About the job

Job summary

We are recruiting for a Group Manager for our Operations Division.  These roles are generic Senior Manager Posts, and post holders can expect to rotate for broadening and career development purposes, and/or to meet business need.

Whilst each Group Manager role will have its individual challenges and deliverables, all Group Managers work together to provide cohesive Senior Leadership for the Division.

In this instance, the vacancy is Group Manager for one of our Data Groups in the Strategic Data Service, reporting to the Deputy Chief Data Officer.  An interest in or background in working with teams that manage data would be helpful, but not essential to the role.

The successful candidate will play a key leadership role as part of the Operations Senior Management Team as we transform and evolve as a digital first organisation, shaping ourselves and our products and services to support all of our customers now and for the future.

Each Group and Team works differently, balancing business need with the preferences of the team as a whole and supporting individual needs.  As a member of the Operations Senior Leadership Team, there is an expectation that you would work an average of 3 days per week from the Taunton Office as a minimum – more often as required. 

Please note our Policy on informal hybrid working (arrangements available as agreed with the line manager) applies within the UK, and does not extend to working overseas.

Job description

Group Managers have the following overarching responsibilities:

• To deliver the Group’s contribution to our key performance targets for Defence, Safety and Production.
• To provide overarching leadership for the group and be a role model for the managers within the Group.
• As part of the Senior Management Team, take a leadership role in the delivery of any people or functional change required for the Group or Division as appropriate, to meet our short and longer-term Business Objectives and Strategy.

Person specification

Please note that we only score against the sift and interview criteria and not the criteria below.

We are looking for candidates with consolidated people management and leadership experience; giving them the confidence to lead a diverse group through continuing business and cultural change.  To that end, you will also be a “change agent”, with the EQ and communication skills to support teams to engage with and deliver change at pace.  An ability to understand wider Business objectives and how the work of your team/area impacts on others is also key.  An appreciation, and/or experience, of data operations, particularly geospatial, would be desirable, although not essential.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,686, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £15,575 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 and Experience.

How to Apply:

Click on "Apply Now" and input your anonymised CV. Please note your CV will be scored against the Experience criteria below. You will also be required to write a 250 statement on each of the Civil Service Behaviours listed below.

Timeline:

• Advert Closes for applications:     25/02/2024
• Shortlisting: week commencing:   26/02/2024
• Interviews: week commencing:     11/03/2024

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria: 

Experience:

Level of consolidated people management and leadership experience, particularly in a Data/Geospatial domain (taken from CV)

Civil Service Behaviours (Level 4):

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

In the event of a high volume of applications, there will be a pre-sift based on the relevant experience detailed in the CV (as per the Experience criteria above).

Interview Criteria: 

The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview. There are likely to be follow-up questions on the Behaviours below leading on from the presentation to ensure the panel gain a rounded picture. It will be assessed against the criteria as indicated below:

Civil Service Behaviours (Level 4):

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving (Presentation)
• Leadership (Presentation)
• Working Together

 See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Process:  

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS or we can offer an in-person interview in our HQ Building in Taunton. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information).  
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 3 people and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Onboarding Checks:

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

SC – Non-Reserved

This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and although open to UK, British Commonwealth and European Economic Area nationals, successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years

Eligibility

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities.

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.