Department for work and pensions (dwp)
Senior Operational Leader
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About the job
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Things you need to know
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Location
Quarry Hill
Leeds
LS2 7UA
About the job
Job summary
You will drive people engagement across your team, set high standards for people leadership throughout the business and inspire colleagues through difficult situations, transform performance and build high performing teams.
We are looking for people who can demonstrate our values and commitment to leadership which are based around Collaboration, Resilience and Inclusivity. We look for emotionally aware leaders who enable teams to be innovative, adaptable and flexible. We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and finding daring and dynamic solutions that support our values and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do.
This is a key role and we are looking for people who will help us deliver key leadership roles across the Departments Operational Delivery functions.
We welcome applications from candidates who demonstrate inspirational and resourceful leadership to help drive performance and deliver a positive and efficient service to our customers.
We are proud to be part of DWP, which is the Government’s largest public service department serving 18 million customers.
We are committed to the Civil Service ambition to become the UK’s most inclusive employer and we absolutely welcome and encourage applications from every part of our community, particularly from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and those with protected characteristics.
Job description
Successful candidates can expect to be involved in a range of the following:
An active member of your Senior Leadership Team, providing visible and effective leadership taking a personal lead in engaging with and communicating key messages and implementing corporate changes.
Lead, motivate, support and encourage teams to operate flexibly, seeking feedback, listening and acting on this, setting performance standards and personalising services for our customers.
Role model positive behaviours, effective leadership and encourage collaborative working between teams and directorates to drive innovation and service improvements across DWP.
Contribute to business and people planning activities ensuring appropriate and effective deployment of people and resources.
Accountable for the management of performance and service delivery within their business area, undertaking regular performance reviews with their colleagues, identifying risks to business performance achievement and opportunities for driving forward continuous improvement.
Be committed to their own professional development and building the capability of others including the achievement of Operational Delivery Profession standards and digital capability.
Works to build a fully inclusive working environment, valuing diverse views, eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Responsible for developing leadership capability through coaching and making full use of Operational Delivery Profession/Government Counter Fraud Profession learning & development products.
Through role modelling positive behaviour and ways of working make DWP an inclusive place where people can be their best.
Ensure compliance with DWP security and data protection regulations.
You may be involved in leading on the management of complex and challenging stakeholder relationships across the department, establishing and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships across a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Providing regular and ad hoc briefings for the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to support day to day operational delivery and a monthly Deputy Director review of performance and resources, including analysing trends and emerging issues.
Development and review of MI systems, processes, and practices to ensure improvements adopting a continuous improvement approach.
Collation and review of appropriate and robust data and MI displayed professionally to enable operational leaders to drive the business.
Providing support to Operational leaders with understanding how metrics are calculated, how data is captured and how to drive deployment and productivity.
Person specification
You have strong leadership skills, with experience of leading groups of people in ever changing circumstances to deliver excellent customer service, at pace. (Lead criteria).
You have experience and the ability to communicate with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm with colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
You have experience and knowledge of leading diverse teams through effective coaching and mentoring to improve service delivery.
You will have the ability to understand and lead change, inspiring and obtaining commitment from colleagues by encouraging discussion, innovation and ideas in support of long-term organisational vision.
You can build trusting relationships with colleagues and a range of stakeholders, through effective working relationships with contracted, non-contracted and delivery partners outside of your organisation to achieve business outcomes through collaboration and innovative ways of working.
At interview you will be assessed against any of the four Civil Service Behaviours listed below – Level 3. You will also be asked strength questions.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Developing Self and Others
Benefits
DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
- An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a 1250 word Personal Statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Stage 1 – Personal Statement
When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Essential Criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc.
Please complete the Personal Statement and write up to no more than 1250 words, detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role. This will be assessed against the Essential Criteria within the advert.
You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria. Please ensure you evidence the key personal requirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences.
Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Essential Criteria:
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift and/or progressed straight to interview.
Important Information
- Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
- If your Personal Statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
STAGE 2
Preparing for the interview:
You will need to provide photo ID prior to the interview.
At interview you will be assessed against any of the four Civil Service Behaviours listed below – Level 3. You will also be asked strength questions.
- Leadership
- Managing a quality service
- Seeing the big picture
- Developing self and others
If you are invited to interview you will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs site.
Once you receive the invite to interview you will need to access the system and book yourself an interview slot 7 days in advance.
The interviews will be conducted by MS Teams and you will need to use your personal device to access the platform. We will provide instructions at the time as to how you do this.
PLEASE NOTE: Full details of the behavioural questions will be given to shortlisted candidates 7 days in advance of the Interview.
The interview
The interview will follow a blended approach and will last approximately 45 minutes.
During the interview, candidates will be assessed against behaviours and strengths. To do this, candidates will be asked to do a presentation followed by a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions.
The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach.
Behavioural questions will explore what you have done in previous jobs or experiences as well as what you have achieved and/or learned.
After the interview
Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidates first.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP 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.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP’s terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism, or sharing of questions, information or answers throughout any part of the selection process is found, your application will be withdrawn. Examples of plagiarism can include:
- Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
- Copying content from an online/published source
- Using forms of Artificial Intelligence to produce application content which you present as your own.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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 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)
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.