Department for Education
HEO – Data Protection Office Law Enforcement and Information Rights Requests Officer
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Coventry, West Midlands (England), CV1 2WT : Darlington, North East England, DL1 5QE
Job Summary
This role is based within DfE’s Data Protection Office led by the department’s Data Protection Officer. The Data Protection Office provides DfE (including executive agencies and ALBs where DfE’s Data Protection Officer has authority) with support, advice, guidance and policies, to meet its Data Protection legal obligations, ensuring compliance. The Data Protection team works across the department and engages with the UK regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The role is predominantly focused on the administration and management of Information Rights requests (IRRs), namely Subject Access Requests (SARs). In addition, the Data Protection Office is in the process of introducing a centralised process to strengthen how the Department handles its law enforcement requests. This role will provide an exciting opportunity to support the development of a new process for this high-profile area of work.
IMPORTANT - This vacancy is using the Civil Service Numerical and Verbal tests. The deadline for completing the tests is the same as the vacancy closing date. Please ensure you complete the tests with sufficient time to complete the written application.
Job Description
The role will include:
- Ensuring Information Rights Requests are handled and completed within strict timeframes in line with UK GDPR and DPA 2018 requirements.
- Ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
- Working closely with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensuring law enforcement requests are handled and completed in line with service level agreements.
- Support with reviewing, updating and implementing law enforcement processes.
- Delivering a quality service to ensure an excellent customer experience and consistent approach across DfE.
The Role Will Include
- Ensuring Information Rights Requests are handled and completed within strict timeframes in line with UK GDPR and DPA 2018 requirements.
- Ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
- Working closely with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensuring law enforcement requests are handled and completed in line with service level agreements.
- Support with reviewing, updating and implementing law enforcement processes.
- Delivering a quality service to ensure an excellent customer experience and consistent approach across DfE.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
- Experience of handling Subject Access Requests.
- Demonstrate an understanding of Data Protection regulations and be able to interpret and explain complex legislation.
- Provide excellent administrative and organizational support, demonstrating ability to deliver work on time and to a high standard, consistently meeting targets, effective planning and prioritising skills.
- Working with stakeholders and/or in collaboration with others.
- Delivering excellent written and verbal communications.
- Ability to make sound and evidenced-based decisions.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Knowledge and experience of managing Subject Access Requests (SARs) and applying data protection legislation.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,000, Department for Education contributes £10,429 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Stage 1: Civil Service Numerical Test (CSNT)
When you have completed your personal information, you will be asked to complete the CSNT. You must achieve the minimum pass mark to progress to the next stage.
Stage 2: Civil Service Verbal Test (CSVT)
When you have completed the CSNT, you will be asked to complete the CSVT. You must achieve the minimum pass mark to progress to the next stage.
Stage 3: Written Application
To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability.
Your CV should include details of your employment history, and the skills and experience gained in those roles. Your Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) should demonstrate how your experience meets the essential criteria listed above.
Stage 4: Sift
We reserve the right to increase the minimum pass mark for the CSNT and CSVT where there is a high volume of applications or a particularly strong field of candidates. Where this occurs, candidates who do not meet the revised pass mark will not progress further, and their written application will not be assessed.
We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above.
To confirm, the maximum word count for the statement of suitability is 750. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 750 words will not be taken into account.
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The sift will be restricted to just assessing personal statements in the event of a large volume of applications.
More guidance on personal statements can be found here – completing your application.
Stage 5 – Interview
At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.
At interview you will be asked questions around the behaviours listed in the advert.
At interview you will be asked questions around the technical skills listed in the advert.
Important Information
If you fail to complete the tests before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn. Guidance will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are untimed, administered via Civil Service Jobs, and applicant guidance is available during the test and online on GOV.UK Online Tests guidance.
Applicants must complete the test on their own, without help, and Departments reserve the right to retest applicants under supervised conditions at later stages of the selection process. Doing this can provide reassurance to recruiters who are concerned about the authenticity of one or more test results.
Please ensure you allow yourself sufficient time to complete both assessments and submit your application before the advertised deadline.
Reasonable Adjustments & Test Accessibility
See our reasonable adjustments guide for candidates (online tests), or some example case studies, to act as a guide. You can use these to help you decide whether to ask for help or take the test without help.
More information about online tests can be found here: Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests - GOV.UK. You will also find practice tests on this page if you would find them helpful prior to completing the live test.
Other Information
Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.
In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.
This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).
Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:
- name/title
- educational institutions
- age
- gender
- email address
- postal address
- phone number
- nationality/immigration status
We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your
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