About the job

Job summary

The Government People Group exists to work with departments, professions, and functions to build a modern, effective Civil Service.

We support the government workforce with the right skills and capability. We are working with leaders to get the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills and continuous learning to excel in their roles.

We provide leadership, and in turn, create leaders with exceptional line management capability across departments, influencing partners in the wider public sector and beyond. This involves getting our retention and reward strategy right, to nurture specific skills, and create pride and resilience in our workforce.

Our role is also to provide system leadership across central government in pulling together back office services. Collectively, we help support the Cabinet Office’s priority to drive efficiencies, and reforms that will make government work better, to ultimately provide a better service to the public.

Job description

We are the centre of expertise working across departments to make it easier for civil servants to use platforms for HR, finance and payroll.  We recently launched the new Shared Services Strategy for Government, which will deliver services that are better value, and cut through processes that cost time and money. Our overarching objectives are:

1) Meeting end-user needs, promoting excellence and convenience for both staff and managers.

2) Delivering value and efficiency, including by separating technology from Service Centres, and including all transactional services.

3) Convergence around processes and data, including the consolidation and modernisation of technology platforms, while maintaining choice for departments.

Through this strategy, our ambition is to free up civil servants to focus on what they do best: engaging with and delivering for citizens.

What you will be working on:

You will be joining the ‘Interoperability OneData’ programme which envisions a more flexible, efficient and effective Civil Service using technology to enable civil servants and data to move more easily across departmental boundaries. Each strand is designed to achieve a major improvement to how the Civil Service operates enabling us to better serve the public. The programme has 4 main strands:

1. Government Skills Campus - creating the capability to analyse and use workforce data (such as skills, experience and knowledge) across Civil Service departments, professions and functions. This will enable improved workforce planning, resource deployment, capability building interventions, and business services.
   
   
2. Staff transfers / movers - improving how civil servants move between roles. This will involve simplifying, streamlining and automating processes for moving civil servants around government, so that we have the right people where we need them quickly. 
   
   
3. Central Employee Identifier - creating a unique identifier linked to each civil servant throughout their career which is used when interacting with business services (e.g. HR and finance). This will enable more personalised and integrated services that cross departmental boundaries.
   
   
4. Integration Hub - introducing common tools, standards and platforms to enable seamless integration between business services to reduce the burden on users and reduce costs.

It’s likely that you’ll mainly be focused on the Staff transfers strand. You will be joining us as we transition through the pilot and Beta phases. You’ll also work with our wider portfolio of digital services covering recruitment, learning and business services. 

Person specification

PD&I is a centre of expertise, working across departments to make it easier for civil servants to use platforms for HR, finance and payroll. We recently launched the Shared Services Strategy for Government, which will deliver services that are better value, cutting through processes that cost time and money. Our overarching objectives are:

1 - Improve the user experience for civil servants with systems that are intuitive, easy to use and mobile-enabled

2 - Deliver efficiency and value for money through better systems and services which support productivity and seek to reduce costs

3 - Drive convergence around processes and data, including the consolidation and modernisation of technology platforms, while maintaining choice for departments

Through this strategy, our ambition is to free up civil servants to focus on what they do best: engaging with and delivering for citizens.

The Business Change Manager will be responsible for providing the full range of business change capability required to manage a large-scale business transition successfully.  The Business Change Manager will form part of the core interoperability project team and will be responsible for the development of the strategy and implementation plan for the business to successfully transition to new ways of working, ensuring optimal change adoption and benefit realisation.

The successful candidate will provide project specific information to inform an integrated view of change across the programme and proactively develop and deliver their project’s business change strategy & approach, including appropriate change plans and interventions.  The role will lead and coordinate input from a wide range of contributing experts from across Civil Service HR in support of change planning and delivery.

The role will involve working closely with the business, programme and project teams to ensure that the business is ready, willing, and able to transition to the required new ways of working to achieve their project’s transition state.

Key responsibilities

• Assess the impact of change, completing change impact assessments with business subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Support subsequent change impact assessment action planning.
• Facilitation of business change workshops.
• Support with the embedding and validation of new operational capabilities.
• Provide oversight / assurance to the benefits management process ensuring benefits are understood with the business, or where the change will enable benefits as part of wider government strategy
• Work with other strands of the interoperability programme to ensure business change plans are aligned, dependencies are understood and combined implementation activities are known
• Champion the Interoperability Programme and its deliveries within Government
• Working in partnership with the communications team to ensure internal communications and business change engagement are effective and continuously reviewed and improved.
• Keep the stakeholder, communication plans and all business change documentation up to date.
• Facilitating updates to and from key business stakeholders.
• Update and contribute to business change and project plans.
• Escalate emerging risks to the Product Team, managing assigned risks.
• Supplement project and programme reports with business change progress.
• Produce ad-hoc reports and updates as required.

Essential experience

• Experience in managing business change and working in a change (programme) management environment across complex, cross-functional, large-scale business transformation projects (within the last 12 months)
• Experience in the planning, shaping and delivery of business change engagement across functions, through a variety of different routes and styles.
• Strong relationship building, management and influencing skills to ensure senior level buy-in and delivery.
• Proven track record of working in complex, fast paced IT project/programmes
• Proven ability of working with multi-disciplinary, inclusive teams, providing clear vision, setting clear direction, and inspiring others to deliver to a common goal.
• Proven ability to develop/maintain effective governance structure within your area of responsibility, maintaining clear/transparent business change and implementation plans, providing regular accurate/concise progress reports to sponsors, accurately tracking costs/benefits
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with proven ability to engage effectively with senior individuals (with the ability to influence/challenge where appropriate), to identify/articulate and agree clear scope of the business change activities
• Proven ability to make active and visible leadership decisions, working with multiple stakeholders and delivery partners to deliver complex IT projects.
• Proven ability to ensure appropriate mitigations are in place for risks, issues and dependencies.
• Proven ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations, organising and prioritising work effectively to meet deadlines for planned/unplanned work, whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.
• Flexible and adaptable; a self-starter, able to work with minimal supervision and in ambiguous situations as well as leading your team through periods of ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Forward looking with a holistic approach.
• Must be a team player and able to work collaboratively with and through others

Essential technical knowledge and skills

• Ability to successfully integrate business change into ‘business as usual’ (BAU) ensuring that activities are planned and completed to enable the business to implement the change and realise the benefits.
• Ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence.
• Analytical skills, including the ability to review, challenge and utilise data.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £11,029 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1 - Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process which includes providing the following: 

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. You will add your information into a structured form rather than attaching a document. 
2. A Personal Statement explaining how your skills and experience are relevant to the role. This should include examples showing how you have completed similar responsibilities and activities. You should focus on the essential criteria listed in the responsibilities section of the advert. The statement is limited to 1,000 words. 
3. Three 250-word statements on the Technical Skills listed in this advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

Stage 2 - Video Interview

Unless you are otherwise informed, the final stage of the process will be a video interview via Google Meet where you will be assessed against the Behaviours and Technical Skills. There may be a short exercise allowing you to demonstrate your skills and experience. More details will be provided for applicants invited to interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date/s – tbc

Expected interview date/s –  tbc

Interview location - Online

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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 /Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

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.

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

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

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 Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.