Job specification

Head of Recruitment
Chief Operating Officer Directorate
Grade: Band A APT (Civil Service Equivalent Grade 7)
Section 1: Job description
Context

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. We
inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services
providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

Every week, we carry out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits throughout
England and publish the results online. We also report on standards across the
country and are accountable directly to Parliament. Ofsted’s inspections are
independent and impartial.

The People Group provides the full range of human resources, organisational
development, engagement and internal communications services to Ofsted. The
Group comprises five teams: HR Business Partnering; HR Services; HR Strategy;
Organisational Development; and Talent and Resourcing.

Overall purpose

The post holder is responsible for leading the delivery of recruitment and onboarding
activity across the whole range of roles at Ofsted. This includes the management and
development of the Resourcing team who are largely based in the Piccadilly Gate office
in Manchester.

As a member of the People Group senior management team, the post holder will also
contribute to the strategic and operational development of the People Group across
Ofsted.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the role are outlined below. However, this is a basic
overview of the role and is not exhaustive. Ofsted reserves the right to assign other
duties commensurate with the grade as necessary.

▪ Support Regional Directors and Heads of Profession across APT to develop and
deliver candidate pipelines to meet their recruitment needs. Work closely with HR
and Finance Business Partners to ensure a proactive approach, informed by data
and insights.
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▪ Be accountable for the delivery of recruitment and onboarding to all roles: Senior
Civil Service, inspectors (permanent and seconded) and APT. Support and advise
senior managers to ensure recruitment and selection attracts and appoints the
right candidates.

▪ Lead the continued improvement of communication channels and recruitment

processes, ensuring a cost effective, efficient and proportionate approach that
balances both candidate experience and business need.

▪ Be the source of trusted and professional and technical expertise on recruitment

and onboarding, and demonstrate persuasive and compelling leadership,
influence and understanding of the business and its workforce needs.

▪ Lead, manage and develop the Resourcing team in Piccadilly Gate, Manchester.

▪ Ensure Ofsted’s recruitment complies with policy, employment law and the Civil
Service Commissioners’ (CSC) recruitment principles. Identify and mitigate risks
and resolve complaints effectively.

▪ Maintain an awareness of the latest and most innovative assessment and

attraction tools and methods, providing regular updates, proposals and
recommendations for adoption to the Principal Officer, Head of Resourcing and
Change and other senior stakeholders as required e.g. the HR Director and
Regional and National Directors.

▪ To be part of the People Group senior management team, providing strategic

insight and appropriate challenge to ensure a joined up, highly effective people
function.

Generic responsibilities

▪ To work in accordance with Ofsted’s policies and procedures.

▪ To lead by example and uphold and embody our values at all times, ensuring the
protection of children and learners is paramount.

▪ To contribute to organisational development initiatives as required.

▪ To adhere to responsibilities under health and safety legislation and policies.

▪ To demonstrate a positive commitment to equalities and diversity.

▪ To contribute to building a “One Ofsted” culture.

Additional requirements of the role

This post is office based in Piccadilly Gate, Manchester but will require occasional
travel and overnight stays as well as flexibility in working to meet business need.
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Ofsted operates a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time
in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Our expectation is that you
will spend at least 60% of your time working in your office, or at external meetings
or events. The exact balance will depend on the nature of your role and the
suitability of your home environment, and will be discussed and agreed with your line
manager.

Ofsted has identified this role as one which will require a basic criminal record check
via Disclosure Scotland. This role may not bring you into direct contract with children
or vulnerable adults, however it may give you access to material or sensitive
information about children or vulnerable adults in the future.
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Section 2: Person specification

Essential/
Qualifcation Tested by
desirable

A minimum of Chartered CIPD Essential Application

Essential/
Technical Skills/Experience Tested by
desirable

Experience of working successfully at a senior level in a

complex organisation providing professional advice to a
range of stakeholders.

Able to demonstrate expert knowledge and understanding

of high volume, tactical and strategic recruitment and
resourcing.
Application/
Essential
Interview
Experience of leading continuous improvement and
identifying solutions that take account of wider policy and
operational contexts.

Experience of successful application of leadership and

management skills, with knowledge and skills in
resource management.

Essential/
Behaviours Tested by
desirable

Seeing the Big Picture

Develop and maintain an understanding of economic,
social, political, environmental and technological
developments to ensure activity is relevant. Ensure
plans and activities in your area of work reflect wider
strategic priorities and communicate effectively with
senior leaders to influence future strategies. Adopt a
governmentwide perspective to ensure alignment of
activity and policy. Bring together views, perspectives
and diverse needs of stakeholders to gain a broader Essential Interview
understanding of the issues surrounding policies and
activities.

Changing and Improving

Encourage, recognise and share innovative ideas from a
diverse range of colleagues and stakeholders. Give
people space to take initiative and praise them for their
creativity. Create an environment where people feel
safe to challenge and know their voice will be heard.
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Make changes which add value and clearly articulate

how changes will benefit the business. Understand and
identify the role of technology in public service delivery
and policy implementation. Consider the full impact of
implementing changes on culture, structure, morale and
the impacts on the diverse range of end users, including
accessibility needs. Identify early signs that things are
going wrong and respond promptly. Provide
constructive challenge to senior management on
change proposals.

Making Effective Decisions

Clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs
and expectations, before making decisions. Ensure
decision making happens at the right level, not allowing
unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery. Encourage
both innovative suggestions and challenge from others,
to inform decision making. Analyse and accurately
interpret data from various sources to support
decisions. Find the best option by identifying positives,
negatives, risks and implications. Present reasonable
conclusions from a wide range of complex and
sometimes incomplete evidence. Make decisions
confidently even when details are unclear or if they
prove to be unpopular.

Leadership
Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity,
respecting difference and external experience. Welcome
and respond to views and challenges from others,
despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to
them. Stand by, promote or defend own and team’s
actions and decisions where needed. Seek out shared
interests beyond own area of responsibility,
understanding the extent of the impact actions have on
the organisation. Inspire and motivate teams to be fully
engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.

Managing a Quality Service

Demonstrate positive customer service by
understanding the complexity and diversity of customer
needs and expectations. Deliver a high quality, efficient
and cost effective service by considering a broad range
of methods for delivery. Ensure full consideration of
new technologies, accessibility and costings. Make clear,
practical and manageable plans for service delivery.
Ensure adherence to legal, regulatory and security
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requirements in service delivery. Proactively manage

risks and identify solutions. Establish how the business
area compares to industry best practice. Create regular
opportunities for colleagues, stakeholders, delivery
partners and customers to help improve the quality of
service.

Delivering at Pace
Ensure everyone clearly understands and owns their
roles, responsibilities and business priorities. Give
honest, motivating and enthusiastic messages about
priorities, objectives and expectations to get the best
out of people. Comply with legal, regulatory and
security requirements in service delivery. Set out clear
processes and standards for managing performance at
all levels. Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes,
through providing the right resources to do the job,
reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and
rewarding success. Maintain own levels of performance
in challenging circumstances and encourage others to
do the same.
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Section 3: Terms and conditions

Job title: Head of Recruitment

Reference: 276056
Grade: Band A APT
Salary: £60,873 per annum, rising to £61,482 per annum on successful completion of
probation.
Number of posts: 1
Location: Piccadilly Gate, Manchester
Basis: Permanent
Hours: Full time
DBS check: Yes
Travel requirements: Some travel may be expected to attend meetings and
occasional stays might be required.

Whilst this post is currently based at Piccaddily Gate, Manchester, future changes may
require the post holder to be based at another location.

Section 4: Benefits
Ofsted is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is
physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support
employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension
Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities, 32.5 annual leave days
per annum (plus eight days public holiday) and counselling and advisory services for
you and your family.

Ofsted operates a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in
the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Our expectation is that you will
spend at least 60% of your time working in your office, or at external meetings or
events. The exact balance will depend on the nature of your role and the suitability of
your home environment, and will be discussed and agreed with your line manager.

Any move to Ofsted 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 here.
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Section 5: Application and selection

Eligibility

This role is broadly open to the following groups:

▪ UK nationals
▪ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
▪ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
▪ nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the
European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
▪ relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
▪ relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in
the Civil Service
▪ certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals.

Please check Civil Service nationality rules for further information about your eligibility
to apply.

For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please
go to the UK Border Agency website.

Any move to Ofsted 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/.

Application

Please submit your application online through the Civil Service Jobs website
(https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi). Please register or login and
search for the vacancy using the department name (Ofsted), click on the vacancy
advert and click on ‘apply now’.

The closing date for submission of applications is Tuesday 28 March 2023 by 5pm
but earlier receipt would assist us. Late applications will not be considered so please
ensure your application is submitted by the closing date. You will receive
acknowledgement of your application and updates on the progress of your application
through the Civil Service Jobs site.

Queries

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Ferzana Malik
on 03000 130 0263 or by emailing [email protected].

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Adam Norcup-Stone on
03000131235 by emailing [email protected] .
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Selection

All applications will be considered by the selection panel. The panel will consider the
relevant skills, knowledge and experience demonstrated in the application form. We
will inform you whether or not you were successful at each stage.

The most suitable candidates will be invited to attend an interview, at Piccadilly

Gate, Manchester. Please ensure you are available to attend week commencing
Monday 10 April 2023.

Communication

We will contact you by email in relation to this recruitment exercise. We will use the
email address registered with your Civil Service Jobs account.

To ensure you do not miss any communication from us, please check that your
registered email address is correct, and that incoming emails will not be blocked by any
filters.
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Complaints

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, which can be found at:

https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/02a_RECRUITMENT-PRINCIPLES-April-2018-FINAL-.pdf

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment
Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email Ofsted recruitment at
[email protected] 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/civilservicerecruitmen
tcomplaints/
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Safer recruitment
Our commitment

We put children and learners’ wellbeing at the heart of everything that we do and,
therefore, do all that we can to ensure those who work for us share our
commitment. This is reflected in our rigorous recruitment processes and pre-
employment checks.

We select the best candidates through good, thorough recruitment practice, ensuring
equality of opportunity, and deterring, or rejecting, those who may not be suitable to
work for Ofsted.

All roles require the following

▪ Your identity must be confirmed by sight of original official documents such as a

Birth Certificate and photo identification such as a Passport.

▪ Original documents relating to all professional qualifications required to fulfil the

post must be supplied.

▪ Full employment and education history since leaving secondary education must
be provided. All gaps in employment and education history will be scrutinised by
the selection panel to ensure there are no causes for concern.

▪ We will request a minimum of two references covering at least the last three
years. The identity of all referees will be verified and they will be asked to
comment on your suitability for the role you are applying for.

▪ We will consult any relevant records we hold which may provide additional
information on your suitability.

▪ We reserve the right to take account of your presence in both public and social
media in our selection decisions.

▪ We will ask you to provide details of any criminal history as appropriate.

Guidance will always be provided in your application to help you understand
what you must declare and when.

▪ Throughout selection, including at interview, the panel will probe your values and
motivation for working with Ofsted.

At all stages, information you provide us with will be treated in confidence and in full
accordance with legal requirements. For all roles which require a Disclosure and
Barring Service check, this will be clearly outlined in the job specification.

You do not have to consent to these checks. However, if consent is withheld or

revoked at any stage, we will be unable to proceed with your application.
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All Ofsted employees are expected to understand their duties and responsibilities in
relation to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. For those who
are successful in joining Ofsted, this is continually assessed through probation and
day-to-day performance management.

You can find out more about Ofsted’s approach to safeguarding by reading our
Safeguarding Policy.