About the job

Job summary

What are we offering?

Are you someone who strives to make a difference to people’s lives? If so, we would like to hear from you!

Do you have a passion for Public Service?

You will be at the centre of DWP’s front line operations helping to positively change people lives in our communities.

Job description

Operations Managers are key roles that require flexibility and versatility, being responsible for coaching, leading and building a team to deliver excellent customer service and achieve national performance measures.

 They will achieve this by: 

• Creating an inclusive team environment, embracing different individual needs, views and ideas.
• Motivating, developing and encouraging teams, and undertaking regular performance reviews and observations.
• Lead by example and provide inspiration, direction and support to colleagues by communicating corporate changes with clarity and purpose.
• Identifying risks to performance and ensuring continuous improvement by ensuring colleagues are capable and empowered to build their skills and confidence.
• Identifying priorities to ensure the delivery of yours and others’ objectives.
• Creating an environment that empowers others to do the right thing for customers, being responsible for delivering an excellent service to achieve quality outcomes.
• A focus on building collaborative working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the wider team and Department to deliver excellent service.
• Being an active member of the Leadership Team, providing visible and effective leadership taking a personal lead in engaging with and communicating key messages and implementing corporate changes.
• Be responsible for achieving national performance measures through the quality of personalised interventions.
• Support work coaches to develop and maintain labour market links and knowledge.
• Support work coaches to deliver excellent service to claimants including vulnerable and those who have complex needs and/or disability.

Please see the candidate pack for additional information about the job roles available.

All roles are office based, front facing positions. Hybrid working will not be considered at this time. Travel across each respective District is expected.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to express a location preference as part of the selection process. If you are offered a role in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role in that location.

Candidates should note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP.

Person specification

Key Criteria
What we are looking for:

• Strong leadership and excellent people engagement skills (Lead Key Criteria).
• A driven, energetic leader who can improve quality and consistency.
• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Able to innovate and make sound decisions sometimes at pace.
• Someone with honesty and integrity, who inspires confidence and loyalty.

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%
• Generous annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Competitive maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• Employee Assistance with emphasis on wellbeing
• Employee discount schemes

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.

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

How to Apply , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk) provides advice and tips on applying for roles in the Civil Service

All prospective applicants should fully consider the candidate pack before applying.

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below:

First Stage Short Application Form

Complete eligibility section of the application form.

Personal Statement

If eligible, you will be invited to complete your application and undergo a written sift using evidence from your Personal Statement of 1250 words. This will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the Person Specification section of the advert.

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria thoroughly.

Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several Key Criteria. You may not be able to meet all the Key Criteria, but please ensure you provide as much evidence as you can to allow us to assess your skills, qualities and experience.

Share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the Key Criteria.

In the event of a large number of applications we will use the Lead Key Criteria, Strong leadership and excellent people engagement skills, to initially assess your application at the sift stage and we may also increase the pass mark. Candidates who pass this initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or direct to interview.

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.

Interview

This will consist of a face to face interview at either Northampton or Stafford Jobcentre, which will last approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Further details regarding the interview arrangements will be included in the invitation to interview. 

This will be a blended interview assessing a mixture of Behaviours and Strengths as detailed in Success Profiles. The interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role, offering a more inclusive approach.

The Behaviour questions will be sent to candidates 1 week in advance of their interview to the email address used in their application (i.e. questions will be sent on Tuesday for interviews scheduled for the following Tuesday). Candidates are advised to check their inbox and spam/junk folders regularly once their interview has been booked.

If the questions have not been received prior to your interview, or you have queries about applying for this role please contact the vacancy holder via nem.grouprecruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Please note you will still be able to refer to your notes in the interview to support you in answering, but you should not simply be reading from a script.

Proposed Sift and Interview dates

Sift Period – 31 July to 2 August 2024
Interviews – 3 to 6 September 2024

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of  3 months from which further appointments can be made.

The reserve list may be used to offer future vacancies which arise in North and East Midlands and across the wider DWP network. Any such offers would be made in strict merit order and the location and job role would be fully explained.

You may be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are offered a role in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*.
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

*Note - Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health.

Any move to DWP 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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be 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 circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract. 

Important 

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

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.

Reasonable Adjustments

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 DWPrecruitment.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.

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

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone is valued and has a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this search:

Equality and diversity - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK (www.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.