Product Manager - Absence and Time (Synergy Programme)
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 20th September 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Do you want to be part of an energetic, innovative team and bring your skills to one of the biggest changes to the administration of the Civil Service in decades? We are looking for people who are flexible, intuitive and are comfortable taking high levels of volume, speed, and complexity in their stride. A number of exciting new roles have come up in the newly formed Synergy Programme, a cross-departmental group formed in response to Government Business Service’s request for individual departments to group together in ‘clusters’ to drive efficiencies, increase buying power and improve the quality of shared service to our end users – our people.
The Synergy Programme is the largest of five departmental clusters, comprising the Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office. The Department of Work and Pensions hosts the Synergy Programme. Your work will impact the procurement arrangements for the next 15 years, impacting over 50% of all Civil Servants – that is 230,000 people across the four departments and arm’s length bodies.
Success of the Programme is crucial as Civil Servants rely on shared services to provide business critical tools in human resources, finance, payroll, and procurement. It affects everything we do, from joining a department as a new starter, the way we claim for expenses, how we buy goods and services such as our laptops and canteen provisions, how we make a claim for our expenses, to the way we receive our pensions when we retire.
We are looking for applications from people who can demonstrate a passion for our core ambition - delivering a once in a generation, transformed service that Civil Servants will use as a result of the Synergy Programme.
Job description
Successful candidates can be expected to be involved in the following:
You will be able to combine product management skills with a strong level of HR expertise in either the Absence and Time Management areas, experience, and/or leadership. You will have a key role in leading HR transformation across the programme from design, testing and deployment of the new system.
This role will be responsible for owning and leading a portfolio of critical activities across Absence and Time Management process areas in readiness for the design and implementation of the new shared services solution. You will be an advocate for Synergy, the changes the programme is looking to deliver, and be responsible for building and maintaining strong working relationships with other Product Managers, Process Owners, and the SME community across the four departments. You will bring flexibility to pick up a variety of work and the ability to switch focus at pace. You will work within a multi-disciplinary programme team utilising AGILE methodology.
Drawing upon your knowledge and experience, you will be responsible for supporting HR convergence, design, testing and deployment of the new system. As a HR specialist, you will be an integral part of the programme and be expected to demonstrate leadership supporting the Programme Director and SRO to foster a happy, healthy, and inclusive environment. You will be the custodian for the transformational end-to-end design and be responsible for ensuring it is future-focused and transformational for Synergy.
This is an exciting opportunity for people with excellent organisational and interpersonal skills to work in a fast-paced programme environment. The role offers the opportunity to use extensive existing HR knowledge in these areas to broaden your experience.
Key Tasks:
- Delivery of the programme plan and development of process optimisation as well as realisation of transformation opportunities within your areas of accountability.
- Enable successful alignment between the wider Government People Group (GPG) and programme Common Operating Model deliverables and functional objectives to ensure future business outcomes are in line with best practice, policy, and legal frameworks.
- Work across a multi-disciplinary team to design and implement Synergy’s vision and deliverables. Including leading key products within the HR Product Team, working alongside departmental HR teams, Synergy technical teams, business change and external strategic delivery partners.
- Build and maintain strong effective relationships with multiple stakeholders, being able to confidently challenge, influence and negotiate positive outcomes.
- Drive forward the business change transformation of the HR Professional Community working with the departments to prepare for implementation, responding to challenges and finding solutions throughout lifespan of programme. Utilise functional expertise to understand, engage and prepare the business in the best possible way for adopting new ways of working through cloud-based technology.
Person specification
Candidate must have the following:
- Proven track record of leadership and change management of HR transformation at scale. Ability to lead behavioural and transformational change, understanding the factors that drive a positive employee experience. (Lead Criteria)
- Demonstrable experience and evidence of delivery in either Absence or Time Management covering absence, health and wellbeing policy areas or overtime and rostering or flexible working arrangements.
- Ability to influence a wide network of stakeholders with experience of influencing senior stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.
- Experience of engaging successfully with a variety of professional teams, including Digital, HR, Operational Delivery as well as external partners.
- Strong inspirational and inclusive leadership skills and the ability to role model positive behaviours working collaboratively across organisational boundaries and in multi-disciplinary teams.
- If based in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
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%
Location
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.
Some travel to other Hubs/offices may be required as part of this role.
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
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 1000 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
A CV is requested but will not be assessed, so please put the bulk of your evidence in your personal statement.
Sift
Selection will take place by sift based on the person specification. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria:
- Proven track record of leadership and change management of HR transformation at scale. Ability to lead behavioural and transformational change, understanding the factors that drive a positive employee experience.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview (online via Teams).
At interview, we will select based on behaviours and strengths. There may also be a presentation. The behaviours we will select on are:
- Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Synergy Resourcing
- Email : synergy.resourcing@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.
