About the job

Job summary

Are you an exceptional leader, with excellent communications skills, who can lead high volumes of employees across multiple sites, whilst delivering a great customer experience? if so this role is for you.

DWP is a great place to work, we are an organisation that makes such a positive difference to the lives of so many people and what we do really matters. There couldn't be a more important time to join us. ​

We are playing a critical part in delivering the Government's commitment to maximising employment and in-work progression, improving people’s quality of life and delivering excellent services day-in and day-out for our customers

The Deputy Director for Working Age and MtUC is a business critical and key operational leadership role in Work and Health Services. Working Age delivers its portfolio of services to circa. 2-million customers from its Service Centres based across the UK.​

The Deputy Director for Working Age and MtUC is responsible for the delivering reliable, high-quality welfare services that customers have confidence in and securing the required outcomes in line with the DWP Outcome Plan.

Job description

This role operates in the context of large-scale, multi-site national organisation, the Deputy Director responsibilities include:

• to reduce regional variations and deliver consistent high-quality services to all customers across the portfolio of services​
• to work collaboratively and build effective working relationships with stakeholders across the department to secure effective implementation of key departmental programmes – Service Modernisation, New Style Benefit Modernisation and Move to Universal Credit​
• to provide challenge and assurance that DWP resourcing plans effectively capture the future requirements for Working Age, through operational and financial planning​
• to align Working Age plans with Departmental Business strategies, including Modern Services and Workplace Transformation Programme, and resolve any tensions that pose a risk to delivery now and for the future​
• to be an active leader in the wider directorate of Disability Services, Working Age and Move to UC (DSWAMtUC) and contribute to Work & Health Executive Team

Person specification

​Essential Criteria

• An exceptional people leader, with the passion, credibility and authenticity to influence operational service delivery. Able to build high performing teams through developing capability and creating an inclusive and collaborative learning culture which values diversity and encourages openness, approachability, and sensitivity.​
• A proven track record of driving performance and productivity improvements to deliver customer-focused outcomes, particularly for vulnerable customers with complex needs,. This includes a commitment to organisational learning and continuous improvement – listening to customers and stakeholders - and empowering colleagues to improve customer service and service excellence.​
• Experience of leading successful delivery of significant business transformation in a complex and large-scale operational environment, working with multiple major implementation programmes to oversee effective transition to steady state. ​
• The ability to build effective Senior stakeholder relationships across the organisation, that work collaboratively to influence and manage change, to innovate and transform services to achieve departmental outcomes.​
• A confident system leader, with the ability to implement and translate strategy into action, setting a clear and compelling vision, that their teams can align behind to deliver. 

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.

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below:

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years;​

Three statements (maximum 500 words each) answering the 3 pre-defined questions (below), Explaining why you want to work for DWP in this role and how you consider your skills and experience make you suitable for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

1. Leadership – Describe a time when you needed to improve the operational effectiveness of your team. How did you go about doing so? What were the major decisions you had to make?
2. Managing a Quality Service – How have you developed and sustained complex and influential relationships to support and drive change to achieve a delivery outcome or strategy, and how you have made a difference?
3. Delivering at Pace – When you have translated strategic priorities into clear, outcome-focused objectives for your teams. How did you promote resilience and responsiveness in the organisation?

To find out more about DWP, the role and the application process please see the candidate pack attached to the advert.

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.