About the job

Job summary

The role of a Senior Operations Manager will be to lead our Delivery Vetting Clearance Officer teams ensuring that vetting products are completed within specific time frames and with the required assurance. You will be expected to ensure the delivery team performance and engagement under your leadership is optimised to meet the quantitative and qualitative customer requirements. As well as team management, we want someone who is open to change, can challenge our current ways of working and will work with us to shape the future of vetting. 

Job description

Reporting to the relevant Assistant Heads of Delivery, you will: 

• Have direct line management responsibilities for a large target driven team.
• Oversee the analysis of performance across your teams, ensuring output is maximised.
• Build an engaging team culture, focused on staff wellbeing and development.
• Be focused on quality assurance and support continual learning to ensure consistently high standards across the board.
• Ensure that risks are identified and managed, escalating to the Assistant Head of Delivery where necessary.
• Champion transformation, innovation and ongoing continuous improvement across your area in support of the organisation's strategic objectives.
• Build positive working relationships across the business, supporting the relevant Assistant Heads of Delivery where needed with external stakeholder engagement.

Person specification

As a Senior Operations Manager within UK Security Vetting, we are looking for people who have the following expertise and attributes:

• A dynamic leader passionate about inspiring others to become the best they can be.
• A high-energy and proactive nature, with a positive can-do attitude and result-focused.
• An ability to multitask and meet stringent deadlines whilst staying calm under pressure.
• A natural collaborator with an ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong communicator, both verbally and written, with good attention to detail.
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills with an ability to translate raw information into actionable strategies and plans.
• Proficiency in Google Suite, MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint to create visual and verbally engaging analyses, reports and presentations.
• Ability to work flexibly to meet changing priorities, managing a diverse workload and optimising resources to meet current and future demand.

Essential:

• Experience leading a team.
• Experience in an operational and/or targeted environment.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £11,029 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.

Application process

At the sift stage you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Experience elements of the Success Profiles.

You will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the Behaviour Leadership.

To assess experience you will be asked to provide a 500-word Statement of Suitability and a name-blind (anonymous) CV. 

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 undertaken using the lead behaviour Leadership as well as the Statement of Suitability.

Selection process

At interview, you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Experience elements of the Success Profiles. 

The Behaviours being assessed are Leadership, Changing and Improving, Developing Self and Others and Managing a Quality Service. 

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date –w/c 29 April
Expected interview date/s – w/c 13 May
Interview location - Google Meets Video Conferencing

Further Information

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

Any move to Cabinet Office 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 and 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 

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

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.

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

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.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’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.