About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join Service, Planning and Delivery (SPD) within the Insight and Performance Excellence Team (IPE).

IPE is going to transform the way we approach performance and insight across Service Delivery in DWP.

The objective is to ensure that all decisions made in our frontline services, such as resourcing, process changes and investment in technology are driven by robust evidence and insight.

To achieve this, we need to invest in the performance culture and capability of our people, in the data we have access to, and in the tools and techniques we apply when driving performance across the organisation.

DWP have a commitment which aims to equip leaders with the performance coaching skills and understanding of data to enable them to have quality coaching conversations. This, in turn will lead to increased capability, improved quality, improved performance and bring a change in culture within Service Delivery.

Job description

Successful candidates can expect to be involved in a range of the following

• You will lead the delivery of the Performance Coaching Framework within your area, ensuring all planned activities / milestones are achieved
• Undertake and gather essential evaluation in line with IPE evaluation strategy
• Line manage a team of HEOs
• You will be strengthening relationships and communications, sharing a ‘centre of enablement’ approach across the business, engaging with and influencing stakeholders to create and evolve a performance coaching culture.
• You will proactively identify risks to effective delivery and work closely with the IPE Project Management Office feeding in key information, updates, risk and mitigation to ensure the project remains on track.
• Lead by demonstrating a strong commitment to your own self-development and the development of others. Ensuring your team have the necessary skills, knowledge and capability
• It will be important within delivery of this role to have an overarching view of the bigger picture. Gaining an understanding of the business objectives / priorities and the impact Performance Coaching will have.

Person specification

Lead Key Criteria

• Strong influential Leadership with a continuous improvement mindset
• An excellent communicator, both written and verbal. Confident to deliver to large audiences face-to-face and virtually, adapting your communication style to suit the audience making appropriate use of digital communication channels

Other Key Criteria

• Be proactive and positive, working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders making and maintaining effective professional working relationships, deliver shared goals and outcomes 
• Have a strong commitment to self-development and the development of others.
• Ability to work at pace to deliver outcomes within agreed timescales, demonstrating effective planning management. Are flexible and operate with a high degree of autonomy
• Demonstrate an understanding of performance data and using it within performance conversation and to drive performance improvement 

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for positions based in Wales.

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%

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

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

​1. Application ​

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

CV​

The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility it will not form be part of the sift, so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement. 

Personal statement

When completing your personal statement of 1250 words, 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 and what have you done that relates 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 and 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.

2. Written Sift

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your Personal Statement of 1250 words and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert.

In the event of a large number of applications we will use the Lead Criteria to initially assess your application during the Sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial Sift may be progressed to a full Sift or direct to interview.

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your Personal Statement of 1250 words and will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the advert.​

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Criteria:

• Strong influential Leadership with a continuous improvement mindset
• An excellent communicator, both written and verbal. Confident to deliver to large audiences face-to-face and virtually, adapting your communication style to suit the audience making appropriate use of digital communication channels

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

3. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a video interview.

The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess: Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.  The interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role.

You will be asked to present a 5-minute presentation at the start of the interview. The subject matter will be shared with you in advance, up to 5 working days prior to your interview

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour questions in advance, up to 5 working days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your experience, abilities and strengths.

Candidates will be asked further probing questions to determine suitability for the role.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

You will be assessed against the behaviours: Leadership, Developing Self and Others, Working together, & Communicating and Influencing at level 3.

It may help to use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

What the task/ work was, How you approached the task/work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list will be held for up to 3 months, which we may also use to fill future similar vacancies.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.