About the job

Job summary

The Deputy Operations Manager will bolster the Operations Manager to oversee daily activities and expand the role of the Business Operations team, in particular for Commercial and Contract Management Assessment & Development Centres.

As Deputy Operation Manager you will manage operational delivery to the Assessment & Development Centre team, leading the delivery of a professional, top-quality, streamlined, efficient and customer-focused operation. You will be highly skilled in decision making, problem solving, effective communication with peers and senior staff, highly organised, experienced in building and sustaining relationships with customers and able to manage and develop staff.

Job description

Operations and Project Management

You will both manage and bolster the activities that go into delivering Commercial and Contract Management Assessment & Development Centres as part of recruitment and talent programmes. This will require carrying out a range of different tasks to meet the continued high quality being delivered along the candidate journey, including leading on continuous improvement projects for the customer experience and ensuring standard operating procedures are efficient and cost-effective. You will be responsible for the scheduling of all assessment events, accounting for trends in customer behaviour and projected demand figures.

Data Management and Analysis

This will include managing the data structures in place across the team, ensuring that data is held in accordance to established standards and practices and with appropriate quality assurance protocols in place. This will include maintaining and updating our Learning Management System, reporting areas of finance, feedback from on-going delivery and dealing with any ad-hoc queries and requests from senior figures. Candidate feedback data will be regularly reviewed to identify trends which inform continuous improvement projects, suggesting and implementing data-led improvements to enhance the learner experience and streamline administrative processes.

Stakeholder Management

Critical to this role will be the expectation to work with both internal and external stakeholder groups to achieve the Business Operations team objectives and to ensure the smooth delivery of all assessment events. This will involve deputising for the Operations Manager as required and representing Business Operations, its purpose and strategic aims, up to senior management level.

Line Management

You will oversee a small team of Event Support Officers to ensure that all day-to-day activities relating to the operational delivery of the assessment centres, such as the management of participant communications and queries, are completed in a timely manner and to an excellent standard. You will lead the recruitment, onboarding and training of new staff, as well as develop and coach existing team members to deliver a high-quality service.

Assessor Management

You will provide support to assessors for the different programmes and will be responsible for the scheduling of assessors to ensure that all planned training events can be delivered. You will proactively ensure that assessors are allocated to assessment events in a cost-effective manner.

Other

On occasion you may need to lend a hand in other tasks within the Business Operations team, including:

Training Days:

• Learning and Development
• Talent
• HR Government Commercial Organisation Induction

Major Projects:

• Product redesigns
• Data management
• Query management

Person specification

Essential

• Previous role working with or in business operations.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to build rapport with a range of strategic partners, particularly with senior stakeholders.
• The ability to establish excellent working relationships with different audiences.
• Ability to recognise and manage risks and resolve issues when they arise.
• High attention to detail and a strong desire to deliver a top quality customer experience.
• Strong organisational skills with programme delivery (planning and execution) in a range of areas.
• Ability to deliver on time and to the highest quality even in ambiguous circumstances.
• High level of IT skills within the range of Microsoft IT packages or other platform equivalents (we use Google). Plus experience with Microsoft teams.

Desirable

• Previous background working in recruitment and/or HR operations.
• Previous background working in event management.
• Previous line management experience.
• Project management experience and/or qualification

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,400, Cabinet Office contributes £9,558 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application process

Please provide a CV and a 750 word max personal statement outlining your suitability for this job role. Please pay particular attention to the essential criteria when writing your statement.

This section will be used for the sift to assess your suitability to be invited to an interview. You do not have to refer to the behaviours element in your statement.

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

Selection process

If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will use a combination of Behaviour and Strength based questions. If selected for interview, you will be assessed against the following behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 16th January
Expected interview date/s – w/c 8th February
Interview location - virtual via Google Meets

Reasonable adjustments

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. 

Further information

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.

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

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

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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.