Food Standards Agency
Programme and Project Support Officer
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We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.
Job Summary
Do you have excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing, with the ability to build effective relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders?
Are you proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and associated packages?
If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Programme and Project Support Officer, and we’d love to hear from you!
The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.
Job Description
This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Programme & Project Support Officer, where you will play a key role in helping deliver meaningful improvements across operational services. Working within a supportive and collaborative environment, you will contribute to projects that strengthen how services are planned, delivered and improved, with a real focus on efficiency, quality and outcomes.
The role offers variety, exposure to a wide range of stakeholders and the chance to develop valuable project delivery skills. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation, supporting change initiatives that make a positive difference to frontline delivery.
You will provide day to day support to project and change activity within the Operational Change Team. This will include coordinating planning and scheduling activity, maintaining project documentation and supporting the production of reports that track progress, risks and performance. You will also organise meetings, manage information effectively and act as a point of contact for a range of internal and external stakeholders.
You will contribute to financial and resource management by helping to monitor spend, maintain records and support budget planning. The role also involves collecting, analysing and presenting data using digital tools to support informed decision making. You will assist with maintaining risk and issue logs, escalating matters where appropriate, and support colleagues through periods of operational change while balancing competing priorities.
Working pattern guidance
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Please read before applying
This post is a temporary Fixed term/Loan appointment available until the return of the substantive post holder, estimated to be 28/02/27. There may be the potential, but no guarantee, of extension or permanency.
Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this vacancy.
Note for FSA employees
You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy - please refer to the ‘Temporary internal appointments framework’ on the FSA intranet for more details. Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).
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If you are applying for a vacancy on a Loan basis you MUST seek approval from your Director in line with our FSA Staff loans policy
Person specification
Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Alongside your salary of £30,272, Food Standards Agency contributes £8,769 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).
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.
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 and Experience.
Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached candidate pack.
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).
Experience
Essential criteria
- Lead criteria: Excellent communication (verbal and written) and organisational skills – experience in working collaboratively as part of a team to provide administrative support at key meetings. Ability to manage competing priorities in a complex environment to meet deadlines
- Strong relationship management skills – evidence of building and maintaining strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to progress and achieve project outcomes
- Strong IT skills – proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and associated applications. Ability to analyse and assess data to identify potential issues and key trends
Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).
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Experience
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Knowledge and/or experience of a project environment
Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
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Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours.
Behaviours
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.
Experience
- Excellent communication (verbal and written) and organisational skills – experience in working collaboratively as part of a team to provide administrative support at key meetings. Ability to manage competing priorities in a complex environment to meet deadlines
Expected Timeline
- Advert closes: 12/08/26
- Sift: Expected to take place from 13/08/26
- Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 24/08/26
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications
Regrettably we are unable to refund travel costs if candidates attend an interview/selection stage for the vacancy.
Making a complaint
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 fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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) (opens in a new window)
- 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
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