The Policy and Legal Policy team are separate teams overseen by a shared Deputy Director given the cross over between the policy and litigation. This recruitment campaign seeks to act as a pool to fill roles across both teams, individuals will be matched to the relevant team based on their preference (please state this in your application), experience, and ability to demonstrate across the behaviours.
There is 1 role in the Policy Team and 3 in the Legal Policy Team.
Policy Roles
Based within the Defence Afghanistan Relocation and Resettlement directorate, the team (headed by a Grade 6/B1) is split into Operational Policy and Strategic Policy teams, each headed by a Grade 7/B2. The SEO role is in the Strategic Policy team.
The Strategic Policy team are responsible for strategic and cross-cutting Afghanistan Re locations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)issues, providing coherence and advice across the wider policy team. Both teams work extensively with colleagues in FCDO and the Home Office as part of this process ensuring decision making is in line with the UK’s Immigration Rules.
The SEO/C1 Policy Officer will work with their respective G7/Assistant Head (AHd) on regular submissions to Ministers and liaise across Whitehall on strategic policy issues and provide advice and guidance to teams across DARR and HMG.
This is a busy, fast paced role, that requires working on diverse and innovative policy challenges for MOD. There is a requirement to manage multiple work strands simultaneously, offering a variety of opportunities for development. The successful candidates do not need a detailed knowledge of MOD to deliver at pace on issues of significant interest and importance to Ministers, Seniors and Parliament. This role requires an ability to plan ahead, understand wider implications of operational policy, and the confidence to make decisions, sometimes based on limited understanding.
Duties and responsibilities
- To provide the policy input to the development and operation of the Afghan relocation scheme; ensuring that the policy develops to meet MOD’s needs, is well understood and co-ordinated across Whitehall and is correctly applied by the Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement team.
- To build strong relationships with our key stakeholders within Defence and across Whitehall; understanding the complexity of the policy space and coherence required, and to advise accordingly.
- To support the Assistant Head/G7 with advice to seniors and Ministers, including drafting of submissions and briefings at pace; (in writing and in person).
- To provide advice and support to the rest of the DARR team, to ensure that Operations, Casework and Eligibility work is conducted in line with policy direction.
- Line management of up to two HEO Policy Officers
Legal Policy Roles
The legal policy team is headed by a Grade 6/B1 and Grade 7/B2 and manages all legal cases against the MOD relating to ARAP. The team work internally within the DARR Directorate and externally with MOD legal advisors, the Government legal Department and with colleagues across government in the FCDO, Home Office and others who are both closely involved in ARAP work and ongoing legal cases.
Duties and responsibilities
- To lead a small team of 2 HEOs providing guidance, direction, and overall workload management with regard to caseloads. You will be responsible for ensuring cases within the team are progressed in a timely and satisfactory manner.
- To lead on and manage multiple litigation cases at once, identifying the legal issues in the case, linking different areas of DARR to assess and advise the most appropriate and beneficial options for a course of action.
- To work at pace where required so that court deadlines are met and high-quality material is submitted to provide MOD the best defence from litigation.
- To Identify pertinent information from case working to clearly articulate how and why decisions were made regarding a claimant’s case and across wider cohorts.
- To advise across DARR of legal matters, clarifying our legal position where required to inform policy making and improve processes etc. Engagement with Ministerial offices may also be required.