Apprentice Directors Support Manager
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 13th November 2024
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Apprenticeship
Business area
Type of role
Information Technology
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
Do you have an appetite for learning?
You won’t need previous experience because we’ll provide full training. It’s your enthusiasm, helpful manner and willingness to learn that we are looking for. You’ll join a friendly and welcoming team, who will help you reach your potential.
Do you want to apply and further develop your IT technical skills in an organisation that makes a difference to UK citizens lives?
Do you want to work in an exciting and highly motivated team, where no two days are the same and where you can help and support the reliability of live services within our IT applications?
If so, we want to hear from you!
We have an amazing opportunity for Directors Support Apprentices to start an exciting career in DWP Digital.
These roles are working within DWP Digital Business Service Practice. Our practice brings together the key business services which enable Digital Group as a whole to focus on delivering critical IT services for DWP and its citizen customers. These services are delivered through a mix of both centralised teams working at Group level and Function teams supporting the Directors & their SLTs to deliver against their own lines of business.
Our Practice members typically share a passion for delivering excellence and provide the services which underpin Digital’s ability to assure ourselves that we have the building blocks in place to enable successful delivery. We understand the DWP & Digital Group strategy & direction, and our roles in delivering that strategy. We understand the delivery landscape, we develop and track our delivery plans, unblocking dependencies and supporting our operating environment by focusing our effort in adding real value to delivery teams, enabling excellence and ensuring Digital is focused on outcomes and value.
We are keen to develop both our own skills and those of others, as members of a professional community which is acknowledged as best in class.
This is an exciting opportunity to earn as you learn and get hands on practice while you study towards a Business Administration qualification Level 3. You’ll receive formal learning to develop crucial skills, knowledge and behaviours for your career and be part of a great team. If you wish to find out more about the apprenticeship, please click here.
Job description
As an Apprentice Directors Support Manager, you will be the first point of contact for the Director or Deputy Directors whilst working towards your level 3 business administration apprenticeship.
You will:
- Provide effective lines of communication between the Director / Deputy Director, internal colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Ensure emails are well managed and responded to in a timely manner, filtering and redirecting as appropriate.
- Take ownership of tasks ensuring they are delivered on time and to a high standard, such as coordinating returns or setting agendas for meetings. You may also organise large team events.
- Manage requests for their time and attention, managing the need to respond to urgent requests and complete high priority work, such as ministerial advice. This requires building good rapport and maintaining supportive relationships.
- Develop professional relationships with and acting as a first point of contact for stakeholders within and outside the department who engage with the Director/Deputy Director.
- Anticipate and solve problems before they arise and liaise frequently with senior colleagues and external stakeholders. The varied role will include electronic diary and email management; running large events; drafting correspondence and briefing reports; producing presentations and providing administrative support.
The successful candidate will have plenty of opportunities for further career and personal development and will dedicate 20% of their working week working towards their apprenticeship.
Check out these vlogs on what is it like to start a career in the tech sector as part of a government apprenticeship scheme? and what to expect from a DWP apprenticeship.
About the Apprenticeship.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain a Level 3 apprenticeship in Business Administration.
Part of this apprenticeship is to complete a level 2 English and Maths functional skills qualification. If you have already achieved GCSEs in English and Maths at Level 4 (grade C) or above, you will not need to complete functional skills.
To be eligible to apply for the apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria:
- Must have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date.
- Not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time.
- The successful candidate(s) will be enrolled onto a Level 3 apprenticeship in Business Administration. At the enrolment state, the individual's eligibility will be checked by the training provider. Candidates need to make sure they do not have pre-existing qualifications at the same or higher level in a similar subject as the apprenticeship.
If you are unsure of your eligibility, please review the content of the apprenticeship standard on the IfATE website: Business administrator / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/business-administrator-v1-0) and assess whether your previous learning has already covered much of this content. If it has, you’re unlikely to be eligible for the apprenticeship.
You will be given time out from your role to work on your apprenticeship. You must be committed to seeing through the apprenticeship and complete the qualification. This includes working a minimum of 30 hours per week to ensure you have enough time to complete the apprenticeship.
You’ll be supported by your line manager, skills coach, fellow apprentices on the programme and the vibrant and support community of Director Support Managers. You will have access to a variety of sources of encouragement to help you succeed. There is a lot to learn and do, so you need to be ready to be proactive, work hard and participate in the many opportunities you will be given to showcase your skills.
Please list all your qualifications in the qualification section of the CV.
Failure to meet any of the eligibility criteria or not listing your qualifications may results in you being withdrawn.
We expect the apprenticeship to start from January 2025. Please ensure that you are available for this date.
Person specification
See selection process for further detail details.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Isaac.morrison@dwp.gov.uk.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Planning
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.
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.
Salary Information
New entrants to the Civil Service will join on band minimum.
Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.
Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Stage 1: Application
Your application will consist of four parts:
1. A Personal Details application form.
2. Civil Service Work Strengths Test.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete the Civil Service Work Strengths Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stages of the application.
Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). The closing date for a fully completed application is 13/11/2024 at 23:55hrs. Please allow sufficient time to complete the online test and your full written application before the deadline. If you fail to complete the online test and full written application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.
Following successful completion of the test, you will then be asked to complete:
3. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.
4. Behaviour and Technical statements (up to 250 words each). These include:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Planning - Describe a time when you developed a plan? What did you consider and how did you ensure your plan was effective.
An initial sift will be conducted using the Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing.
Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history, Personal Statement, and Technical statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.
Important information
- You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
- Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
- If your employment history, behaviour and technical statements contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skill:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Planning
You will also be assessed on strengths.
Interviews will take place from early-December 2024.
Further information:
Find out more about Working for DWP
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made.
Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
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.
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 DigitalRecruitment.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.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How We Recruit, page
https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/
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 : Isaac Morrison
- Email : Isaac.morrison@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : digitialrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
