About the job

Job summary

This is a senior leadership role leading a large operation responsible for the service delivery of Universal Credit across a Service Centre and Jobcentres. 

The Senior Universal Credit Operational Leader is accountable for creating an environment to support the delivery of excellent, high quality customer service and performance across several sites/geographical clusters.

As a Senior Operational Grade 7 leader in Universal Credit, you will play a key role in service delivery for our customers, people, and stakeholders. 

We welcome applications from candidates who demonstrate inspirational and resourceful leadership to help drive performance and deliver a positive and efficient service working in a fast paced and challenging environment.

Job description

You will be an active member of your Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the wider Departmental agendas and providing visible, accessible and effective senior leadership, taking a personal lead in communicating messages with clarity and empowering your teams to deliver.

You will create and sustain effective relationships with senior stakeholders, including Directors and key partners/stakeholders, to develop stronger working across DWP to create powerful, purposeful partnerships.

You will be a resourceful, self-starting leader with experience of delivering excellent customer service in a fast paced environment and leading large commands to deliver high levels of performance.

You will role model exceptional leadership, working flexibly across boundaries, building capability to build and sustain engagement. You will drive performance and delivery to ensure successful outcomes for our customers, delivering a positive and efficient service.

Strong and effective change management will be key, and you will be accountable for the delivery and quality of customer outcomes and employee activity in your area.

Through your behaviour and ways of working, you will be creating an environment that ensures DWP is an inclusive place where people can be their best.

All prospective applicants should fully consider the candidate pack before applying.

Person specification

Key Criteria

• You have strong leadership experience, both personal and corporate, in changing circumstances, with experience of leading and motivating high performing teams. (Lead Criteria)
• You have the experience in leading a large operational area at a senior level, that delivers exceptional outcomes through your people, creating the environment for employees to thrive and deliver with high engagement.
• You make changes that add value, with a strong focus on improved outcomes and performance by encouraging innovation, giving people the space to take initiative.
• You can demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations to drive successful customer outcomes.
• You take responsibility for delivering a timely, high quality and cost-effective service with focus and energy.
• You have experience of working in partnership and collaboratively across teams, engaging and building trust with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals.

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.

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement (1250 words max). Your Personal Statement and will be assessed against the chosen behaviours and the Key Criteria within the advert.

Sift

You will be assessed based on your CV and Personal Statement of no more than 1250 words to display your skills, experience and knowledge against the Key Criteria listed above. 

Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to attend a face-to-face interview with a blend of Behaviour and Strength questions.

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

• You have strong leadership experience, both personal and corporate, in changing circumstances, with experience of leading and motivating high performing teams. (Lead Criteria)

or the Lead Behaviour ‘Leadership’ to initially assess your application during the Sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. This will be a blended face to face interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people and will last a minimum of 40 minutes. The interview will assess: Behaviours and Strengths.

You will be asked to deliver a presentation on the Lead Behaviour followed by 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.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent details of the presentation and behaviour questions in advance of the interview around 5 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 strengths. Candidates will be asked further probing questions to determine suitability for the role.

Sift and interview dates

Sift W/C 12/02/2024

Interviews W/C 26/02/2024

Please note that dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, whilst exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

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 and Barring Service 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.

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.

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.