About the job

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a new shared corporate service, launched in July 2023. It will provide corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).

Our team of just over 300 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field.

Our Inclusive Environment

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

Job description

As the Head of the Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) Digital Portfolio Management Office (PMO) you will work as part of a dynamic digital delivery team and will play a critical role in supporting our Target Operating Model.

You will drive forward digital delivery and ensure robust governance and project management across ICS, DESNZ, and DSIT.
Your team will be responsible for the flow of the ICS Digital projects in our portfolio, across the end-to-end lifecycle, and act as a driving force behind the newly-defined Target Operating Model.

This is a brand new role and we are looking for an experienced PMO professional with a track record of leadership, managing change, and overseeing the full technology lifecycle.

Person specification

As a Head of PMO, you will be:

• Leading on governance, ensuring that it is in place for all key delivery initiatives, establishing appropriate controls and approval routes and monitoring progress.
  
• Supporting the establishment and management of robust management information reporting based on data-based metrics.
  
• Leading continuous improvement in our approach to portfolio management, providing training and support to colleagues across ICS Digital. Ensuring lessons are learned, and changes are effectively supported and rolled out.
  
• Upskilling and supporting delivery teams to ensure that they work effectively without the need to be project management specialists.
  
• Supporting delivery of Target Operating Model recommendations and ensuring the implementation of the relevant workstreams to apply flexible and proportionate governance based on clear work categorisation.  
  
• Leading the Portfolio Management Office (4 people) providing clear direction, support, development, and empowering the team to deliver.
  
• Leading the Digital Finance team (4 people) to ensure robust and diligent management of directorate finances to support decision making, budget management, and strategic planning.
  
• Leading the new Contract Management team (1 person).

Skills and experience

Essential criteria

We are seeking a highly motivated leader, comfortable overseeing a breadth of activity with a grip of important technical detail and effective communication and collaboration. You will have:

• Proven leadership experience. With the ability to empower and motivate others in a dynamic service-based and customer-focussed environment. Leading across organisational boundaries with an engaging, pragmatic, and adaptable leadership style. 
  
• Highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills, with the credibility and ability to build excellent relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leaders, across organisational boundaries and evidence of a collaborative approach.
  
• Demonstrable experience operating in a leadership/management role in a digital/agile/product-based/DevOps delivery model.
  
• Demonstrable experience of  project and/or portfolio management and delivering for a broad range of end users.
  
• Experience in planning and scheduling; risk, issues & dependencies management; people/resource management; project assurance; benefits management; reporting; and project & programme governance. 
  
• Demonstrable experience in managing departmental and/or directorate level finances – including robust management, oversight and reporting.
  
• Formal Programme/Project Management qualification (please see below for a list of qualifications)
  

Desirable criteria

Experience in supplier management and management of supplier contracts and relationships.

It is unusual that all candidates will meet all the desired criteria. If your skills and experience look slightly different from what we have identified and you think you can bring value to the Head of PMO role and the team, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Essential Qualifications

You need to have or working towards one of the following qualifications:

• PRINCE2 Practitioner
• Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner
• Agile Project Management Practitioner
• Management of Risk Practitioner
• P3O Practitioner
• Managing Successful Programmes Advanced Practitioner
• APM Chartered Project Professional
• Project Leadership Programme
• APM Project Management Qualification

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,580, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £16,626 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 1000 words) to explain how you meet the requirements of the role.

You can find tips about how to write an effective personal statement in Civil Service Careers: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-write-your-ps/

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c from 18th January 2024

Interview dates: from 1st February 2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero  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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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 

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.

Feedback

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.