Senior Business Manager – Wales Group Office
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 7th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
This is a high-profile role directly supporting the Group Director for Work and Health Directorate Wales and strong links with the Area Director UC Wales & WHDM. The role is crucial to the running of Group Office.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record as a high performer with the capability and drive to develop in the role. They will demonstrate strong leadership qualities to create an environment to support the delivery of excellent high quality customer service and performance.
Group office roles are fast-paced, dynamic and high profile, involving close contact with senior leaders at the top of the organisation. We are looking for candidates who thrive in this fast-paced environment and the successful candidate must have strong engagement, stakeholder management and organisational skills.
This position requires a strategic perspective that continually looks at facilitating the improvement of the customer experience in Wales through collaborative working.
The right candidate will be able to pick up a portfolio in the Area and Group Directors office and support the Area and Group Director in achieving goals and objectives within these areas.
It requires flexibility and the ability to work in a fast-moving environment and to tight deadlines. Role requires an understanding on a myriad of topics and requires relationship building with a range of stakeholders and subject experts.
Job description
Successful candidates can expect to be involved in a range of the following:
- People engagement empowering people to deliver a professional, quality service.
- Taking personal accountability through periods of change, supporting and aligning with your team, focusing and listening to people, building capability and celebrating success.
- Provide visible, accessible and effective senior leadership, taking a personal lead in communicating messages with clarity and conviction. Seeking feedback from colleagues, listening and acting on this.
- Encourage collaborative working between teams, groups and the area to drive innovation and service improvements.
- Monitoring and improving the quality of the end-to-end customer experience, ensuring that “one customer, one service, one business” is a reality.
- Creating and delivering recruitment strategy/processes ensuring all recruitment is fair and reasonable and aligned to DWP recruitment and business requirements. Representing Wales UC operations with Demand/Supply conversations to ensure Wales UC has the required levels of staffing.
- Strategic oversight and line management of teams including Group Office Business Support, Performance budget/Resource & Quality Team, Social media Team Welsh Language Unit.
- Leading areas such as Capability and Learning & Development Lead, Work Coach Accreditation Lead.
Extensive travel across Wales with regular attendance in Cardiff is expected.
Person specification
Key Criteria
- A proven track record of leadership in a fast-paced environment. Possessing excellent organisational skills with the ability to use initiative and experience to identify and progress priority requests to a high standard on behalf of a Senior Leadership teams. (Lead Criteria)
- You are able to build a network of contacts and manage relationships with senior and at times challenging stakeholders.
- You have strong leadership skills and experience, both personal and corporate in a fast-changing environment, working in partnership and collaboratively across teams at senior level engaging and building trust with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals.
- 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 are visible, accessible, an effective senior leader and you communicate confidently and provide clear direction and show genuine care for colleagues.
- You are analytical - making effective business decisions by critically analysing and interpreting all relevant data, often complex and from varied roles.
- You demonstrate good negotiating skills to broker effective agreements across One Service operational delivery.
Preferable skills
The ability to speak Welsh would be desirable.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
- Generous annual leave 23 days for Full time new entrants (rising to 25 after 1 year), plus all bank holidays.
- Flexible working patterns available.
- Competitive maternity, paternity, and parental leave.
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
- Employee Assistance with emphasis on wellbeing.
- Career and Personal Development through Operational Delivery Profession.
- Employee discount schemes.
Location
Candidates will be given an opportunity to express a preference for their office base location when offers are made. Locations can be any site within the Wales Universal Credit Group where space allows and with agreement of the Group Director/Demand Management. We will endeavour to meet preferences, but this cannot be guaranteed.
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 considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to Apply
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below:
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 will not be scored as part of your application but allows an initial check of eligibility, so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.
Personal Statement
A supporting statement (no longer than 1,250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the key criteria.
When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the key criteria, as this is what your written evidence will 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 do not have to explain the entire 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.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
In the event of a large number of applications we will use the Lead Key Criteria to initially assess your application at the sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The Sift
The sift will be conducted week commencing 7th October 2024.
The interview
There will also be a requirement to undertake a 5-minute presentation as part of the interview, this will be assessed against Communicating and Influencing behaviour. The topic for the presentation and questions for the other 3 behaviours listed in the advert will be sent to candidates five working days in advance of their interview to the email address used in their application. No IT will be required for the 5-minute presentation. Candidates are advised to check their inbox and spam/junk folders regularly once their interview has been booked.
If the questions and presentation topic have not been received prior to your interview, please contact the vacancy holder Richard Bradbury. Contact details can be found at the end of this advert.
The interview will consist of a face to face, blended Interview where we will assess you using a presentation and both Behavioural and Strength based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach. The Behaviour and Strength based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential
The interview will last approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
Interviews will take place week commencing 28th October 2024 at a Cardiff location, which will be shared as part of the invite to interview process.
Due to time constraints interviews will only be undertaken on the above dates unless advised otherwise.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
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 Wales Group 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 accept an offer of a post, you will be expected to withdraw from any reserve lists of campaigns you have applied for, with DWP, at this grade.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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 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.
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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 : Richard Bradbury
- Email : richard.bradbury1@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.
