About the job

Job summary

For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

From the design and development of policies to the delivery of services supporting work, welfare, pensions and child maintenance, DWP is the Government’s largest department.

People are at the very heart of what we do. We ensure disabled people can live more independent lives; help tackle poverty and homelessness; provide a financial foundation for a secure old age; and support families ensuring children can fulfil their potential.

DWP has the largest commercial estate in government and our team is committed to being smaller, greener and better – helping people to work, grow and thrive. Our estate provides accommodation for colleagues who support millions of daily customer interactions in Jobcentres and Health Assessment centres, back of house offices delivering frontline services and hub sites housing expert functions such as Policy, Finance, Digital and HR.

The DWP Estates function ensures the smooth and efficient operation of this network on a day-to-day basis. We manage a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as security guarding, maintenance, property and leasehold, construction, cleaning and facilities management. Many of these services are business critical and we cannot safely open our offices without them. 

Our ambitions are to:

• Transition to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate
• Invest in improving DWP’s buildings and infrastructure, conducted mainly through an extensive programme of planned replacement works 
• Meet our agreed Government Greening Commitments - creating a culture where sustainability is embedded
• Expertly deliver cost effective services
• Create a professional working culture that is best in class across the Government Property world.

There is no better time to join us as we transform our estate and make our buildings fit for the future.

Based in The Strategic Alignment and Business Oversight Function, this role will provide you with a unique opportunity to shape the future of the DWP Estates organisation, as we move towards the next SR. Linking with our cross-department and cross-government priorities and engaging at senior levels with stakeholders and subject matter experts within the Department, Government and externally.

You will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assessing the next generation of the Estates Operating Model to 2030, working across the department and with contracted experts to understand the future context, design principles, opportunities, and practicalities, developing and agreeing options for future organisation design.

Job description

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for the ongoing development and review of the Estates Strategy narrative. This includes strategic ambitions, strategic shifts, and regular maturity assessments of critical estates enablers to ensure the vision continues to be achieved – up to 2030.
• Accountable for the collaborative development and agreement of the future design of the Estates Operating Model, having regard to the strategic and organisational context and working in partnership with consultancy and other subject matter experts to agree core assumptions, principles, design, and interdependencies – including with the re-procurement of Workplace Services.
• As head of strategic planning, have oversight of the progress of critical enablers (such as a CAFM system) - where needed, collaborating with owners and subject matter experts including project managers, to ensure continued alignment with Estates and Departmental Strategies and Estates Operating Model.
• Developing and maintaining clarity around roles and accountabilities within a complex organisational and contractual structure, with experience of using RACI models to support this (as part of operating model iteration).
• Plan and scope the approach to design, communications, engagement, and implementation, determining and securing resources to support this – both internally and by use of contracted partners.
• Owning and refining the strategic agenda for Estates people through delivery of the people and engagement strategy for Estates. Act as a role model for our estates and people strategy priorities.
• Work with Estates and Finance colleagues to reflect the requirements of the new model and strategy in the next SR bid, making a compelling business case for essential changes.
• Ensure the planning process docks effectively into the wider Estates Strategy and Corporate Transformation Business Plan so that it is deliverable and achievable.
• Lead on ad-hoc commissions from Government Property Agency, Departmental Planning Team, Corporate Transformation Group, Commercial and Finance Group, Business Strategy.  Commissions include fiscal events, ongoing deliverability assessments ensuring continued alignment to the Estates Business Strategy and Operating Model.
• Lead and directly manage the team, building capabilities through providing developmental opportunities, including support for the DWP Strategy Community of Practice. Championing learning, development, and communications, and transferring skills to colleagues in order to build wider capability.
• Establish and maintain senior networks across Estates and wider DWP to establish effective working relationships and engagement.
• Lead on the Estates Communications Strategy and planning through subject experts within own team. Providing steers, support and feedback loops where required to ensure the Estates strategy is understood and embedded across Corporate Transformation Group and Estates Directorate.
• Responsible for designing, delivering, and evaluating workshops, including Senior Leadership Team strategy planning sessions, innovative approaches for strategy review, developmental events for the Full Estates Leadership Team.
• Maintain and review change impacting function and processes (i.e. Estates Front Door and change impacting, change criteria), providing strategic decisions where required.
• Provide review of strategic risks, evidence mitigation actions and issues ensuring the accurate development and oversight of the process. Applying DWP risk methodology, correctly escalating risks and actions where appropriate according to governance frameworks.
• Representing Estates SABO at senior and functional meetings within DWP (and across Government where appropriate).

Person specification

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Ability to ‘see the big picture’ and link disparate aspects of Estates to create functional vision, both departmentally and cross Government.
• Experience of building strategic vision and future design having worked in large scale, complex organisation.
• Strong diagnostic skills to develop and build appropriate strategies with business focus and value led outcomes.
• Knowledge and experience of developing operating models, strategies, measures and maturity assessments.
• Ability to understand and interpret the bigger picture in line with ministerial, OGP expectations and influence outcomes at a senior level.
• Expertise of developing organisational and component strategies that span multiple functions and operating model layers that includes governance, risk and assurance.
• Experience of leading, facilitating, influencing, communicating across functional teams at all levels, capable of operating at pace.
• Strong planning and project management capabilities.
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement - communicating and influencing, with an ability to build effective relationships at the senior levels and operate successfully in a political or complex environment.
• Establishing and maintaining excellent stakeholder relationships, and credibly engage with, influence and gain the confidence of senior leaders and influencers.
• Strong written communications, verbal communications and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced skills with Microsoft PowerPoint to deliver professional products, and proficient in MSWord and Excel.

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%

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.  Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

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.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of no more than 1000 words against the essential criteria as outlined above. You will also be asked to provide a short CV.

Your CV should be fairly short and just evidence very brief details of your work history and experience.

Please do not submit a speculative application where you do not meet at least 50% of the essential criteria as these applications will be unsuccessful. Do not include Behaviour examples within your application as these will not be assessed in the sift and will only be used at interview stage.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

There will be an initial sift of applications based on the Personal Statement only, so please ensure you evidence how you meet the Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience requirement contained in the vacancy in this section. This will form a short list for interview.

STAGE 2 - INTERVIEW

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single virtual video interview.

The interview will follow a blended approach which will help us assess candidates Behaviours and Strengths.

Currently the sift is scheduled to take place w/c 5 February 2024 and interview dates will be w/c 19 February 2024. Interviews are scheduled to take place virtually and dates are subject to change.

Presentation

If invited to interview you will be required to do a  presentation at the start of your interview. Details of the presentation and what is required will be supplied as part of the invite to interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

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

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

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

Any move to DWP 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 or 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

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.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.