loan officer Birmingham, England
Job description
Details
Reference number
Salary
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Type of role
Operational Delivery
Working pattern
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Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
About OPSS
Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge, and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you.
We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade (Previously the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy). We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation, and efficiency.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.
Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.
Further information can be found on our website here
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are Inclusive.
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
About the Team
The Operational Support Unit (OSU) is the ‘front door’ to the office, and we are a high-demand front-line team. We deliver outstanding customer service to both our internal and external customer base, providing reassurance and building confidence through our response to enquiries and everyday engagement with colleagues.
We work diligently to support other functional teams across OPSS, undertaking administrative duties to support our regulatory obligations and delivering our purpose. We are also responsible for developing, implementing, and supporting processes to underpin multi-functional activities.
Job description
You will support the team across several workstreams, ensuring adherence to service standards, key performance indicators and associated SLA. You will work in conjunction with your colleagues to:
- Support the undertaking and processing of all workstreams that the team deliver on behalf of OPSS.
- Respond to, record, signpost or resolve all enquiries received to OPSS.
- Undertake all administration tasks associated with workstreams.
- Undertake the collation of statistics for all enquiries and workstreams.
- Ensure all work is completed within service standards and service level agreements, advancing issues if vital.
- Develop knowledge of key workstreams to enable you to become a subject matter authority to support colleagues.
- Chairing and management of the administration of Team Meetings.
- Leading on own development in line with the OSU Skills a Development Matrix.
- Support to Major Incidents across OPSS in a reactive manner.
- Undertake general office support duties including but not limited to:
- Booking rooms as requested across the Birmingham office.
- Handling incoming and outgoing posts across the office.
- Providing technical support office wide (IT/Phone equipment).
- Setting up/taking down of retractable walls.
Hybrid Worker
The role will be based in either Birmingham or Twickenham. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.
Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Most DBT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting.
Appointments will be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences.
Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Person specification
Desirable Criteria
Have the ability to listen and understand needs through open, structured, and productive conversations.
- Have experience of working within a reactive environment and crafting, implementing, and developing processes with proven benefits to optimise efficiency whilst reducing risk and where possible, cost.
- Be resilient, inventive, maintaining calm.
- Bring out the best in your colleagues through confident and inclusive interaction with a desire to maintain morale across OPSS.
- Have a willingness to undertake any training which may be vital to keep up to date with the requirements of the role.
- Experience working in a customer service environment where you have maintained positive working relationships at all levels.
- Remain hardworking and positive to the wider team, taking care to challenge in an appropriate manner and forum so as not to cause disengagement throughout the team.
Personal Attributes & Skills
Have the ability to listen and understand needs through open, structured, and productive conversations.
- Have experience of working within a reactive environment and crafting, implementing, and developing processes with proven benefits to optimise efficiency whilst reducing risk and where possible, cost.
- Be resilient, inventive, maintaining calm.
- Bring out the best in your colleagues through confident and inclusive interaction with a desire to maintain morale across OPSS.
- Have a willingness to undertake any training which may be vital to keep up to date with the requirements of the role.
- Experience working in a customer service environment where you have maintained positive working relationships at all levels.
- Remain hardworking and positive to the wider team, taking care to challenge in an appropriate manner and forum so as not to cause disengagement throughout the team.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Benefits
- 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%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
Sift will take place week commencing 14/08/2023
Interviews will take place week commencing 04/09/2023
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please align your CV with previous skills and experience. Maximum of 2 A4 pages.
In your personal statement, please explain your motivation for applying for this role and the extent to which you satisfy the essential requirements of the role. Maximum word count of 500.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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 [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
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.
Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
The Department for Business & Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.
Please note – harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to the Department for Business & Trade 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
Reasonable Adjustment
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 [email protected] 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job 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 settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- 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
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
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.
