Deputy Director of Governance, Planning and Performance

Do you have substantial senior leadership experience with a track record of leading corporate Governance, Planning and Performance?

Are you able to translate organisational strategy into coherent business plans?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Deputy Director of Governance, Planning and Performance, 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.

This is a new senior leadership role at the heart of the Food Standards Agency, offering the opportunity to strengthen how the organisation makes decisions, delivers its priorities and demonstrates accountability. As Deputy Director of Governance, Planning and Performance, you will bring together governance, planning, performance, risk, and audit, into a coherent organisational approach.

Working across the Agency, you will provide trusted advice to the Chief Executive, Chair, Board and the Executive Management Team (EMT). Through visible and inclusive leadership of a multidisciplinary division, you will help create the structures, insight and accountability needed to support the Agency’s mission of food you can trust.

You will oversee corporate reporting, risk management, business planning, Private Office and senior Committee Secretariat services. You will lead the production and review of the Agency’s annual and multi-year plans, working with finance, people and strategy colleagues to ensure that priorities are ambitious, deliverable and supported by effective performance measures.

You will provide senior oversight of assurance and performance information, delivering high-quality challenge and data-led insight to senior boards. You will resolve complex delivery issues through collaboration and influence, build productive relationships across the wider Civil Service and promote continuous improvement. You will also line manage senior functional leaders, develop organisational capability and ensure workloads and resources are managed effectively.

Working pattern guidance

If applying as a job share partnership, you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers? , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by.

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 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 (opens in a new window)

Full details of the selection process are detailed 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 criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

• Lead criteria: Successful track record of leading, developing and empowering multidisciplinary teams, building capability, promoting inclusive leadership and delivering through others across organisational boundaries
• Substantial senior leadership experience with a track record of leading corporate governance, planning, performance, risk, audit or assurance functions in a complex, high-profile organisation
• Experience of advising Boards, Ministers, Chief Executives or Executive Teams on complex governance, risk assurance and performance matters, providing clear, balanced advice that supports effective decision-making and public accountability
• Proven ability to translate organisational strategy into coherent business plans, performance frameworks and delivery arrangements, using evidence, data and insight to drive accountability, prioritisation and improvement

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, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Staff Engagement Exercise

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to take part in a Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE), before going on to attend a panel interview on a different day.

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 through a briefing exercise and questions.

Experience:

• Successful track record of leading, developing and empowering multidisciplinary teams, building capability, promoting inclusive leadership and delivering through others across organisational boundaries
• Substantial senior leadership experience with a track record of leading corporate governance, planning, performance, risk, audit or assurance functions in a complex, high-profile organisation
• Experience of advising Boards, Ministers, Chief Executives or Executive Teams on complex governance, risk assurance and performance matters, providing clear, balanced advice that supports effective decision-making and public accountability
• Proven ability to translate organisational strategy into coherent business plans, performance frameworks and delivery arrangements, using evidence, data and insight to drive accountability, prioritisation and improvement

As part of the selection process, you will be asked to prepare for the SEE and a briefing exercise. Further information will be provided to you on the invite to interview email.

Shortlisted candidates will be offered the opportunity to meet (remotely) with the Director of Corporate Services, Ian Gibson, prior to the final selection panel interview to learn more about the organisation and role; further details of this will be confirmed with the applicant after shortlisting.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 08/11/26

Sift meeting: Expected to take place w/c 09/11/26

Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE) and informal discussions: Expected to take place w/c 23/11/26

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 14/12/26

We are planning to conduct SEE remotely.

Interviews will take place face to face in our London office. If this may present a barrier to your attendance, please contact us.

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.