About the job

Job summary

The Senior Operations Leader role is a high profile and business critical role, with responsibility for operational performance and delivery in a number of sites within a District or a Service Centre site.
Universal Credit is at the heart of the governments welfare agenda – designed to simplify the benefit system by bringing together a range of working age benefits into a single payment whilst supporting customers to find work. The service – made up of c45,000 colleagues provide support through an extensive network of jobcentres who provide face to face labour market support.

DWP is looking to fill one Universal Credit Senior Operations Leader role to lead the delivery of Universal Credit within Kent District. The role will be based in Jobcentres within the District. However, Operational Leaders will be required to be visible and travel across the Job Centres and Service Centre across their district and wider business area.

We welcome applications from candidates who demonstrate inspirational and resourceful leadership to help drive performance and deliver a positive and efficient service to our customers.

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

Job description

Successful candidates can expect to be involved in a range of the following:
• An inspirational and resourceful leader able to drive performance and deliver a positive and efficient service to our customers.
• A strong personal commitment to people engagement empowering people to deliver a professional, quality service.
• Monitoring and improving the quality of the end-to-end customer experience, ensuring that “one customer, one service, one business” is a reality.
• Active member of the Universal Credit Operations Leadership Team, contributing to the wider Departmental agendas.
• An experienced communicator demonstrating personal accountability through periods of change, supporting the team, focusing and listening to People, building capability, fostering and embedding a climate of personal development and continuous learning for all and celebrating success.
• Accountable for the management of performance within their teams, undertaking regular face-to-face performance reviews with their direct reports, identifying risks to performance achievement and driving forward continuous improvement.
• Works to build a fully inclusive working environment, valuing diverse views, eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
• Actively promotes health and well-being and takes responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
• Encourage a culture of innovation focused on adding value - giving people space to think and act creatively.
• Encourage collaborative working between teams and directorate to drive innovation and service improvements.
• Work to develop the leadership skills of all colleagues within the team.
• Ensuring teams work within budget and headcount control costs, delivering value for money and efficiencies.
• Drives culture of managing data securely in line with GDPR and seeks ways to reduce data loss.
• Be committed to their own professional development and building the capability of others including the achievement of Operational Delivery Profession standards and digital capability.

Person specification

Key Criteria

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:
• You have strong leadership skills and experience in a fast changing environment. 
• You take responsibility for delivering a timely, high quality and cost effective service with focus and energy.
• You are able to set and articulate a strong strategic vision to others and develop team plans and activities to deliver against Directorate and Departmental objectives.
• You inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role and ensure everyone understands their roles and business priorities.
• You are visible, accessible, an effective senior leader and you communicate confidently and provide clear direction and show genuine care for colleagues.
• You can demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations.
• You create opportunities for colleagues, stakeholders, delivery partners and customers to help improve the quality of service.
• You have strong experience of working in partnership and collaboratively across teams at a senior level 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%

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 1250 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

CV
The CV is an online 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, so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

Personal Statement (1250 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.

A written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement of 1250 words. This will be assessed against the Key Criteria outlined within the responsibilities section of the advert (person specification). The closing date for submitting your CV and Personal Statement is 20 December 2023.

The 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.

The interview will be held face to face and will last approximately 45 minutes and includes requirement for candidates to deliver a 5-minute presentation, no IT will be required for this presentation. Further details regarding the topic for the presentation and interview arrangements will be included in the invite to interview.

Interviews will take place from 17 January 2024.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour* questions in advance of the interview, 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.

Sift and interview dates are subject to change.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made. The reserve list may be used to offer future vacancies which arise in the South East and South West and across the wider DWP network. Any such offers would be made in strict merit order and the location and job role would be fully explained.

You may be placed on the reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*. 
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

*Note -  Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health.

Candidates should note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a  minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

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. 

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.

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

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.