About the job

Job summary

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'. 

Do you want to help shape the strategy and support our mission to deliver exceptional Management Information (MI) products and services?

Do you want to collect and manage a vast array of data which is used by the Secretary of State?

DWP is the UK's largest government department. We help people into work and make payments worth over £195bn a year to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

DWP Digital creates digital services that almost everyone in the UK relies on at some point in their lives. We’re carrying out a once-in-a-generation digital transformation - a task of size and scale unmatched elsewhere. We’re revamping our users’ digital experiences to make significant changes for 22 million users.

The DWP MI team provides the strategic capability for MI reporting and visualisations across DWP. You will lead a group of people working on user-focused data products and services in a complex digital environment.

Job description

Working with modern cloud environments and a mix of legacy on-premises technologies, you’ll help develop the DWP Data Engineering Strategy for MI products and services that enables the department to gain insight and make more informed choices. The work is fast paced with a large and growing portfolio of MI products built upon hundreds of data sets.

You’ll focus on back-end data processes to support MI reporting, rather than visualisation work. This role has an emphasis on data engineering technical leadership – you’ll lead other data engineers in terms of direction setting and their technical knowledge and capability.

You will steer the data engineering function within a wider product team. There’ll be lots of connecting and interaction with stakeholders – you’ll work closely with product and delivery managers, business analysts and data scientists.

You’ll also manage a small team of data engineers and oversee specialist contractor data engineers. You will explore new ideas and support your team in developing their technical and interpersonal skills.

Your time will roughly be split 40% hands-on data engineering and 60% leadership, strategy and management. You will be accountable for:

• Leading the team to deliver all aspects of data development activities.

• Translating complex user requirements and data models into effective, robust ETL solutions in line with DWP build standards.

• Owning the DWP Power BI data requirement that enables reporting across the DWP estate.

• Developing, maintaining and continuously improving automated data ingest routines, complex workflows and mappings for structured and unstructured data.

• Developing reusable, robust and scalable products.

• Ensuring adherence to standards, legal, regulatory and security requirements across the DWP Data Engineering community, particularly in relation to consistency across multiple MI products.

Person specification

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

• Technical leadership – you have experience advising on technology and standards, setting direction, building and maintaining networks and collaborating across teams with a diverse range of stakeholders.

• You have a deep understanding of AWS, Azure, Athena, EMR processing, relational & non-relational databases, and understand how these fit into the wider technical landscape.

• You have experience designing, coding and testing data solutions of medium to high complexity within an enterprise-governed process.

• You have experience building team capability through role modelling, mentoring and coaching.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Felicity.smith@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.

The maximum salary for the grade is £63,517, however a Digital Allowance of up to £15,000 per annum is available for exceptional candidates, based on our assessment of your skills and experience.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

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.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

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

3. Technical statement (up to 250 words):

• Technical Breadth - Tell us about your experience of technical leadership in a data service environment, including advising on data solutions and setting direction for and managing other data engineers.

An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement (Technical Breadth). Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift. The sift panel will use the information in your employment history 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.

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 or technical 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.

Interviews will take place from mid to late July 2024. Interview dates to be confirmed.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the interview questions in advance of the interview, at least 5 days prior to your 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 experience and abilities. Candidates may be asked further probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role. 

Candidates are strongly encouraged to secure their interview slot promptly to ensure fairness in preparation time with the questions provided in advance. 

Further information:

Find out more about Working for DWP

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.

Security Clearance Requirement

You must meet the security vetting requirements before you can be appointed. The level of clearance needed is Security Check.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period. Whilst a lack of UK residency is not necessarily a bar to Security Check clearance, an expectation of UK residency may range from three to five years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for this role may result in the withdrawal of your offer. 

NSV

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

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. 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.