About the job

Job summary

Are you an inspirational leader? Do you care passionately about the people and the places where you live? Can you create the right culture, lead teams, and engage others to make a genuine difference to their local communities and wider society? Then this role may be for you!

The Service Leader role is a high profile and business critical role, with responsibility for all functions undertaken for Universal Credit Delivery. 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.

Our South Yorkshire district is made up of 15 no of job centres employing 700+ no of colleagues helping customers get back into work, closer to work or supporting the most vulnerable in society. We have outreach services in prisons; youth hubs in many locations including Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United and visiting services that support some of our most vulnerable customers. It’s a hugely diverse role and no 2 days will be the same. However, your leadership and drive can make an enormous contribution to this.

Reporting into the Group Director, you will be part of a supportive team delivering these services across the North. This is a workplace-based role and not suitable for hybrid working.

Our service centres are the other arm of Universal Credit service Delivery, they are responsible for ensuring benefit payments are made to customers accurately and on time and these are located across Scotland, England and Wales. The service has recently undergone a rapid expansion programme in response to the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic.

DWP is looking to fill 1 x Universal Credit Service Leader role to lead the delivery of Universal Credit across South Yorkshire. The role will be based in the South Yorkshire District and Service Leaders are required to be visible in the Job Centres and Service Centres 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.

Job description

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

• 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 conviction.
• Create and sustain effective relationships with senior stakeholders including Directors and key partners/stakeholders such as Local Authorities and MPs to develop stronger working across DWP to create powerful, purposeful partnerships.
• Be a resourceful, self-starting leader with experience of delivering excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment and leading large teams of 500 plus, to deliver high levels of performance.
• In your membership of Senior Leadership Teams, 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 performance in your area.
• Through your behaviour and ways of working make DWP an inclusive place where people can be their best.

Person specification

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:

• You have strong leadership experience, both personal and corporate, in changing circumstances, with experience of leading and motivating high performing teams (Lead criteria)
• You take responsibility for delivering a timely, high quality and cost-effective service with focus and energy.
• You can set and articulate a strong strategic vision to others and develop team plans and activities to deliver against Work and Health Services Directorate and Departmental objectives ensuring everyone understands their roles and business priorities.
• You are enthusiastic, motivational, visible and accessible and show genuine care for colleagues.
• You communicate confidently and provide clear direction to your teams.
• You can demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations.
• You have strong experience of working in partnership and collaboratively across teams at a senior level engaging and building trust with stakeholders to achieve both your own and departmental 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 personal statement of 1250 words.

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 opportunity to highlight your experience and any relevant qualifications for the role. Please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

This will be assessed against the Key Criteria outlined within the responsibilities section of the advert. The closing date for submitting your CV and Personal Statement is 23:55 on 21/12/2023.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using a Lead Key Criteria. The Key Criteria is the Key Leadership Behaviour (Level 4). 

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

Personal Statement

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.

Blended interview

This will consist of a blended interview which will be held Face to Face in South Yorkshire District, this will take at least 40 minutes. Interviews will take place from January 2024 onward.

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. Details of the presentation and the questions will be provided prior to your Interview.

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.