About the job

Job summary

Are you someone who strives to make a difference to people’s lives? If so, we would like to hear from you!

We have a number of Higher Executive Officer (HEO) leadership roles based within our Jobcentres. See candidate pack for more information. 

These are key roles and we are looking for people who will help us deliver front-line operations to positively change people's lives in our communities.  

Standard promotion rules will apply and successful candidates will be placed on the pay scale and terms and conditions of DWP.

Due to the nature of our role, DWP is required to ensure that the political impartiality of its employees cannot be brought into question. Given that the Operational Leader role you are applying for is classed by DWP as a ‘sensitive’ role because it involves contact with the public, permission cannot be given to anyone in such a role to engage or remain politically active in any kind of local councillor role. There may also be restrictions applied to other political activities which are set out in the Department’s Standards of Behaviour Policy which is underpinned by the Civil Service Management Code. You may therefore wish to decide at application stage whether, if your job application was successful, there would be a conflict of interest with any political activity role you have and whether, knowing the restrictions we necessarily apply as an employer, you wish to pursue your application with DWP.  If you have any questions about this or need further information about the restrictions, please contact UC.ScotlandRecruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Job description

Broadly speaking a HEO Universal Credit Operational Leader is responsible for coaching, leading and building the team to achieve national performance measures. They will achieve this by:

• Creating an inclusive team environment, embracing different individual needs, views, and ideas.
• Motivating, developing, and encouraging teams and undertaking regular performance reviews.
• Identifying risks to performance and ensuring continuous improvement by ensuring colleagues are capable and empowered to build their skills and confidence.
• Identifying priorities to ensure the delivery of yours and others’ objectives.
• Monitoring and improving the quality of the customer experience.
• Suggesting continuous improvement ideas themselves and encouraging and enabling their people to suggest and implement continuous improvement activity and innovation.
• A focus on building collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, partners and organisations to deliver excellent service.
• Being an active member of a leadership team, providing visible and effective leadership, taking a personal lead in engaging with and communicating key messages and implementing corporate changes.

Person specification

Strong candidates will be able to present evidence of the following Behaviour and Key Criteria:

 Leadership (Lead Behaviour)

• Ensure colleagues and stakeholders have a clear understanding of objectives, activities and time-frames.
• Take into account different individual needs, views, and ideas, championing inclusion and equality of opportunity for all.
• Consider the impacts of own and team’s activities on stakeholders and end users.
• Role-model commitment and satisfaction with role.
• Recognise and praise the achievements of others to drive positivity within the team.
• Effectively manage conflict, misconduct and non-inclusive behaviour, raising with senior managers where appropriate.

Key Criteria (use for Personal Statement)

• Strong leadership and excellent people engagement skills.
• Committed to developing people and empowering colleagues through challenging conversations to drive performance.
• A motivated, energetic leader who can improve quality and consistency, demonstrating positive outcomes for customers.
• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Able to innovate and make sound decisions sometimes at pace.

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a behaviour example and a personal statement (max 750 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Written Sift (Initial & Full)

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from leadership behaviour example and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Lead Behaviour and Key Criteria listed on the Person Specification slide.

• Initial written Sift: In the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be undertaken on your lead behaviour evidence only (250 words maximum). Only those candidates who score 4 or above on this element will progress to the full written sift.
• Full written Sift will be conducted using evidence from your Personal Statement (750 words maximum) and will be assessed against the Key Criteria listed in the Person Specification.

Leadership Behaviour (max 250 words): When completing your Leadership Behaviour example please read the behaviour framework thoroughly as this is what your written evidence will assessed against. It may also be helpful to use the WHO or STAR model to explore what you have done in previous jobs or experiences as well as what you have achieved and/or learned.

Personal statement (max 750 words): 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 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.

The interview

This will be conducted face to face. If invited to interview you will be sent locations and dates to choose from when booking your interview slot.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Blended Interview

You will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength 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.

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:

What was the task, How you approached the 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?

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 strength 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract. 

Important 

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

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.