Independent Panel Member - Single Source Regulations Office

Single Source Regulations Office | Remote in London EC4A

Description : Independent Panel Member. Company : Single Source Regulations Office. Location : Remote in London EC4A

Details Reference number 285530 Salary £500 - £500 £500 per day if and when called upon Job grade Other Contract type Permanent
Fixed Term
Secondment Length of employment The appointment term is 4 years with possible extensions Type of role Senior leadership Working pattern Full-time, Homeworking Number of jobs available 2

Contents

    Location

    About the job

    Things you need to know

    Apply and further information

Location

City of London, London (region), EC4A 1AB

About the job

Job summary We are seeking to appoint at least two suitably skilled and experienced individuals to a panel of external independent persons from which SSRO Referral Committee members may be drawn on a case-by-case basis. We are looking for individuals with the ability to scrutinise and challenge through sound analytical judgement; strong communication skills; commercial skills; and a realistic and pragmatic approach to problem solving. Job description

Extract from the SSRO’s Corporate Governance Framework

Referral Committees

  • As set out in the Act, several of the SSRO’s functions, listed in paragraph 10(3) of Schedule 4, will be exercised by a committee consisting of three persons appointed by the Chair or any other member who has been authorised (generally or specifically) for that purpose. The SSRO will appoint a three-person Referral Committee to deal with each referred matter.
  • There will from time to time be a non-executive Board member authorised to appoint persons to Referral Committees and designated the Lead Member for Referrals. The Lead Member for Referrals need not be a member of each Referral Committee, but should be a member of the Regulatory Committee.
  • The Board may agree terms of reference that will apply to Referral Committees. The Regulatory Committee will deal with policy development, procedure and guidance in relation to referrals


Terms of reference for each Referral Committee

Purpose

The Defence Reform Act 2014 (the “Act”) requires that several of the SSRO’s functions, listed in paragraph 10(3) of Schedule 4, be exercised by a committee consisting of three persons appointed by the Chair or any other member who has been authorised (generally or specifically) for that purpose. At least one of the members of such a committee must be a person who is not a member or employee of the SSRO.

The specific listed functions are

  • Section 16(2)(b) - determining the amount of price adjustments;
  • Section 18(3) – determinations about the contract profit rate;
  • Section 20(5) or (6) – determinations about allowable costs;
  • Section 21(3)(b) – determinations about final price adjustments;
  • Section 23(6) or (7) – determinations about the use of records;
  • Section 27(3) – investigating confidentiality obligations;
  • Section 29(5) - determining whether a contract is a qualifying sub contract;
  • Section 30(4)(b) – overruling a notice that Part 2 of the Act and the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 should cease to apply to a sub-contract;
  • Section 32(8) – determinations on a penalty; and
  • Section 35(1), (3), (4) and (7) - opinions and determinations.

Some of these functions have specific timeframes, determined by the Act.

A Referral Committee will be responsible for considering such matters as and when they arise.

Responsibilities

A Referral Committee shall:

  • act objectively as the arbitrator on referrals;
  • make decisions in relation to opinions and determinations accepted by the SSRO;
  • advise the executive on procedural matters that the executive may decide, including proposals to suspend or close an ongoing referral investigation;
  • ensure that its decisions are evidence-based;
  • ensure that the publications that result are a reflection of the Committee’s decisions; and
  • observe the SSRO’s corporate governance framework, its core values and all legal requirements.
Person specification

We would particularly welcome applicants with knowledge or experience of the defence industry, defence procurement or senior-level military service. You will have senior level experience in areas relevant to the regulatory framework, such as commercial law, accountancy, economics, large-scale and complex procurement, engineering, policy and strategy development, regulation, and/or business administration.

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate:

  • an established reputation as a senior figure in his/her field;
  • the presence to interact with senior business figures and their professional advisers;
  • complete integrity with commitment to transparency of decision-making;
  • a readiness to pav close attention to accuracy, consistency, rigour of analysis and the formulation of robust and workable opinions and determinations; and
  • a realistic and practical (rather than simply theoretical) approach to problem solving.

Essential Skills

We are looking for individuals with the ability to scrutinise and challenge through sound analytical judgement; strong communication skills; commercial skills; and a realistic and pragmatic approach to problem solving.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Excellent investigative and analytical ability which can be applied to defence procurement, costs and regulatory issues, with a view to rigour of analysis and consistency with previous SSRO Referrals Committee decisions;
  • Independent thinking, including the ability to challenge the analysis being carried out by the SSRO staff team and others;
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work productively as a team player with SSRO colleagues including Members of the SSRO Referrals Committee and SSRO support staff working on a referral;
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to communicate with complete credibility with external stakeholders and to be able to defend and explain opinions given and determinations made by the SRRO Referrals Committee.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The SSRO is open to receiving applications from individuals interested in joining our Referrals Panel. We expect to make at least two appointments.

The SSRO is committed to promoting equality and diversity and a culture that actively values difference and recognises that people from different backgrounds and experiences can bring valuable insights to the workplace and enhance the way we work.

For an informal discussion about the role as an Independent Panel Member please contact the SSRO’s Defence Advisor, Colin Hill, [email protected].

If you are interested, please submit both of the following to Ruaidhri Magee, HR Manager, [email protected]:

  • Your CV. Please include your contact details and the names of two referees (including any relationship to you and contact details).
  • A suitability statement clearly addressing how you meet the criteria outlined giving relevant examples.

Applications that do not contain both suitability statement and CV may be rejected.

The closing date for applications is 13:00 on 22 May 2023.

If you are considered suitable, you will be invited for an interview. Interviews will take place in the first two weeks in June 2023.


Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
  • certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

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Job contact :

Recruitment team

Further information Complaints to be directed to the HR Manager: Ruaidhri Magee (at [email protected]), or, the Director of Corporate Resources: Mike Wetherell (at [email protected]).