About the job

Job summary

Do you have strong Accessibility skills?

Do you know WCAG inside out?

If you have very strong communication skills that allow you to engage with people and teams across different levels and capabilities, then this is the job for you!

This is a new role to DWP and will be part of the newly formed Digital Corporate Services User Centred Design (UCD) Support team.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate advocate for accessibility issues.  You will be the 'face of accessibility', and will lead on accessibility work, ensuring that products we design for colleagues are fit for purpose, and fully accessible from day one.

The ideal candidate will have a strong personality and good negotiation and diplomatic skills, sometimes being able to withstand challenge from third parties.

The successful candidate will be part of the design process wherever needed and be a champion for accessibility. As well as designing and testing products, there is also an element of coaching too. As a newly formed directorate and adopting a product lead approach, this is a new way of working for a lot of its members so there will be an emphasis on explaining why accessibility is important to colleagues but also senior stakeholders too. This will involve explaining the risks of not being accessibility compliant as well as implementing the DWP Digital Accessibility Policy.

Job description

As a Senior Accessibility Specialist, you will lead on:

• Defining and implementing accessibility standards across the Department
• Managing accessibility products and services within the Department
• Communicating risk, articulating it clearly and working with senior stakeholders to manage that risk across the Department.
• You will oversee and support the work of Accessibility Specialist and Associate Accessibility Specialists, ensuring team resources are effectively managed and results monitored.

You will support users, making sure they can access products and services, and will help teams, portfolios, and programmes across the department to meet:

• The Government Service Standard
• The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
• The Equality Act (2010)
• The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (2018).

As a Senior Accessibility Specialist, you will also help ensure that citizen facing services and internal systems cater for the needs of all users by being:

• accessible to everybody, including those with disabilities
• usable by those who are digitally excluded due to skills, confidence, willingness, or lack of resources.

 You will engage with a variety of teams and senior stakeholders to influence decisions based on data. You will be able to explain and demonstrate accessibility issues clearly and lead on the resolution of these issues. You will guide others and increase awareness and capability in teams.

As a Senior Accessibility Specialist, you will lead on the management of departmental legal risks and potential reputational damage associated with a lack of accessibility compliance, which will entail engagement with a variety of senior stakeholders.

You will work to proactively change the culture in the department and keep accessibility and inclusion at the forefront of everything we do.

Role and Responsibilities

1. Lead on delivering our accessibility strategy to improve compliance, culture, and education in the Department. Assessing services and reporting corporate risks regarding accessibility and inclusion with reference to policies, standards, rulings, and legislation.
2. Manage, support and co-ordinate a team of Accessibility Specialists, overseeing and completing assurance activities.
3. Provide expert advice and upskill delivery teams and stakeholders on achieving channel shift goals whilst meeting diverse users’ needs with digital interfaces, offline channels, and support models.
4. Create, maintain and disseminate guidance, and best practice on accessibility, acting as an expert consultant and driving corporate understanding across a wide range of delivery teams. Stay up to date and communicate any changes to the relevant standards, to ensure Departmental compliance.
5. Drive the transformation of DWP's approach to accessibility and digital inclusion in line with the Government Service Standard.
6. Contribute to, support, and share the work of the accessibility and inclusion communities across government.
7. Build capability by developing and delivering training on a range of accessibility and digital inclusion topics to a variety of delivery teams.
8. Implement mechanisms to ensure quality, consistency, effectiveness, and efficiency of accessibility requirements across DWP products and services.
9. You will encourage and coach colleagues through the career pathways and work with them (and their line managers as appropriate) to develop strategies to achieve their career goals.

Person specification

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• *Lead criterion: In-depth knowledge of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
• Experience of working with a wide range of key stakeholders and influencing outcomes, ensuring that the accessibility strategy leads to accessible, compliant products
• Experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams to advocate for accessibility compliance
• Experience of staff coaching and staff development/ experience of using knowledge and expertise of assistive technologies to ensure compliance
• Experience of assistive software testing (eg - JAWS, ZoomText, Dragon)
• Knowledge of Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (2018) and other relevant legislation.

*Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Criterion: (In-depth knowledge of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines -  WCAG).   Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift. 

You are advised to write up to 200 words for each criteria point listed above.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact sam.hackett@dwp.gov.uk.

Benefits

• An employer pension contribution of up to 27% For further information please click here.
• Annual leave rising up to 30 days, (based on your working pattern).
• Family friendly flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working, job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Learning and development tailored to your role this could include industry recognised qualifications, coaching and mentoring. 
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join staff networks including: Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

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. 

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from £52,412 to £63,517.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Location

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

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of three parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.

3. Personal statement up to 1250 words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign. 

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.

You will be asked to complete an exercise that will be sent out 48 hours in advance of the interview.  You will be asked to identify WCAG errors in web pages and present priorities for remediation. You will be given 10 minutes to feedback your findings either verbally or as a presentation.

Interviews will take place from the end of March 2024. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information:

Find out more about Working for DWP

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

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

Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location. 

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 Adjustment

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 DigitalRecruitment.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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page. 

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.