JOB SUMMARY

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

JOB DESCRIPTION

In central government, our compliance with the Freedom of Information Act is crucial to building trust with the general public on the issues that matter to them. Transparency allows our ministers and officials to be held accountable for their actions and decisions, which is fundamental to safeguarding the democratic process.
Since May 2024, we have dramatically improved our timeliness in responding to requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This progress has been driven by an extensive improvement programme that included procuring best-in-class technology, optimising internal processes, and significantly investing in the support and leadership of our casework team. As a result, our timeliness is now among the very best in central government.
We are currently recruiting two Information Rights Advisers to take a leading role in the continued enhancement of our information rights services in DSIT. These roles will help us further refine and improve our processes, strengthen our training offer to staff, and establish a model service for transparency reporting aligned with our publication scheme.
The Information Rights Team is responsible for delivering a range of information rights services. This includes managing casework for requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), as well as publishing transparency information under the department’s publication scheme. Some services—such as subject access requests, GDPR advice, and transparency reporting under the Central Government Corporate Transparency Commitments—are provided by our shared corporate service provider, Integrated Corporate Services.
We are excited to offer prospective candidates the opportunity to shape their roles according to their interests and development needs.
We are committed to demonstrating the outstanding service that can be delivered by a lean, high-performing, and agile team.
We also recognise that talented and aspirational team members will seek to progress into more challenging roles as they develop. We are open about this and measure the success of our development offer by the stretching roles our team members go on to pursue. Your personal development is important to us, and we will work with you from the outset to tailor your work so that you gain the skills and experiences needed to make compelling applications for even more impactful roles in the future.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Experience working in information rights would be desirable but this isn’t essential to be successful in this role. Instead, we are looking for candidates with strong transferrable soft skills who are:
• Excited by change and can role model and embed a constructive culture of continuous improvement in their teams.
• Effective and concise communicators who can explain difficult issues to senior departmental stakeholders to obtain direction and steers whilst providing their own expert advice.
• Excellent writers with an eye for detail who can support policy teams to synthesise complex issues into written responses, briefings and papers that are accurate, concise and credible.
• Emotionally intelligent colleagues who can leverage strong interpersonal skills to build strong, trusting relationships with senior leaders and the wider department.
• Well-organised and great at prioritising multiple demands on their time.
• Proactive at identifying and solving problems, exercising judgement when there aren’t clear solutions before escalating to seniors when needed.

SELECTION PROCESS DETAILS

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Judgement Test and Civil Service Work Strengths Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 24 June 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, Behavioural Statements and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to explain why you want to be an Information Rights Adviser in DSIT and what skills and experiences would you bring to this role?
Applications will be sifted on Behavioural Statements and Personal Statement.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the Personal Statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of Behaviour and Strength-based questions.
To help you to prepare for your interview, for this campaign behaviour questions will be shared in advance of interview if you are successful at sift stage. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared.
The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared with you in advance, including any follow-up questions, and other elements listed in the job advert, for example, experience, abilities, strengths and technical skills. The panel will be looking for examples of your own work, experience, and ability so do try and avoid using AI written answers without any human oversight.

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)
• 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 with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

TYPE OF ROLE

Administration / Corporate Support
Business Management and Improvement
Knowledge and Information Management
Operational Delivery

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As an Information Rights Adviser, you will play a key role in delivering a high-quality, timely, and robust service across a range of casework. This includes handling requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), internal reviews (IR), and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) casework.
You will be responsible for managing relationships with key stakeholders across the department. This includes engaging with private offices of senior officials and ministers, senior leaders, and policy teams to ensure alignment and effective communication.
A core part of the role involves working closely with the supplier of our casework management system. You will help optimise how our caseworkers use the platform—automating processes, improving record keeping, and enhancing the overall experience for stakeholders.
You will also be expected to build strong and productive relationships across the department and wider government, including with the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Cabinet Office. This includes monitoring and reporting quarterly and annual statistics to the Cabinet Office.
In addition, you will organise and deliver comprehensive training sessions and develop resource materials to educate the wider department and policy teams on the Freedom of Information Act. This ensures colleagues understand its application and remain up to date with any changes.
Finally, you will coordinate efforts across the department to proactively publish information in line with our publication scheme. This work is vital to making it easier for the public to access information about our work and the services we provide.