About the job

Job summary

Do you have experience leading a team in IT operations?

Are you excellent with data and enjoy solving problems?

As an IT Operations Controller you will use your experience of working in a large complex IT Operations environment to deliver a robust and industry best of class IT monitoring service. 

As part of a team of around 30 across the Newcastle and Manchester Digital Hubs you will provide 24-hour cover on a shift basis and be the central point of monitoring for every service on the DWP Estate. Your role will be to lead a shift in a key DWP Command and Control Hub in either Manchester or Newcastle, being a single point of control for the monitoring, management and notification of alerts and events including layers of infrastructure, applications, synthetics/End to end user experience

This role requires regular shift working.  You will be required to do 14 shifts over a 28 day period: this consists of 7 day shifts each covering 07:00am - 07:00pm, and 7 night shifts each covering 07:00pm - 07:00am.  The post attracts a shift allowance of 20% of the salary.

Please note - this role requires you to pass a security clearance check. For further information on this please see selection process details.

Job description

DWP are in the middle of one of the largest digital transformations in Europe, we need an IT Operations Controller who can:

• Manage a team who monitor infrastructure and applications across both traditional Datacentre and Cloud (AWS and Azure) environments using tooling such as BMC and Dynatrace.
• Lead shift team members in first line fault diagnosis and incident resolution, supporting Major Incidents and coordinating and liaising with stakeholders to minimise service impacting issues.
• Initiate and monitor actions to investigate, analyse patterns and trends and resolve problems in systems, processes and services. Determine problem fixes and/or remedies.  Assist with the implementation of agreed remedies and preventative measures.
• Lead on improvements in the Event Management process and monitor checks to ensure that systems are running correctly, whilst applying technical knowledge to understand end to end impacts, escalating any issues to resolution.
• Work with senior stakeholders and team members to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes. Use technology where possible to increase efficiency and introduce automations. Initiate improvement plans to analyse patterns and trends to drive improvements in systems and end user experience.
• Provide expert knowledge to triage complex event and incident scenarios and lead on how IT Operations supports our users and citizens.
• Provide guidance and capability to Projects in the delivery of new solutions
• Lead on the coordination of incoming data to prioritise the workload for the Operations Analyst team, always ensuring correct information flow.
• Apply batch monitoring and management, coordinating with Application Support areas to ensure no impacts to online day by utilising products to provide effective checkpoint and diagnosis details.
• Identify improvements and support proposed solutions through to implementation by supporting the organisation by the introduction of more effective and efficient technologies to help simplify, streamline, and deliver automations.
• As an IT Operations Shift Lead you will oversee and support the performance and development of team members.

Person specification

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Ability to demonstrate experience of leadership and Team Management in an IT Operations area. Experience working within a first line Command Centre team or incident resolution teams.
• Knowledge of IT Infrastructure e.g., Networks, Servers and IT Application monitoring hosted within traditional Datacentres and Cloud (AWS and Azure) environments using tools such as BMC and Dynatrace.
• Ability to analyse and triage high profile technical incidents, prioritise accordingly and coordinate through to resolution with 2/3rd line technical SMEs, this will include supporting the Major Incident Management process.
• Understand the ITIL framework with working knowledge of Incident, Problem and Change.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with working knowledge of ServiceNow, Service Management products and collaboration tools.
• Ability to utilise service reports to monitor and measure service performance of operational services. Identify Continual Service Improvement opportunities to improve user experience. Delivering a consistently high standard of customer service to all stakeholders

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact abs.ali@dwp.gov.uk.

Benefits

• An employer pension contribution of up to 28.97% For further information please click here.
• Annual leave rising up to 30 days, (based on your working pattern).
• Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Learning and development tailored to your role this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring. 
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

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.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £40,201 to £43,347.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of three parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.

3. Personal statement up to 1250 words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

You will receive one combined score for both your Employment History/CV and Personal Statement, which will be provided in your Personal Statement score.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the Essential Criteria listed in the Person Specification.

Interviews will take place from Early/Mid May onwards. 

Further information:

Find out more about Working for DWP 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.

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.

Security Clearance Requirement

You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will 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. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers. 

NSV

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

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 DigitalRecruitment.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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page. 

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. 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.