Overview
Details
Reference number
403063
Salary
£39,365 – £48,608
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Senior Executive Officer
Contract type
Fixed term Loan Secondment
Length of employment
2 Years
Business area
DCMS – Culture and Creative Industries
Type of role
Other
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
Manchester M2 3AW
About the job
Job summary
We have one of the most interesting, unique and varied policy portfolios in government. From Anglo-Saxon treasures and ancient artefacts to contemporary masterpieces, the Cultural Property team in DCMS deals with important, historic and iconic objects everyday. We tell our national story by unlocking the power of the country’s cultural property.
The Cultural Property team oversees the UK’s national and international cultural property policies, including statutory functions to enable our museums and galleries to acquire and exhibit cultural property for public benefit, our response to the illicit trade in cultural property and to claims for the restitution of cultural property in UK museums. We also have responsibility for the government’s relations with the UK art market.
This is a brand new role, leading work across government and external stakeholders in the UK and abroad to advocate for the art market and its potential as a driver for opportunity and growth. As the second biggest market in the world after the US and a world-renowned centre of expertise, the UK faces significant opportunities and challenges.
Cultural Property is part of the wider Museums and Cultural Property (MCP) team in the DCMS Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) directorate, reporting to Gemma Brough, Deputy Director of MCP, and Hannah Malik, Director of CCI. There are currently 9 people in the Cultural Property team.
Job description
We are looking for an SEO policy adviser to join the Cultural Property team in a newly created post to strengthen DCMS’s sponsorship of the UK art market.
The successful candidate will:
Articulate and promote the UK art market ecosystem including: education, grassroots practitioners, artists and dealers, museums, international art fairs and specialist service and logistic providers.
Develop areas of the UK art market that support key government missions e.g. on growth and the Industrial Strategy, as well as manifesto commitments such as creative education and Art for Everyone.
Research and build foundational understanding of the sector, working with analysts to develop the evidence base on its size and impact.
Understand the role of the art market in delivery of the cultural property statutory functions.
Develop a deep understanding of current live issues impacting the art market, such as anti money laundering measures, trade, and strengthening the pipeline of talent which is crucial for the sector.
Identify key drivers of change in the future such as the impact of AI and changing geopolitical landscape.
Engage proactively with relevant DCMS teams and external sector representatives, identifying new stakeholders across the art world ecosystem.
Act as Secretary to the Cross Government Working Group on the UK Art Market, which brings together officials from across Government twice a year to shape policy affecting the UK art market.
Person specification
Essential Requirements:
Seeing the big picture: You are able to pick up complex policy issues quickly, understanding the strategic drivers for policy and identifying links with other policy areas and emerging issues and trends.
Making effective decisions: You use and analyse information from a variety of sources to develop policies and create confidence in your decisions and recommendations.
Working together: You have strong interpersonal skills, a flexible approach and a proven ability to work with a range of colleagues and stakeholders, including at senior levels.
Communicating and influencing: You have excellent written and oral communication skills and communicate professionally and effectively with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
Desirable Skills
Knowledge and experience of working in or with the UK art market
We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Gaynor Stannard, Head of Cultural Property Domestic Policy and will take place online on:
11am Thursday 1 May 2025
The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
Please register your interest by filling out this Registration form by 11.55 pm on 30 April and you will be sent an invitation. Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process – please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £39,365, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £11,404 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
DCMS values its staff and offers a wide range of benefits to everyone who works here. We’re committed to developing talent, and supporting colleagues to have great careers in our department. To support with that, some of the benefits we offer include:
Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working – DCMS staff work on a flexible basis with time spent in offices, and time spent working from home
26.5 days annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice
3 days of paid volunteering leave
Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year
Occupational sick pay
Access to the Employee Assistance Programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice
Active and engaged staff networks to join including the LGBT+, Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Gender Equality Networks
Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day to day work
Season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and much more!
Terms and conditions at SCS grades will vary. Those applying for SCS roles should refer to the candidate information pack for more information on terms and conditions.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 on 11th May 2025 via the CS Jobs portal:
To apply for this vacancy, you will need to submit the following documents which will assessed against the experience success profile:
A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the “Job History” section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
A Statement of Suitability (max 500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed however these will not be considered in the assessment of your application except in circumstances where there are a high number and calibre of candidates.
For the shortlist, we will select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability.Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.
For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.
For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.
The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths including a short presentation, the details of which will be provided prior to interview.
The behaviours to be tested at interview are:
Seeing the big picture
Making effective decisions
Working together
Communicating and influencing.
Prior to the interview you will be sent the behaviour questions in advance.
You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview.
As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, length of time, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview.
Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets
Further Information
If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only. Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Candidate Information Pack’ attached.
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 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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
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.
NSV
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Reasonable Adjustment
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, please:
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. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or a verbal test rather than a written one.
Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the ‘contact point for applicants’ section of the job advert.
Feedback 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 counter-terrorist check . See our vetting charter .
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 : Gaynor Stannard
Email : gaynor.stannard@dcms.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/