About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC. 

 

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

Are you passionate about improving public services and have strong architecture experience?  

Are you an exceptional collaborator and communicator who can work across boundaries to lead change?  

HMRC are looking for an innovative Lead Operational Business Architect to join our team and help transform customer service delivery. The main focus of this role is to lead the architecture function to develop leading-edge solutions that enable our people to provide excellent service to taxpayers.  

The Team 

Strategy and Change (S&C) is a new directorate within Customer Services Group (CSG). It leads the strategy and transformation of CSG, enabling colleagues to deliver better service and work more efficiently. 

Every team in Strategy and Change (S&C) has a critical role to play in the delivery of HMRC’s priorities over the next two years.

The Business Alignment Team (BAT) Team champions the operational perspective of Customer Services Group, ensuring alignment of all change and delivering efficiencies. Key focus areas include the Target Operating Model, Service Excellence, transformation programme influence, and change integration. 

The Operational Architecture function was created in April 2021 to develop the operational architecture for Customer Services Group. We drive decision-making, build an accurate current landscape view, and champion component reuse through the architecture/design framework. 

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Job description

In this role, you will be jointly responsible for leading the Operational Business Architecture team alongside another Senior Leader. This will include leading a team of 2-3 Operational Business Architects. You will also be expected to support the wider Business Alignment Team in their day-to-day work when needed. 

Main Responsibilities 

• Leading the creation/building of the customer services architecture for CSG and HMRC. 
• Taking a leading role in the continued iteration of the Customer Services Group Target Operating Model, with a particular focus on Design. Liaising with experts across different professions, grades and directorates in order to do so.
• Mapping processes at various levels and ensuring consistency in both mapping and maintaining a process library (using architectural software such as Abacus where necessary). 
• Developing and maintaining business process matrices to map between processes, capabilities, strategies and change initiatives. Enabling stakeholders to see links between them in a clear way that drives insight and improves decision making. 
• Identifying duplication across change initiatives and opportunities for re-use of common components/processes to increase speed of delivery and increased efficiency/reduced change costs from having different ways to do the same/similar things. 
• Supporting investment propositions to re-engineer CSG processes, deliver new services, update technology and improve the way we analyse data, working alongside colleagues in other parts of HMRC to ensure alignment and manage interdependencies. 
• Demonstrate visible leadership both within Strategy and Change and in developing the architecture profession.

Person specification

Ideally, we are looking for someone who is passionate about using architectural / systems thinking approaches to make a noticeable difference to HMRC’s services. Using their experience to bridge the gap from strategy to operational reality to improve customer and colleague experience in a tangible way and bring value for money to the UK taxpayers. An excellent communicator, collaborator, inspirational/motivated/focused leader are just a few of key traits required to be successful in this high profile role and ever changing role. 

Essential Criteria

• Experience in ONE (or more) of the following: Business Architecture, Project/Programme Management, Business Analysis, Archimate/BPMN2.
• A self-starter with proven experience of leading and inspiring those around them. 
• Effective in stakeholder management particularly at senior levels, to influence thinking and manage diverging and often challenging views to bring together resolutions which deliver our strategic goals. 
• Skilled at handling complex problems and in identifying their root causes, understanding the context for the business areas they impact, ideally applying an understanding of Business Architecture and/or design thinking.

NB - We encourage applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds, skills and experiences. You do not need to meet every essential criteria equally. We welcome candidates who excel in some areas and are developing expertise in others. 

Desirable Criteria

• Comfortable in an uncertain and constantly changing environment, where external factors can quickly change priorities for you and your team. Protecting your and your colleague’s resilience whilst doing so. 
• Qualification in any of the following: Business Architecture, Modelling Business Processes, Project/Programme Management, Archimate/BPMN2. 
• Experience of working and delivering change in a large, multi-layered customer service organisation. 
• Passionate about continually improving the delivery of customer service. 
• Evidence of working with Architecture software and Architecture Modelling & Tools. 
• Strong Process Mapping experience coupled with knowledge of Data mining and modelling. 

Please Note: The successful applicant for this role will need to be eligible for and willing to undergo standard BPSS Checks following appointment into the post.

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%.

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

All Criminal Record Checks applications are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

How to Apply

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

You should try to cover the essential criteria within your CV where possible.

Sift

At sift your CV will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

Interview

During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed, and you will be asked strength-based questions to also explore what you enjoy and your motivations relevant to the job role.

This is an example of a strengths-based question: 

“It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?”

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well. 

Interviews will take place via video link.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Eligibility

To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please review the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you are able to travel to.

Reasonable Adjustments 

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. 

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Diversity and Inclusion

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.

For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values.

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process. 

The Civil Service runs 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. 

Locations 

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

Security Update

For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks.

Further Information

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process. 

Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.

Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk.

Problems during the application process 

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

If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.   

Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 340422 & vacancy closing date 05/03/2024. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.

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.