About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is part of the Cabinet Office. We’re here to make digital government simpler, clearer and faster for everyone. Our work is user-focused, dynamic and forward-looking, making our organisation an exciting and innovative place to work. 

The GOV.UK One Login for Government Programme represents a once in a generation opportunity to simplify and widen access to all digital government services. Sitting at the heart of the government, we are building one simple, safe and secure way for users to log in and prove who they are that will work across all government services. 

GOV.UK One Login is being designed and built for the many, not the few. It will unite services across government, revolutionising the way government departments digitally interact with users. One Login will deliver an accessible and essential function that will change lives and help millions. We are an ambitious and visionary team so if you want to be at heart of this truly groundbreaking programme keep reading…

The GOV.UK One Login programme is full of talented and passionate people who are consistently delivering high quality products for services and individuals. We’re half way through our build phase and features are being shipped almost weekly as we work to mature our product set so that we can expand the range of services and departments benefitting from our work. 

Sometimes described as the most strategic programme in government, GOV.UK One Login represents a once in a career opportunity to work on delivering a product that will be used by the majority of the people living in the UK. It’s a fast paced, dynamic and challenging environment that is sure to offer you career satisfaction as well as a chance to develop and enhance your skills.

If you are someone who has strong leadership skills and experience, is adaptable, resilient, and can operate effectively at a senior level then we’d like to hear from you.

Find out more at the GDS Blog.

Job description

This role will be reporting to the Deputy Director for Identity Delivery and work across the One Login programme.

As Head of Delivery, One Login you’ll: 

• lead on delivery and assurance of the One Login programme
• lead the One Login delivery community to ensure it is healthy, sustainable and highly performing. Support the wider GDS delivery professional community
• lead delivery across multiple teams at different stages of development and product life cycle
• own delivery, tracking and ongoing iteration and updating of the delivery plan, including the critical path
• develop and iterate ways of working to meet team needs and delivery commitments implementing delivery methods that combine both civil servants and interim/contractor staff seamlessly, and to best effect
• work within GDS processes, and with senior delivery groups across GDS to track progress against plans
• directly manage a team of lead delivery managers, supporting their career progression, development and wellbeing, and providing regular coaching and performance feedback and develop a wider community of talented delivery managers
• oversee the One Login risk process, ensuring that all risks are surfaced and mitigations implemented and docked into the wider GDS risk management process
• oversee all staffing requirements, ensuring teams are appropriately sized and skilled through a combination of civil servant recruitment, contingent labour and managed service providers
• have oversight of recruitment for the One Login Delivery Management community
• collaborate and engage with users, stakeholders and teams across the government frequently
• collaborate closely with the Head of Programme Delivery to ensure the smooth running of delivery operations

Person specification

We’re interested in people who can demonstrate experience of: 

• agile delivery leadership in medium to large digital transformation programmes (proficiency in scaled lean/agile management methods and techniques preferred, as is the ability to demonstrate crafting your own approach, using best practice and tailored to unique needs)
• ensuring sustainable but progressive delivery momentum, solving issues and unblocking problems and empowering teams to do the same
• having a sound understanding of the variety of disciplines involved in digital delivery (for example engineering, service design, product management, performance analysis and user research) developed through working in multi-disciplinary teams
• balancing changing priorities, dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty to keep teams on track and prioritising people even when hard choices are required
• building and maintaining effective relationships at senior levels and operating successfully in a complex stakeholder environment with competing priorities
• managing multiple supplier contracts and relationships to ensure effective delivery and value for money

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to Government Digital Service 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

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a pre-recorded 3 min interview consisting of 1 question
• 60 minute timed scenario based exercise on leadership
• 60 minute interview
• 15 minute fireside chat 
  

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours: 

• working together
• changing and improving
• leadership
• seeing the bigger picture
• delivering at pace

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework for the Head of product role: 

• agile working
• DDaT perspective
• financial ownership
• life cycle perspective
• operational management
• problem management
• product ownership
• strategic ownership
• user focus
• working within constraints

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

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

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

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.