HMRC Parliamentary Scrutiny Senior Officer
HM Revenue and Customs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 16th May 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.
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We are offering an opportunity for you to join our small, hard-working office as a Parliamentary Scrutiny Senior Officer to support our Permanent Secretaries and the wider department as the work of HMRC is scrutinised by the National Audit Office (NAO) and parliament.
The Permanent Secretaries’ Group sits at the heart of everything HMRC does. Our team provides support to the First and Second Permanent Secretaries, helping them set strategic direction for the department and drive forward transformation.
The team works closely with HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, and a wide range of high-profile external partners. It is a friendly, inclusive, and high-performing team, working in a fast-paced environment.
The Parliamentary Scrutiny Team leads HMRC's strategic relationship with the NAO and Parliament.
The team prepares the Accounting Officer, other ExCom members and officials for involvement with parliamentary scrutiny processes by identifying strategic issues, providing parliamentary insights, preparing briefing, and offering expert advice. We advise, support and guide ExCom members and their senior management teams through NAO Value for Money studies, Section 2 audit activity, and other financial audit work.
We support the Accounting Officer and other officials to respond to recommendations made by external scrutiny bodies and work closely with the department’s Audit and Risk Committee to provide oversight and assurance of the implementation of recommendations.
Job description
As Parliamentary Scrutiny Senior Officer within the Parliamentary Scrutiny Team, you will gain an excellent overview of the department’s diverse work at the highest level. You will work closely with HMRC’s Permanent Secretaries, non-executive directors and executive leadership team on big and high-profile issues affecting the department. You will support and advise the Permanent Secretaries on priorities, including the First Permanent Secretary’s duties as Accounting Officer.
Your duties would include supporting the Chief Finance Officer and Accounting Officer in their relationship with the NAO and to engage with the findings of audit reports.
You will become expert in parliamentary scrutiny processes and guide HMRC officials through all aspects of NAO value for money studies and investigations; maintain an excellent relationship with senior NAO staff; help teams to respond to and later monitor recommendations made by external scrutiny bodies, reporting progress to the Audit and Risk Committee; and coordinate the work required across the department for the NAO’s Standard Report on HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Our team works flexibly, so there will also be opportunity to support on other parliamentary scrutiny work, which may include preparing officials to give evidence to Select Committees; managing correspondence with the Chairs of Select Committees; preparing briefing for the Permanent Secretaries and HM Treasury ministers; and offering wider guidance and support to teams on any aspect of parliamentary scrutiny. You will also provide support to the wider Permanent Secretaries’ Office.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills who can act credibly at the most senior levels of the department. You will need the ability to deliver under pressure; lead multiple and competing priorities; write clearly to engage and inform senior decision-makers and collaborate closely with a range of cross-HMRC stakeholders.
The successful candidate will:
- Be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and to tight time frames, taking ownership for prioritising work and delivering results.
- Be confident working with senior leaders and partners while influencing at all levels.
- Understand complex issues quickly to identify risks and opportunities.
- Work effectively as part of a team.
The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months.
Person specification
The job is varied and the exact duties may be adapted to reflect the successful applicant’s strengths and experience. Any description of the role is therefore partial, but is likely to require you to:
- Ensure the Permanent Secretaries and Chief Finance Officer are fully prepared for meetings and hearings, including through oral and written briefings.
- Develop an expert understanding of relevant practice for NAO audits, parliamentary scrutiny, and Accounting Officer duties.
- Commission high quality papers, draft correspondence, and briefing that meets business requirements within agreed time frames.
- Maintain relationships with senior stakeholders on behalf of the Permanent Secretaries, including Directors General and Non-Executive Directors, and engage with Ministers’ private offices.
- Coordinate the production, agreement, and clearance of the NAO Standard Report, working with partners across HMRC directorates.
- Keep well informed of all NAO activity and progress of audits, supporting HMRC officials in their interactions with the NAO, staying alert to any emerging issues that need to be raised.
- Coordinate Accounting Officer and Chief Finance Officer clearance of NAO audit reports, working with officials across the department to provide supporting advice.
- Monitor the progress of HMRC's response to recommendations made by external scrutiny bodies, commissioning responses and progress reports, and briefing the Audit and Risk Committee accordingly.
- Play an active role in delivering the Permanent Secretaries’ Group's corporate objectives and making HMRC a great place to work.
Essential Criteria
Experience working with or for the National Audit Office and/or parliament.
Desirable Criteria
Experience working in a private office.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 27% of their salary.
- Family friendly policies.
- Personal support.
- Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:
- A CV including your job history and previous experiences.
- 500 words personal statement to outline how they meet the essential criteria and specification.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Sift
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, where your CV and personal statement will be assessed, or advanced straight to the interview stage.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview:
During the panel interview you will be assessed on Experience and you will be asked Behaviours based questions.
Interviews will take place face to face. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact the UBS Recruitment Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.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.
Diversity and Inclusion
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people, from all backgrounds, with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC and want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential.
Click here for more information on how we make this happen.
Additional Security Information:
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for CTC is 3 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
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.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Sarah Jennings
- Email : sarah.jennings2@hmrc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk
Further information
In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via complaints.ubsrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.
