About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.

The 45-strong DHSC Digital Transformation team works with the health and care system to realise the benefits of digital, data and technology, to deliver better end to end services for their users and for the professionals who provide them.

Our role is more strategic - we don’t own specific live products or services but instead partner with policy and commissioning teams to deliver user centred, design-led change, and to act as a bridge between policy and digital delivery teams. We support the Department and its arms' length bodies in a range of different ways - from providing rapid consultancy advice and digital training, to running full discoveries and alphas ourselves, and embedding team members in wider beta or live delivery teams. We champion standards, user-centred design and accessibility in everything that we do. 

Job description

As head of delivery and operations in the digital transformation team, you will ensure the successful delivery of our team's work, removing blockers, prioritising capacity and projects. You will be the most senior delivery management practitioner, and ensure smooth running of our corporate operational functions.  

You will lead:

• a team of delivery managers, who support the digital transformation team as a whole and are also embedded as delivery managers into different teams and projects.
• our operations team - you will support them to lead all our operational activities, including finance, procurement/contracts, and recruitment. 

You will be an experienced agile practitioner and will support the professional development both of your teams and of the delivery management profession in health as a whole.

Lead and co-ordinate finance and commercial activity for the digital transformation team, including management of two digital delivery contracts and leading any new procurements.

Line management and professional development of a pool of delivery managers.

Day to day management and responsibility for operations activities (e.g. business planning, recruitment, training, financial management and procurement) ensuring that best practice is followed and all processes and approvals are completed. 

Manage the flow of incoming work into the digital transformation team, own our backlog and roadmap. Improve the systems and processes for planning, demand management and prioritisation including creating a defined 'front door' process.  

With the management team, provide effective collective leadership of the digital transformation team and lead cross-cutting projects as required (e.g. future strategy, people surveys and wellbeing).

Person specification

Key skills and experience required for the role

Agile delivery management: with a deep knowledge of agile and lean practices, you know how to coach teams in this area. You know how to drive continuous improvement. You know how to lead teams through the full product life cycle and can identify which tools and techniques to use at each stage. You can guide teams as they move through delivery phases and support them to identify and unblock problems. 

Commercial management: you have extensive experience of procuring and managing contracts and suppliers for digital and technology delivery.

Financial management: you know how to manage and set budgets in complex environments. You can write business cases and develop business-value propositions

Planning: You can plan and prioritise effectively across a whole portfolio and across multiple products or programmes. You can identify dependencies, priorities and risks in plans, and coordinate capacity and delivery across teams.

Communication skills: You have excellent verbal and written communication skills. You can mediate between people and communicate with stakeholders at all levels. You can facilitate discussions in risky and complex contexts. You understand team dynamics and have strong interpersonal skills.

Qualifications required: Certification by a professional body in agile delivery management or agile project management - no specific body required, any recognised body and certification at any level in these areas will be acceptable. 

Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds.  Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support. 

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need. 

There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,832, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £18,044 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Sift date: W/C 18/03/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 15/04/2024

Interview location: By video

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores. 

Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability, a Behaviour and Technical Skill.

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert. Please also include a list of your relevant qualifications.

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 1000 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

An initial sift based on Technical Skills may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.

Candidates will be asked a presentation which will assess a Technical Skill: Agile Delivery Management. Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.

Qualifications required for the role will be checked and verified by the vacancy holder as part of the onboarding process. You may also be asked to provide evidence that any qualifications obtained overseas are equivalent to those advertised.

Further Information

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

Any move to DHSC 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

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 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. 

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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Reasonable Adjustment

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 dhscrecruitment.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. 

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful. 

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above). 

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on either level transfer or promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

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.