Project Support Manager Roles (Synergy Programme)
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 4th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We’re 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 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’s 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, to the way we receive our pensions when we retire.
If you’re someone who can use your experience to streamline procurement to drive out error, waste, and duplication we want to hear from you. But most importantly, we’re looking for applications from people who can also 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
While no two days will be the same, the responsibilities may vary from role to role but including:
- Leadership – Supporting the team to deliver business change and engagement objectives and contribute to the wider programme, delivering the business case benefits and outcomes.
- Stakeholder engagement - Develop and maintain communications with internal and external stakeholders, building effective and collaborative relationships across the programme, and beyond to confidently challenge, influence and negotiate positive outcomes and solutions. Ensure Change Management processes are followed to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.
- Planning and scheduling - Ensure systems are in place to enable effective planning, scheduling and implementation. Developing and maintaining project plans and reporting on progress. Supporting the change control process, as required.
- Monitoring and reporting - Manage project controls, reporting to the PMO about the project status. Develop project performance reports.
- Governance- Supporting effective decision making and governance, including service readiness rehearsals, reporting and engaging in mechanisms that hold the programme to account on delivery.
- Assurance- Support with assurance activities and action recommendations. Organise assurance processes as required e.g. Business and Technical implementation readiness.
- Programme performance and controls- Developing and maintaining project plans, managing performance, and reporting on progress.
- Delivery planning - Commission and draft briefing papers and key documents to completion. Develop and generate planning reports and data to align with governance reporting processes to support effective decision making
- Resources - Manage workforce planning and wider resourcing requirements to deliver key implementation activities, providing information for effective decision making and prioritisation of activity. Procurement of supplies and services related to project support within Delegated Financial Authority limits.
- Support secretariat duties as required delivering meaningful outputs, auditable logs, and records for Synergy governance boards
- Financial control - Manage project spend and contribute to the compilation of budgets. Contribute to programme business cases.
- Risks and Issues - Lead on monitoring and managing potential risks and issues, developing mitigating actions and escalating as appropriate.
Person specification
As we are recruiting for a number of roles, we require candidates to meet all of the following essential criteria. Where there are high volumes of applications, an initial sift may take place against the lead criteria.
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of working in large scale IT-enabled business change projects and programmes, involving multiple delivery partners in an ambiguous environment. (Lead Criteria)
- Leadership - Leading complex packages of work, establishing effective processes and ways of working, to deliver projects in multi-disciplinary teams whilst working to tight deadlines.
- Stakeholder Engagement- Experience of building and maintaining effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders; as well as external partners to deliver business outcomes, especially in a fast-paced environment of change.
- Experience and working knowledge of programme and project planning, risk and governance processes, including reporting and escalation.
- Problem solving – skills and experience of solving problems, relying on creativity, individual judgement, and expertise to deliver more effective business improvements / solutions.
- Data Analysis – experience of gathering and analysing information, data, insight and evidence, using analytical skills to inform decisions on complex issues and deliver more effective business solutions.
- Decision making – experience of making decisions based on consideration of the issues and use of judgement within agreed tolerances.
- MS Office 365 - Strong working knowledge of MS Office applications, particularly use of SharePoint, Excel and PowerPoint.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Changing and Improving
- Working Together
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 employer contribution of 28.97%
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.
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.
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
Application
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.
You will be required to complete a Civil Service Judgement 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 test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test is 23:55 on 4th October. 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.
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:
- Knowledge and experience of working in large scale IT-enabled business change projects and programmes, involving multiple delivery partners in an ambiguous environment. (Lead Criteria)
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:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Changing and Improving
- Working Together
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
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Synergy Resourcing Team
- 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.
