Discovery and Delivery Team 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
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. We are looking for successful applicants who are well suited and committed to providing high levels of customer service.
Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) has oversight and control of the main levers needed to improve the way we manage fraud, error and debt within the Department. These roles sits within the Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS). IRIS is made up of diverse blended teams, including analysts, digital specialists, intelligence experts, and fraud, error and debt specialists.
We are a dynamic and responsive community working together to transform and drive the handling of fraud, error and debt, scanning the horizon for new threats and empowering the front-line.
IRIS will enable DWP to prevent fraud and error and to be recognised as leaders in anticipating threats, and ultimately deterring those who pose a threat from attempting to defraud in the first place.
The roles will be for team leaders within IRIS Discovery and Delivery providing insights so DWP can make informed decisions, based on evidence, to tackle fraud and error.
All roles will require you to work collaboratively across IRIS, CFCD, wider DWP and across Government to facilitate the successful delivery of our aims and objectives.
We are looking for emotionally aware leaders who can innovative, be adaptable and flexible and encourage these skills in others. We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and require someone who strives for continuous improvement and collaboration, taking responsibility for managing, and delivering high quality referrals & insight to our many stakeholders across DWP. Being capable of combining technical understanding with an eye for detail with strong influencing and negotiation skills to successfully engage with stakeholders.
The role may involve direct line management responsibility for colleague(s) at executive officer (EO) level.
Job description
There are 3 roles available within IRIS.
- Model Office - undertaking robust, targeted testing, providing a safe environment for discovery and exploration, providing independent evidence-based and informed evaluation.
- Data-Matching and Operational Engagement – owning and maintaining a suite of products working through all stages taking products into delivery and ensuring quality and effective referrals into the business, demonstrating the potential value for this work to enable, inform and influence decisions relating to the routing/delivery mechanisms for this work.
- Root Cause Analysis Team - conducting detailed analysis on positive outcome cases to identify how fraud and customer error entered the system. We utilise our findings to make recommendations to help reduce the losses of Monetary Value of Fraud and Error (MVFE) and ultimately lead to the de-qualification of the departments accounts by the National Audit Office (NAO).
Your work as a HEO team leader will involve different aspects subject to changing business priorities, therefore we need people who are very adaptable and flexible. The job will include a range of duties including, but not restricted to, the following:
- Role model exceptional leadership, building your own and others capability and undertaking regular activity to build and sustain engagement.
- Collaborating across DWP to develop the department’s expertise and capability in responding to a variety of high-profile fraud and error risks and threats.
- Bringing together a range of skills to identify problems and find solutions through a multi-disciplinary team approach.
- Engaging effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and customers both verbally and through briefings and presentations.
- Communicate messages with clarity and conviction across the team and with other colleagues. Seeking feedback from colleagues, listening, and acting on this.
- Experience of interpreting/analysing complex management information (MI) and data, being able to highlight trends or potential risks which could impact on IRIS stakeholders and extremely vulnerable customers.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how error enters the benefit product lines, showing a drive to influence error solutions and reduce Annually Managed Expenditure (AME).
- Collaborating and coordinating with key stakeholders to mitigate and address key fraud, error and debt risks.
- Working and leading within a geographically dispersed team requiring a good level of skills, flexibility and understanding of working in a virtual environment.
- Leading through provision of support, guidance and coaching, sharing personal skills and knowledge, supporting well-being and inclusion and role modelling behaviours.
- Representing Discovery & Delivery at various internal and external forums and building on our excellent reputation.
Person specification
The successful candidate will need to be able to:
- Work with colleagues within CFCD, Digital Group, wider DWP and across other government departments to identify opportunities.
- Show the ability to lead with confidence using influencing and negotiating skills to resolve sometimes complex and often technical issues.
- Display excellent organisation skills, striving for continuous improvement, innovation, and efficiency. An ability to set their own work priorities and effectively deliver through self and others.
- An ability to build and maintain effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure delivery of priority outcomes for customers and DWP.
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate:
- Strong leadership and coaching skills, able to identify and support the development needs of themselves and others to reach the Operational Delivery Professional standards and digital capability.
- Ability to work flexibly and support colleagues to meet changing priorities and manage a diverse workload in a fast paced environment.
- Ability to critically analyse products and processes including MI, to identify areas for action, resolving issues and making recommendations and suggestions for improvement.
- Excellent drafting skills including report writing, briefings and presentations.
- Confident decision making, taking a leading role in proactively managing own and team performance, demonstrating a firm and fair approach to line management responsibilities where appropriate in accordance with policy and procedures.
Desirable skills:
- Working knowledge of CFCD system platforms.
- Strong IT skills.
- If based in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.
The role advertised requires successful applicants to hold valid secure National Security Vetting to SC level before taking up posting to IRIS. Information regarding this process: DWP Security Vetting Policy and Vetting. If you do not currently hold SC clearance, you will need to apply, and any job offer is subject to successful SC approval.
Essential Key Criteria:
Candidates will be able to demonstrate the following Key Criteria:
- A proven track record of being a strong and engaging leader who communicates clearly and succinctly, ensuring you provide a clear sense of direction and purpose, working in a fast-paced environment (lead criteria).
- Experience of managing a range of competing complex tasks and demands across a diverse range of areas within a team.
- Proven experience of delivering to ambitious timelines.
- Excellent communication skills and a flexible approach to meet the demands of the job.
- An understanding of the opportunities to counter fraud, error and debt risk.
- Due to the geographically dispersed nature of this team, this role will require frequent travel and overnight stays.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
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 - Application form
Please complete the first stage short application form.
Stage 2 - Test
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 1st October 2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
Stage 3 – Written application and sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement in no more than 1000 words detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the key criteria listed.
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, what have you done that’s relatable 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, 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. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria. If so, we will sift on:
- A proven track record of being a strong and engaging leader who communicates clearly and succinctly, ensuring you provide a clear sense of direction and purpose, working in a fast-paced environment (lead criteria).
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to an interview.
**Please note the closing date for your full application is 23:55 on 1st October 2024**
The sift is scheduled to be held from 2nd October 2024 to 16th October 2024. These dates made be subject to change.
Stage 4 - 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 a range of locations to be decided.
Interviews are scheduled to take place from 28th October 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 and 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?
- 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 withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.
Stage 5 – Offer
Once all interviews have been completed, candidates 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(s) 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
Please see slide 2 in the candidate pack for list of possible locations.
The applicant who is successful after interview will be asked their three preferred locations via an offline email process.
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. 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 3 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 or Disclosure Scotland 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
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.
Successful applicants for this role will need to undergo National Security Vetting to Security Clearance Level (SC) due to the nature of the role. For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
For further information on national security vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
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 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
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.
