About the job

Job summary

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates   

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.  

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education 

In Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

1. We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health.
2. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact recruitment.sfso@education.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
3. 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  

Our teams are based across several offices, and we are currently offering a hybrid working arrangement with an expectation that the successful candidate will work from their ‘home’ office 60% of their working week. Whilst we aim to be flexible with working hours and location, please ensure you live within a commutable distance of your selected office locations.

We are passionate about learning and development and offer lots of opportunities for career development, these could include:

• Access to Operational Delivery Profession, including accredited City & Guilds, or Chartered Management Institute qualifications (fully funded)
• Apprenticeships on offer, from Level to 2 right through to Level 6, Chartered Manager degree and Level 7 Senior Leader

We would strongly recommend that applicants attend one of the Microsoft Teams meetings (details below) to find out more information about the department, hybrid and flexible working and job role.

About the role

The academisation of schools is a key priority for this government with an expectation that by 2030 all schools will be part of a strong Multi Academy Trust or will have plans in place to join or form one. Our team will be supporting this priority working with the DfE Regions Group to ensure financial regulation and oversight of the sector.

The ESFA is an exciting place to work, with key priorities to achieve the ESFA’s vision: ‘Every pound spent on education and skills has the greatest possible impact on ensuring all learners can realise their potential.’

 To deliver this vision, we:  

• Give Certainty Those we fund have certainty in their funding, enabling them to plan effectively.
• Offer Support Those we fund can access high quality support and guidance, protecting against financial difficulty.
• Seek Assurance Taxpayers money is used for its intended purpose.

Job description

Our Operational Delivery teams sit within the Schools Finance Support and Oversight (SFSO) Directorate, which is an exciting place to work. We lead on several areas of work with academies and free schools managing engagement with our partners including government ministers, Regional Directors and Chief Executive Officers/Chief Financial Officers of academy trusts. We work collaboratively with colleagues from across the department in a ‘one team’ working approach to delivery.

• SFSO supports schools to achieve high standards of financial management, ensuring public funds are properly spent to deliver world class education by:
• Making sure schools have sufficient funds to operate
• Ensuring schools have the capability and tools to manage resources effectively 
• Providing assurance that public money is being used for the purposes intended, and schools are compliant within the financial framework.

As Operational Delivery Lead you will review and interpret numerous sources of data, evaluating evidence in written reports, to ensure vital improvements with the education sector. You will engage with trusts to ensure they achieve strong financial health, management and financial governance arrangements while meeting their Funding Agreement and the Academies Trust Handbook (ATH) obligations. A key part of the role is to consistently deliver good and responsive customer service to all stakeholders, providing clear and timely responses to correspondence received.

Person specification

Some responsibilities in this role will be:

• Reviewing and interpreting a range of data, including numerical, and making well-judged decisions/recommendations.
• Managing financial management and financial governance cases and various enquiries to ensure compliance with funding agreements and the ATH. 
• Handling sometimes opposing priorities and making informed decisions at pace in a high-pressured environment. Working both independently and as part of a team, monitoring your own performance against agreed targets.
• Communicating clearly and timely with a broad range of key internal and external stakeholders, such as trust Chief Executive Officers and Finance directors. Using both oral and written communications, delivering excellent and responsive customer service.
• Supporting the sector to achieve financial efficiency by promoting and utilising a range of resource management tools, contributing to ESFA business priorities, in line with the business plan.

Essential Criteria

• Reviewing and interpreting numerical data - Can analyse and evaluate information and data from multiple sources, weighing up conflicting evidence before drawing conclusions and making clear recommendations
• Leading and prioritising multiple tasks - You are organised, resilient and able to operate effectively with a varied workload. Working at pace and responding flexibly to emerging priorities and urgent tasks
• Communication skills - You have excellent written and oral communication skills, where written work is high quality and verbal messages presented clearly and confidently including to senior leaders
• Building and maintaining relationships - You can build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders to manage relationships in complex projects

Does this sound like you? If so we would love to hear from you.

Applicant support

Please visit the below webinars for further information and support in completing your application and preparing for an interview. 

How to craft a well written job application in the UK Civil Service on Vimeo

Crafting a CV that stands out in the UK Civil Service.mp4 on Vimeo

Writing a personal statement in the UK Civil Service on Vimeo

How to ace interviews in the public service on Vimeo

If you would like to find out more about the wider DfE, ESFA's culture and more detailed information on the role, we are holding an informal Microsoft Teams meeting on Tuesday 19 December 11:00 and Thursday 4 January 2024 at 10:00, Please feel free to dial in to ask any questions or listen to more information about the role and the Department itself.

Click here to join on Tuesday 19 December 2023 11:00 – 11:30

Meeting ID: 391 134 617 557
Passcode: aGGcUv

Click here to join on Thursday 4 January 2024 10:00 – 10:30

Meeting ID: 348 402 259 461
Passcode: HTZgtt

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances, but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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.

Application

To apply for this role you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement through which we will assess your experience.

You should use the personal statement (of no more than 1000 words) as an opportunity to highlight how you meet the criteria set out in the job description (essential criteria).

You may wish to include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advertisement. Sometimes experience can be transferable from a non-work context. Skills gained through voluntary work or a hobby, such as teamwork or communication, can demonstrate the experience required for the role. It is worth considering using the STAR technique to help structure your responses (situation, task, action and result). Whatever structure you end up using, ensure your answers focus on the actions and your transferrable skills. 

Your CV should include your employment history, that showcases your key roles, responsibilities, and key achievements.

As written communication is a required skill for the role, part of our assessment will be looking at how an application is written as well as its content. 

Interview

If you are successful in reaching interview stage you will be invited to a video based interview assessing your experience in all of the essential criteria.

As part of the interview we will also incorporate some short, fast paced strength questions..

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview, sift date to be confirmed. Interviews will likely take place week commencing the week of 29 January 2024 and 5 February 2024 via a Microsoft teams video call.

Other Information

There are no minimum qualifications required for this role.

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.   

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

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

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

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

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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.

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/

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.