About the job

Job summary

The Home Office is here to make our country safer. As well as working to reduce crime and enforce law, we work to protect the most vulnerable and have a proud history of providing refuge to those who are seeking asylum. Whether it’s fighting crime, protecting our borders or combating slavery, the Home Office is at the cutting edge of public policy and our work is some of the most challenging and rewarding in government.

Metis is the department’s cloud-based solution for HR, Finance and Commercial transactions used by all Home Office, DBS, and College of Policing staff. It is key to how we provide services including payroll, how we interact with suppliers and how we ensure our accounting is in order. It’s also how we provide advice and guidance to staff and managers. It’s the departmental system of record so is crucial in providing good data to support effective decisions. We are supported by a Business Processing Outsourced (BPO) Partner, Shared Services Connected Ltd, (SSCL) which delivers transactional and a contact centre. This role in the BPO management team will contribute to running a good and improving service so we can deliver the benefits of the new technology together.

The BPO management team is based in Home Office finance but provides a service across all areas. It is a small team, and members work flexibly to manage the contract and relationship between the business and SSCL. The focus of this role is on service improvements and change.

Most of the team are based in Croydon, but you can be located at any Home Office Corporate and Delivery hub, space permitting. (This post will not be based in Westminster). Occasional planned travel is required to other locations including suppliers, and overnight stays are sometimes required.  We are currently working a minimum of 40% in the office, this is expected to rise to 60% in the new year.

We are looking for someone who is interested in detail but can see the way people and processes interact, to understand the bigger picture so you can jump in and to help us improve the service delivered to users. Confident to work in a changing environment, communicating with stakeholders and third parties, you will be keen to see real shared benefits. Focussed on service delivery and improvement you will enjoy taking responsibility for progressing actions within your area.

Job description

Reporting to the G7 Operations and Improvement Lead you will work across the department and with suppliers, building upon existing relationships to identify the root causes of problems, manage change activities, and support the management of incidents and escalations.  Working collaboratively with business process and product owners and other you will

•    Identify issues and problem trends relating to transactional processes provided by the BPO service provider SSCL, working collaboratively to understand root causes and resolve issues.

•    In collaboration with the business, propose improvements for consideration by the Metis Change Forum, providing information on the case for the change including where appropriate flagging opportunities for benefits landing in SSCL to be shared with the HO (‘gainshare’)

•    Take responsibility for monitoring changes affecting SSCL and the new Minor Change process.

•    Work with the Metis Change Team to ensure that SSCL affecting changes are given appropriate priority. 

•    Ensure benefits are captured by relevant team and that information is available to evidence any gain share opportunities

•    Alongside other team members, support the business with managing escalations and incidents and ensuring that the correct processes are followed so that good quality data is collected to help identify issues.

•    Actively participate in all relevant internal and external governance forums and where applicable, deputising for the G7 lead.

•    Contribute to and where appropriate lead on the compilation of performance reports and risks / issues ensuring they are accurately reflected, mitigated and where appropriate, escalated.

To meet these responsibilities, the potholder will need to develop and maintain high-level understanding of structures across the department.

They will also need to develop and maintain good working relationships across a wide range of internal and external teams, including but not limited to:

•    Home Office, DBS and College of Policing corporate teams, including transaction teams and accounting teams.

•    Metis technical, change, user research and reporting teams

The work of the team is wide and varied and as such, the post-holder will be expected to support colleagues on other areas of work in parallel to leading on specific topics.

Due to the nature of the role, this post is available on a full-time basis only and with the possibility of compressed hours. 

Person specification

Although we live in a digital world, this post needs a human who can understand the needs of users and the opportunities of technology, and is confident working across boundaries and balancing conflicting demands.  

Essential Criteria:

Good communication skills

Experience in one of the following areas – HR transactions or policy, government finance, payroll, or similar corporate support tasks

Experience in managing or delivering change

Confident user of digital tools/systems

Desirable Criteria:

Project, Programme, Business Case, Change or Service management qualifications 

Knowledge of Continuous Improvement Methodology

Experience of delivering a service

Experience of digitally-enabled change 

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• a CV detailing qualification/ job history/skills
• a statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 1000 words)
• provide evidence of the behaviour Communicating & Influencing (250 words maximum)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note the statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview.

The sift will be held on the statement of suitability (personal statement) and the behaviour Communicating & Influencing.

However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) only.  

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will consist of behaviour-based questions.

Sift and Interview dates 

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 26th March 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 11th April 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.  

Interviews

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given. 

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Please note: If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage. 

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Visa sponsorship    

We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.   

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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

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

Security

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.