About the job

Job summary

The Home Office holds responsibility for a wide range of policies covering public safety (crime, policing, fire and public protection), national security, and immigration. These areas are complex, high profile, fast-paced and at the heart of the Government’s agenda. This makes the Home Office one of the most exciting and stimulating Departments to work in.

The Finance Transactions Strategy, Policy and Process Unit is responsible for developing strategies, policies and processes governing financial transactions; ensuring they remain fit for purpose and meet Home Office needs. This central expertise supports various business areas within the Department; delivering services to an ever-changing business and making the best use of technologies to drive continuous improvement and customer service excellence. 

Job description

The purpose of this role is to support the Head of Debt Strategy to develop and manage a long-term debt strategy. The role also requires the post holder to ensure that the strategy is underpinned by effective and robust policy and guidance. 

Due to the nature of the work, this role is full time only.

Occasional travel will be required to attend quarterly meetings with a supplier and other face-to face-meetings where required in various locations, possibly requiring overnight stays.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for the following key tasks:

•    Provide support for the effective management of debt and delivery of the Home Office debt strategy
•    Seek out and contribute to the implementation of new initiatives for improving collection rates, and reducing the amount owed to the Department
•    Manage the day-to-day relationships with business partners within the Debt Management contracts, Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) and Cabinet Office to review process issues and implement continuous improvement
•    Ensure that staff resources are used effectively and workloads managed
•    Support performance, including identifying areas for improvement by using recognised continuous improvement principles 
•    Attend and contribute to regular internal and external meetings, including Cabinet Office and other government departments, and feedback to senior managers
•    Deputise for the Head of Debt Strategy in their absence

The role may require the post holder to manage a team member(s) who carries out activities to meet service level agreements, whilst ensuring that corporate targets are delivered. 

Note: An employee may be required to carry out other duties within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence and training. 

Person specification

Essential criteria

•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•    Practical experience of Excel
•    Experience of managing and developing self and teams with minimal supervision 
•    Ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders
•    Ability to influence and implement process and policy changes
•    Experience of working in a debt management environment in a large organisation

Desirable criteria

•    Knowledge of finance processes and procedures
•    Experience of chairing and influencing meetings with both internal and external stakeholders at a senior level

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• 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, Ability 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 first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information. 
 
After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal and Numerical Test. If you successfully pass these tests, you will then be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests and full application form is 23:55 on 27/08/2024. If you fail to complete the online tests or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.  
 
Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the tests. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.  

If you successfully pass these tests you will then be asked to complete: 
 
•    a CV detailing job history
•    a Statement of Suitability (personal statement) (maximum 1000 words) 

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

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 advertisement.

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 Statement of Suitability, and support conversations at interview.

The sift will be held on the Statement of Suitability only.  

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will consist of Experience and Behaviour-based questions on all the Behaviours listed in the advert. 

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place from week commencing 2nd September 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place from week commencing 23rd September 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

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.

A reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.  

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills.

If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.

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.