About the job

Job summary

The Strategic Partnership Manager role is a key strategic regional interface between DWP policy directorates, other UK Government departments regional teams Policy Teams, Local Authorities, key regional stakeholders.  Acting as head of Employer and Partnership activity across the region.

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.

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.

Job description

You will lead a specialist strategic focus at a regional level between DWP policy directorates, other UK Government departments, Lead Local Authorities, and key regional stakeholders with an interest in the labour market bringing strategic alignment between DWP sub-national strategic partnerships and stakeholders’ objectives in pursuit of DWP and UK Government objectives.

You will ensure DWP influences and builds on its engagement activities and place based evidence within given geographies to influence and build the development and better alignment of the Departments thematic objectives by breaking down barriers so that DWP policy objectives are better understood and landed locally; leveraging and exploiting opportunities that support departmental and wider government priorities, creating efficiencies and improving outcomes to support  achieving DWP and UK Government objectives.

You will align and support other DWP external facing roles, in particular Policy Group stakeholder engagement across DWP, the Devolved Administrations, Local Authorities, Voluntary sector, and Work and Health Service and Finance Group engagement linked to the delivery of key employment programmes such as Flexible Support Fund.

You will be a senior single point of contact for strategic internal and external policy and delivery discussions on labour market needs and provision landscape regionally, providing a strategic overview of what the short- and long-term local labour markets need, providing insight into work on DWP and wider UK Government plans and commissioning.

You will lead on policy priorities across your region ensuring strategy understanding, national consistency ensuring the right foundations are in place with external stakeholders to deliver cohesive suite of outcomes to 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 that align with the policy intent outlined in the Health & Disability White Paper, ensuring national consistency and understanding of the overarching strategy to support unemployed and economically inactive customers.

You will develop effective relationships with local commissioners across a range of funds, supporting to join up and influence the development of joined up strategic plans and commissioning.

You will provide systems leadership for both Policy Group and local external stakeholders enabling flow of evidence base and insight to shape and assist national policy development and local provision.

You will provide support to Area Directors, Group Directors and Service Leaders to enable the appropriate strategic relationships with stakeholders and MPs across the region. Influencing Work and Health Directorate delivery of labour market solutions at a local level, including alignment with cross-government priorities and external support, delivering better outcomes for all citizens in line with DWP objectives.

We are looking for a skilled leader who can navigate across a complex landscape of policy and strategic delivery. Building strong strategic relationships at Director and CEO level, within their region and understand the wider geographical differences across government.

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

Person specification

• Strong leadership experience, both personal and corporate, in changing circumstances, with experience of leading and motivating high performing teams (Lead criteria)
• Responsibility for delivering a timely, high quality and cost-effective service with focus and energy.
• Set and articulate a strong strategic vision to others and develop team plans and activities to deliver against Directorate and Departmental objectives ensuring everyone understands their roles and business priorities.
• Visible, accessible, an effective senior leader and you communicate confidently and provide clear direction and show genuine care for colleagues and Stakeholders.
• Demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of policy intent, funding streams, customer needs and expectations.
• Strong experience of working in partnership to manage complex and challenging conversations to influence outcomes by working collaboratively across teams, internally, externally and across Government at a senior level engaging and building trust with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals and ensuring national and local focus and consistency.
• Understanding of DWPs labour market policy portfolio, cross-government levelling up agenda and the Union strategy as it applies to DWP. To positively inspire, encourage and influence others, actively seeking and listening to feedback by encouraging discussion and ideas in support of development.
• To be a resourceful, self-starting leader with experience of delivering excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment and leading messaging across Group to deliver high levels of performance.
• As member of DWP Senior Leadership Team, role model exceptional leadership, working flexibly across boundaries, building capability in line with Professional Standards and undertaking regular activity to build and sustain engagement.
• Demonstrate strong and effective change management; and be accountable for the delivery and quality of activity in the region and wider DWP.
• Through behaviour and ways of working make DWP an inclusive place where people can be their best.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,869, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £18,865 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, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement of no more than 1250 words to display your skills, experience and knowledge against the Key Criteria listed above.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

After a sift of applications, candidates will be shortlisted and invited to attend a face-to-face interview with a blend of Behaviour and Strength questions.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

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.