/ work areas as the need arises
We will hold an open meeting/ presentation to explain the roles further and answer any questions; please contact Jenny Vass for details [email protected]
Key responsibilities:
We are looking for people who are experts in event and programme delivery with a proven track record of operational excellence and a customer focussed mindset.
We embrace flexibility and adaptability in our roles, responding to Government priorities, the needs of our leaders, and the programmes that we deliver. We also want to create opportunities for you to engage in work that interests you and that supports your development.
Within this context you can expect a mix of the following responsibilities:
- Responsible for the in-house delivery of high-impact, high-quality programmes and/or events tailored for CEO leaders and/ or aspirant CEOs, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. With strategic oversight from the programme leads you will own the end-to-end process of event delivery; including communications, operations, contract management and evaluation
- Understanding what delegates need and using knowledge to inform our events.
- Draw on insights, relationships and research to incorporate best practices and insights into our work.
- Prepare event or programme materials, including evaluation processes to measure impact.
- Be part of a high-performance culture, supporting others to collectively achieve great work.
- Help build a community of leaders from the NHS, police, fire service, military, education sectors, civil service, and local government through a broad range of projects across the team.
- Identify strategic opportunities to link programmes with policy development, public service reform, and leadership development initiatives.
- Owning individual areas such as modules or sessions, relationships, project finance management.
- Negotiating and managing contracts with venues and suppliers, in line with internal policies and procedures.
- Drafting written communications and developing communications plans, in collaboration with colleagues across the team, to promote events and drive engagement.
- Managing the project and work streams, fostering a high-performance culture within the team you task-manage, recognising success, and supporting professional development.
- Promote and model best practice behaviours, including audience insight utilisation, inclusive design, evaluation, and diversity.
Person specification
Essential Experience & Knowledge
- Experience of planning and delivering events or learning and development programmes.
- Attention to detail and passion for delivering high quality event experiences.
- Experience managing external contracts to deliver agreed outcomes.
- Expertise in inclusive practices.
- Understanding of - or expertise in - the public sector audience and organisations.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly writing for different audiences including executive level leaders.
- Ability to synthesise, analyse, and clearly present complex data/information accurately to senior leaders, ministers, and other partners.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced environments, with excellent organisational, prioritisation, and delegation skills.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of CEO level programme delivery and customer management.
- The desire to learn, the evidence of investing in your own professional development, and willingness to work towards a formal qualification - such as one awarded by CIPD.
Work Setting
Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £43,760, Cabinet Office contributes £12,677 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Additional benefits include:
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Application process
As part of the application form you will be asked to submit a CV and a statement of suitability, of up to 500 words, setting out how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification. You will also submit a behavioural statement (max: 250 words).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Managing a quality service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Selection process
Applicants selected for interview will be assessed against the following four behaviours and their relevant skills and experience:
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – week commencing 21/06/2026
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Additional information
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Cabinet Office 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland 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 [email protected] 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 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email [email protected]
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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s 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.
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) (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.
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 :
Recruitment team
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at [email protected]. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.
Attachments
Cabinet Office Employee Offer (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 344kB)
Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (1) (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)
