Operational Leader
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 1st October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Do you have a passion for public service? Would you like to make a difference to someone’s life? If so, we would like to hear from you. DWP help people lift themselves out of poverty and to stay out of poverty, through work, saving and support. This is a hugely important public service and our challenge is bigger than ever.
As part of Counter Fraud and Compliance and Debt (CFCD) you will be at the heart of DWP’s front line operations helping to change people’s lives and supporting CFCDs purpose of fighting fraud in the welfare system.
With varied and exciting roles, you will be involved in reviewing fraud, error and debt within the department. This role is unique and challenging, with the aim of helping drive down the level of fraud and error within the benefit system.
Job description
CFCD Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Team Leaders support the flexible, effective, personalised delivery of customer service, quality and performance across sites.
HEO Team Leaders inspire colleagues through difficult situations, transform performance and are accountable for the effective utilisation of operational resources, delivering improved value for money and driving out inefficiencies.
Key tasks include:
- Directly line manage a team, provide clear, visible and strong leadership and engage with colleagues to drive high performance and quality.
- Create an inclusive team environment, embracing different individual needs, views and ideas, making it clear to all that bullying, harassment and discrimination is unacceptable.
- Work with internal and external stakeholders, encourage collaborative working between teams, build relationships and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Motivate, develop and encourage teams, undertake regular performance reviews, provide coaching, learning and development and one to ones to develop skills.
- Identify risks to performance achievement and drive forward continuous improvement.
- Monitor and improve the quality of the face-to-face/telephony and end-to-end customer experience, ensuring that ‘one customer, one service, one business’ becomes a reality within DWP.
- Provide relevant information to colleagues regarding changes to policy, legislation and statutory requirements as appropriate, and identify and implement best practice.
- Ensure all security matters (including information protection) are dealt with promptly and sensitively, in line with DWP policies and procedures.
- Use networking and influencing to create, maintain and improve service delivery for all customers
- Support the identification of priorities and work collaboratively to ensure the delivery of both your own and others’ objectives.
Person specification
What we are looking for in our leaders:
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
- A driven, energetic leader who is able to improve quality and consistency within our customer journey.
- Strong collaboration and negotiation skills, with experience of influencing and managing effective stakeholder relationships.
- Excellent communication, presentation and organisational skills.
- Able to innovate and make sound business decisions at pace, through creative thinking and a flexible, agile outlook and approach.
- Able to work at pace in an ambiguous and changing business landscape.
- Able to lead remotely, promote inclusivity and hold a solid understanding of equality and diversity and how it impacts upon service delivery.
- A high level of emotional intelligence, honesty, integrity and a personal demeanour that inspires confidence and loyalty.
- Understanding of the political context within which DWP operates, and ability to set the vision for your teams, with an awareness of wider, long-term aims for CFCD.
- Travel between sites may be required depending on business needs.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
Alongside your salary, the Department for Work and Pensions contributes 28.97% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
- An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Stage 1 – Written Application and Sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a personal statement detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role. You will also be asked to complete a CV with details of your education, professional qualifications and full employment history. Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.
In no more than 500 words, please carefully consider the statement below. You should address this when constructing your personal statement. You should also consider both the job description and person specification details above when providing your evidence.
- Can you explain a time when you have displayed strong leadership and communication skills to achieve required outcomes while changing priorities at short notice to meet business requirements.
Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. 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, the skills you have that are transferable and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.
**Please note the closing date for your full application is 23:55 on 01/10/2024**
The sift is scheduled to be held from 02/10/2024 to 16/10/2024. These dates made be subject to change.
Stage 2 - Interview
If you pass the written application sift with the required score you will be invited to a blended interview and will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account. The interview will be conducted face to face at our Ipswich office. Interviews are scheduled to take place from 28/10/2024, please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Interviews will be scheduled Monday to Friday, between 09:00 to 17:00.
Communications will be electronic and/or by telephone therefore it is important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number, it is important that you answer so that your interview can be confirmed.
Preparing for the interview
The interview will take approximately 45 minutes and will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The behaviour and strength-based questioning explores what you, the candidate, can and have done, but also your potential.
Behaviours
You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed above at level 3. To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behavioural questions in advance of the interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions on behaviours, and those about your strengths. An example of a behavioural question would be “Tell me about a time when you have 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:
- WHO - What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
- STAR - What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?
Strengths
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 strengths 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.
If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.
If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.
Stage 3 – Offer
Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.
The successful candidate will be notified of a start date following successful security checks, which is likely to be during January 2025.
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 we 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.
You should also 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.
Important information
Candidate pack
It is important that you take time to read the candidate pack which can be found at the bottom of this job advert. This provides further information about the role and working in DWP.
Location
St Felix House
Silent Street
Ipswich
IP1 1TF
You should only apply for suitable posts where you can travel to and from your 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.
Working pattern
Part-time, part-year, term-time compressed hours and job-sharing working patterns within working hours will be considered but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful candidates with agreed alternative working patterns will be required to work full time for specific periods to complete all training and consolidation. Currently initial training can last for up to 12 days plus 4 weeks consolidation. Hybrid working will not commence until the training and consolidation period has been successfully completed.
Hours of work
The full-time working week in DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours of:
- 7:45am and 8:00pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and
- 8:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday.
Managers will agree working patterns with successful applicants within these business hours and review these as appropriate.
You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule.
Learning and development
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, such as 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; your failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of your employment contract.
If DWP decides that it is no longer a requirement for you to undertake and attain a work-based qualification, it will release you from this obligation. Any decision to release you from this obligation will not be a breach of contract by DWP.
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.
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. To find out if you are eligible visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms and conditions of employment, for example mobility, pay and allowances. Civil Servants who transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms and conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Pre-employment checks
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.
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. We understand that you might use artificial intelligence (AI) and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
Reasonable adjustments
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 grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs; and
- complete the assistance required 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 are 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
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : CFCD RECRUITMENT TEAM
- Email : CFCD.RECRUITMENTINBOX@DWP.GOV.UK
Recruitment team
- Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
