About the job

Job summary

DWP is an amazing place to work. Walk into any one of our Jobcentres or Service Centres and you will be overwhelmed by the passion and commitment that our people have for supporting our customers. DWP is a department that touches the lives of citizens across the UK at different times of their lives, and what we do really matters. Do you think you have what it takes to be our next Service Delivery Leader?

You will be leading a team of over 100 colleagues, over multiple sites, and reporting to the Director for Service Planning and Delivery, as a key member of the Service Planning and Delivery Senior Leadership Team​

​You will head up and lead the Contract Management team to help assure delivery of essential DWP services through external suppliers and partnerships, with responsibility for multiple multi-million-pound contracts, stewarding over 6000 FTE’s worth of activity, with growth potential over the next 12 months.​

​You will work closely with commercial, finance, digital and wider Service Delivery to assure effective and efficient delivery of services spanning the likes of telephony, printed customer communications, courier and translation, and will serve as a member of the DWP’s Operational Contract Management Board ensuring DWP complies with Cabinet Office-led work to assure best in class delivery. ​

Job description

This will involve:​

• Owning the relationship with suppliers and partners on behalf of DWP, setting the tone for exemplary collaboration, with a focus on excellent customer service, continuous improvement and innovation, underpinned by key performance indicators (KPIs), customer insight and Service Level Agreements (SLA) to assure effective performance and service​
• Provide suitable oversight, challenge and support through effective partnership working to ensure suppliers and partners meet the needs of DWP customers​
• Working across a range of delivery directorates to ensure DWP Service Delivery from suppliers and partners are meeting expectations and customer need, and alignment to DWPs strategic transformation plans
• Providing an interface for Service Delivery and suppliers, creating a culture of two-way feedback where continuous improvement is the norm, and action is taken to address issues and celebrate success​
• To lead (where appropriate) contract changes and SLA amendments to ensure delivery of DWP strategic, modernisation and transformation objectives.

Person specification

Essential Criteria for the role which will be used to assess your application, along with success profiles: ​

​Successful candidates will demonstrate the following:​​

• Demonstrable experience in leading the management of large, complex, high-value contracts enabling exemplary service delivery across multiple framework categories, working with diverse stakeholder and multi-user groups. Supporting, identifying and implementing improvement initiatives to processes, systems and skills within DWP​
• Strong organisational and planning skills gained working within a high-level stakeholder management environment; particular emphasis on leading negotiation with suppliers and assessing their performance; leading the management of supplier performance to deliver against agreed milestones and to meet agreed contractual obligations​
• The ability to build networks inside and outside of the organisation, working collaboratively to influence, manage and challenge complex senior stakeholder relationships; using those to help articulate and align views towards shared business objectives and requirements for commercial partnering ​
• ​Confident leadership, with the ability to implement and translate strategy into action, shaping a clear direction for Service Planning & Delivery, that their teams can align behind to deliver​
• ​Astute business awareness; able to deliver at pace using data and evidence to influence key stakeholders, manage risk and reach sound judgements and improved outcomes for the customer​
• ​A commitment to organisational learning, and continuous improvement and optimisation – listening to customers and stakeholders - and empowering colleagues to improve customer service and service excellence​
• ​The ability to leverage partners experience and capabilities to help DWP innovate and transform services with experience in leading and driving transformational change​
• A passion for building high performing teams through developing capability and creating an inclusive and collaborative learning culture which values diversity and encourages openness, approachability and sensitivity.​​

​Desirable:​

• ​Service delivery in a complex or large-scale organisation​
• Public sector contract experience

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply:

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
• A supporting statement (maximum 1250 words) explaining why you want to work for DWP in this role; how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. 

Please note that when you make your application online, you will be asked to complete diversity monitoring information.

This advert is a re launch of campaign 328356 with location Blackpool added. 

For further information regarding this role and the selection process, please see the Candidate Pack attached.

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.