About the job

Job summary

Let us tell you a little bit about the role…

As an Assurance Manager you will be responsible for the policy and operation of Digital, Data & Technology assurance, comprising Spend Controls and Service Assessments. The role will ensure DBT builds high quality services that meet the needs of both our users and the government Service Standard, whilst delivering value for money.  This is an exciting opportunity to reshape and build a growing function. 

You will develop the new DBT end-to-end assurance function, including portfolio assurance, technology, and service standards.  This will include establishment of policies and ways of working with Partner Organisations.  

You will be able to bring your own ideas on how to design an effective solution, taking account of best practice in government.  You will be expected to iterate this approach to take account of a new cross-departmental assurance tool being developed by Cabinet Office. 

You will be building and creating relationships with stakeholders, both within DDaT, DBT and the DDaT community outside DBT.  You will provide ‘critical friend’ support to our product teams, ensuring that they understand the assurance process and are well prepared as they move through the stage of the product life cycle.  You will also be giving confidence to senior stakeholders that DBT is compliant with assurance requirements.

You will be part of a large and growing community of portfolio and delivery professionals, which will offer you opportunities to stretch and develop in your career.  There will be opportunities to become involved with and more closely align assurance with other DBT activity as Business Operations, DDaT and DBT mature their operating models. 

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. Most DBT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Changes to these working arrangements are available in certain circumstances but must be agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role and can only be discussed with successful candidates. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

Find out about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our recruitment video, visiting our website or reading our blog!

Job description

You will be an experienced Assurance Manager who can:

• Bring together legacy spend control and service assessments into a single, effective process that works for teams across DBT
• Develop the policies and approach for working with Partner Organisations
• Manage implementation of the new Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) spend control tool and the policies and processes to ensure it works effectively for DBT
• Work across teams to deliver a robust, reliable and respected assessment function for DBT’s services including Discovery, Alpha, Beta and Live phases. 
• Collaborate across DBT to manage the progress of services through the Service Lifecycle, ensuring assessments, training and support is delivered as appropriate 
• Liaise with CDDO, and other government departments, to build capability and knowledge of the service standard and assessment process
• Manage a pipeline of assessors; encourage staff to sign up for training, provide opportunities to observe assessments and sustain a population of assessors across all communities of practice 
• Champion the service standard both within DDaT and wider DBT
• Actively manage risks, issues and dependencies to ensure the assurance function can deliver
• Implement feedback loops and analysis to improve the function and ways of working
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with key contacts, i.e. CDDO, Other Government Departments, Project teams, DBT Commercial and Finance
• Champion the service standard both within DDaT and wider DBT

Person specification

You will need to have demonstrable skills and experience of:

• Demonstrable ability to operate independently, with good judgement as to what to communicate and when
• Demonstrable experience of managing a portfolio of activity, including trade-offs in time, resource and priorities
• Excellent communication skills, with demonstrable experience of motivating and inspiring others to take part in an activity
• Ability to deliver in an environment that is changing and has a level of uncertainty

Desirable Skills and Experience   

These are not necessary but would be ideal if you:

• Demonstrable experience of helping design a new team or function
• Working knowledge of the Government Digital Service (GDS) service standard
• Experience working in an agile and multidisciplinary culture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,384, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,633 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to Apply  

Unless otherwise specified, all interviews are currently being held online. Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

Sift will take place week commencing: 15 January 2024

Interviews will take place week commencing: 22 January 2024

Please notes these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a CV and complete a personal statement outlining your experience, skills and fit for the role.

At the sift stage for this role, we will assess your CV and personal statement against the essential skills and experience listed above, so please ensure these documents evidence these criteria. Your personal statement must be a maximum of 750 words. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer. As well as evidencing the criteria you should also touch upon why you're interested in DBT and in this role. 

If we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct a ‘short sift’ and read one element of your application. For this campaign a short sift would be conducted based on: CV only.

How We Interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Behaviours and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework. A role-specific list of these can be found below.

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Delivery at Pace

We will also ask you strength-based questions, which are not listed in the advert. These are short questions that you should provide a natural answer to, therefore they demonstrate your innate strengths.  

Reserve List

Appointments may be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences. Candidates who pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring will be held on a 12-month reserve list for future appointments. Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised.

Security Clearance Details 

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records).
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records.
• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency.
• Security Services record.
• Location Details

Further Information

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

The Department for Business and Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.

Harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

Any move to the Department for Business and Trade 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

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the DDaT Recruitment team before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Our recruitment process is underpinned by appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: ddat.recruitment@trade.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. Click here to download a PDF about the Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

For further information and to apply please click the link to direct you to the advertisers website.

The Department for Business and Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. Click through to apply and find out more.  

Our recruitment process is underpinned by appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. Click here to download a PDF about the Civil Service Commission/Complaints.   

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 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

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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.