About the job

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. We are looking for successful applicants who are well suited and committed to providing high levels of customer service.  
Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) has oversight and control of the main levers needed to improve the way we manage fraud, error and debt within the Department. 

This role sits within the Integrated Risk & Intelligence Service (IRIS). IRIS is made up of diverse blended teams, including analysts, digital specialists, intelligence experts, and fraud, error and debt specialists.  
We are a dynamic and responsive community working together to transform and drive the handling of fraud, error and debt, scanning the horizon for new threats and empowering the frontline. 
IRIS will enable DWP to prevent fraud and error and to be recognised as leaders in anticipating threats, and ultimately deterring those who pose a threat from attempting to defraud in the first place. 

Job description

This role will be managing the delivery of activity in the IRIS Risk Insights & Response Coordination team, which works with stakeholders to identify opportunities to tackle fraud and error risks impacting DWP, develop solutions and support the delivery of those initiatives.  

We look for emotionally aware leaders who enable teams to be innovative, adaptable and flexible.  We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do. 

The role will require someone who strives for continuous improvement, innovation, cooperation, and collaboration, taking responsibility for delivering high quality responses to fraud and error across DWP. 

Being capable of combining technical understanding with an eye for detail with strong stakeholder management skills to successfully collaborate across the department and wider DWP. 

The role does not currently have any line management responsibilities.  

Successful candidates can expect to be involved in the following: 

• Collaborate with colleagues within the wider team and with stakeholders across the Department to identify and capitalise upon opportunities to tackle fraud and error risks impacting DWP.
• Role model positive behaviours to build and sustain engagement with stakeholders, taking a cross Department approach to mitigate and address key fraud risks.
• Bring together a range of skills to identify problems and find solutions through a multi-disciplinary team approach. 
• Provide visible, accessible, and effective subject matter leadership, taking a personal lead in communicating messages with clarity and conviction across your own team and with other colleagues. Seeking feedback from colleagues, listening, and acting on this.
• Research and analyse current information, intelligence and insight on fraud and error risks to develop subject matter expertise on understanding methodologies and risks.

Person specification

The successful candidate will need to be able to:

• Demonstrate a strong track record in building and maintaining highly effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure delivery of priority outcomes for DWP. 
• Work with colleagues within Counter Fraud Compliance Directorate, Digital Group, wider DWP and across other government departments to identify opportunities to tackle fraud and error risks impacting DWP. 
• Effectively influence and negotiate resolutions to complex and often technical issues. 
• Manage the delivery of multiple concurrent initiatives and strive for continuous improvement, innovation and efficiency, balancing competing work priorities. 
• Be able to communicate effectively and with conviction, both verbally and in writing, to a range of diverse stakeholders across the department and wider DWP. 

The successful applicant will need to demonstrate:

• Ability to work together with diverse stakeholders.
• Deliver concurrent, complex initiatives at pace.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Stakeholder management skills and experience, building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A drive for change and continuous improvement.

Key Criteria
Candidates will be able to demonstrate the following Key Criteria:

• Strong leadership skills and experience with a proven ability to take ownership of initiatives, make links across business areas and work with stakeholders to deliver (Lead Criteria).
• Experience of drawing on a range of complex information, data or analysis to inform decision making (2nd Lead Criteria). 
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues and internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven experience in co-ordinating teams or stakeholders with broad ranging skills, delivering at pace to timelines. 
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to communicate information clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing for a variety of audiences. 
• An understanding of the opportunities for a government department to counter fraud and error. 

Desirable Skills

• If based in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

Please Note

Successful applicants for this role will need to undergo National Security Vetting to  Security Clearance Level (SC) due to the nature of the role. 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. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

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

Benefits

With great benefits including: 

• Generous annual leave – 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus bank holidays and one day of leave for the King’s Birthday. The exact number of days of annual leave will be determined by any current years of service.
• Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave we also recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and offer flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
• Training and apprenticeships and up to 5 days’ personal development & learning allowance.
• Flexible/hybrid working.
• Employee discount schemes.
• Free wellbeing support.
• Opportunities to make a real difference through joining forums, initiatives & charities.
• Interest free travel loans.
• Vodafone advantage discount scheme.
• HASSRA - DWP colleagues will have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace.
• Highly sought-after civil service pension - your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where:
  • The employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.
  • Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution.
  • Your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
  • For more information, visit civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk   

Location

The post can be based at the following locations:   

Regional – please see slide 2 in the candidate pack for list of possible locations.   

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.​ 

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, Ability and Experience.

Stage 1 - Application form 

Please complete the First Stage Short Application Form. 

Stage 2 - Civil Service Judgement Test

After submitting your application, you will be sent an invitation with a link to complete an online Civil Service Judgement Test. This is designed to test your skills for the role.   

Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24 - 48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test and Personal Statement is 23:55 on 4th June 2024. If you fail to complete the online test and personal statement before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

Stage 3 - Application and Sift

If you successfully pass the test, you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement in no more than 1250 words detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the Key Criteria listed. Please pay particular attention to the lead criteria and second lead criteria as if you do not demonstrate this on your application, you will not progress to interview stage.     

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. 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 evidence the key personal requirements, what have you done that’s relatable to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.

If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. 

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria below, or lead and second lead criteria. If so, we will sift on: 

• Strong leadership skills and experience with a proven ability to take ownership of initiatives, make links across business areas and work with stakeholders to deliver (Lead Criteria).
• Experience of drawing on a range of complex information, data or analysis to inform decision making (2nd Lead Criteria). 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to an interview. 

**Please note the closing date for your full application is 23:55 on 04/Jun/2024**   

Sift to be held 05/06/2024 to 21/06/2024. These dates made be subject to change. 

Candidate Pack 

It is important that you take time to read the Candidate Pack which can be found at the bottom of this job advert. This provides further information about the role and working in DWP.  

Stage 4 - Interview 

Those who pass the Test and Written Application Sift with the required score will be invited to a blended interview and will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account. Please note that interviews will be held Face-to-Face across the UK at various locations noted in the candidate pack. You will be notified of this if you are selected for interview.

Interviews are scheduled to take place from 08/07/2024, please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Interviews will be scheduled Monday to Friday, between 09:00 to 17:00.

Communications will be electronic and/or by telephone therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number, it is important that you answer so that your interview can be confirmed.   

Preparing for the interview 
The interview will take approximately 45 minutes and will consist of Behaviour and Strength based questions.

A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview offering a more inclusive approach. The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.   

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed above at Level 3.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behavioural questions in advance of the interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your strengths.

An example of a Behavioural question would be “Tell me about a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult customer.”

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:    

• WHO - What it was, How you approached the work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
• STAR - What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take?  What were the Results of your actions?

Strengths

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. 

While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.

If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.   

If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.  

Stage 5 – Offer

Once all interviews have been completed, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.

The successful candidate(s) will be notified of a start date following successful security checks, which is likely to be during August / September 2024.

Please note:  

• If you are offered the role you applied for, 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. 

Candidates should also 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.  

Important Information  

Working Pattern​ 

Part-time and job-sharing working patterns within working hours will be considered but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful part time and job share candidates may be required to work full time for specific periods to complete all training and consolidation.  Hybrid Working may not commence until the training / consolidation period has been successfully completed.  

​​Hours of Work ​ 

The full-time working week in DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours of: ​ 

• 7:45am and 8:00pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and​
• 8:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday.​

Managers will agree working patterns with successful applicants within these business hours and review these as appropriate.  ​ 

You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule. 

Further information 

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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 or Disclosure Scotland 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.  

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

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. 

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. 

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

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 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 are 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. 

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.