About the job

Job summary

The Home Office has one of the most challenging and critical jobs in Whitehall: to keep Britain safe, secure our Borders and protect the vulnerable. We operate at the heart of the Government's agenda, leading on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy, counter-extremism and counter-terrorism and state threats, and work to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. The challenges the Department faces are significant and can change rapidly in the global environment in which we operate, making this one of the most exciting and stimulating Government Departments in which to work.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the new Home Office HR Technology and Shared Services team.

This role will have responsibility for improving user experience of HR services and systems by:

• Working with the Home Office Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team to maximise our use of the technology available to us, focusing on high value work and seeking out opportunities for automation and AL.
• Working closely with the Home Office Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) team to manage and continually improve performance of our Business Process Services (BPS) provider, SSCL.
• Developing and embedding product ways of working and process ownership across the HR Function.

This team is also responsible for ensuring HR ambition and requirements are met by the Synergy Programme. It brings together four departments (the Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office) to transform the way HR, Finance and Commercial back-office processes work. It will:

• Develop a common operating model;
• Design and implement a new single SaaS technology platform;
• Build a single new Business Process Services contract.

Synergy will impact over 50% of all Civil Servants.

Important information

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Person specification

Key responsibilities include:

• Building strong, collaborative partnership relationships with HR colleagues, DDaT Enablers, the BPO, SSCL and other key stakeholders.
• Working with HR teams to develop a prioritised roadmap for technology enabled change, including opportunities automation and AI.
• Working with DDaT Enablers to translate customer needs into product requirements. Supporting management of any delivery risks or issues.
• Developing an overarching view of HR demand for SSCL services, feeding this into the SSCL forward look calendar and supporting prioritisation decisions where required.
• Providing HR insight on SSCL performance through regular engagement with BPO and attendance at relevant performance review meetings and boards.
• Working with BPO and SSCL to support timely resolution to any complaints raised by members of staff or complex case escalations.
• Leading the HO HR supplier management relationship with MOJ Casework.
• Leading development and embedding of product ways of working and process ownership across the HR Function.
• Ensuring that HR related continuous improvement activity is aligned with Synergy cluster requirements and ambition. Identifying lesson learnt and opportunities for improvement to feed into Synergy.

Essential criteria

• Experience of delivering improvements to services / products, ideally through technology enabled change and automation.
• Experience of building and maintaining relationships and partnerships across functional boundaries.
• Experience of working flexibly and collaboratively with strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to form well thought out conclusions and recommendations.
• Close attention to detail, good organisational skills, and an advocate of identifying lessons and sharing best practice.
• Ability to be proactive, and able to work in a fast-paced environment, managing their own time and priorities optimally.

Desirable criteria 

• Strong HR background with knowledge across different HR / payroll processes and policies.
• Understanding of product ways of working.
• Understanding of automating processes.
• Experience of managing supplier/service performance.

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%

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• a CV detailing job history/skills
• a statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
• provide evidence of the lead behaviour - Working Together (250 words maximum)

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

The statement of suitability should demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.

The sift will be held on the lead behaviour - Working Together and the statement of suitability (personal statement).

The CV will be used for information purposes only and will not be scored.

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. 

Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a further sift where the lead behaviour (Working Together) will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements.

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.  

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions, behaviour-based questions on all listed behaviours and a presentation; further details around what the presentation will entail will be provided before the interview.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place from 15th February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place from 26th February 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change. 

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further Information

Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement. 

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A 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 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. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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. 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.