Senior Operations Officer
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 23rd December 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.
Detention Services (DS) is part of Immigration Enforcement (IE) and supports compliance across the immigration system through the detention and removal of individuals who no longer have the right to remain in the UK, and for whom other enforcement approaches have been unsuccessful. DS is responsible for running the immigration detention estate, which comprises of several Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). We have a responsibility to ensure that men and women in detention are held securely, safely and are treated with dignity and respect.
This post sits within the compliance team within the IRC.
Job description
The role of the Senior Operations Officer is dynamic and exciting. You will manage a mix of reactive operational situations as well as planned compliance activity. You will run the Home Office Compliance team, comprising of Operations Officers (EOs), whom you will line manage, and who ensure effective service delivery by the IRC Supplier and provide assurance that the centre is operating appropriately in line with Home Office expectations, legislation and published standards and policies.
The Compliance Team are based onsite to ensure that detained people are treated humanely and with care whilst being held securely. The team monitor a broad range of activities, from checking the quality of cleaning and catering, to monitoring use of force and removal of residents from the IRC onto chartered flights.
Working within the Compliance Team is both interesting and challenging. The successful candidates will work on various workstreams encompassing changing priorities, making no two days the same. Maintaining high levels of co-operation with our service providers, stakeholders, and other interested parties, and communicating effectively and professionally is a key part of operating the compliance team.
Key responsibilities
- Providing oversight of a robust monitoring schedule, testing the contractual compliance of the service provided by the IRC’s Supplier, ensuring that the site is run properly and securely in accordance with Detention Centre Rules 2001, Operating Standards, Detention Service Orders and the contract with the private IRC Supplier.
- Representing the Home Office at a range of internal meetings, including strategy meetings for difficult removals, daily operational meetings and resident consultative and other meetings as required, chairing weekly contractual meetings, which reviews the contractor’s performances and challenges non-delivery.
- Supporting the Operations Manager (SEO) and Service Delivery Manager (G7) in the completion and implementation of action plans from 3rd parties within agreed timescales.
- Carrying out Immigration Enforcement's statutory duties around the centre, including authorising the use of temporary confinement or removal from association and investigating complaints made against the contractor, when required.
- Providing briefing and advice about the policies and procedures of the centre to senior managers as and when required in response to parliamentary questions and other official correspondence alongside producing monthly reports that provide essential data and statistics about contract delivery and the population in the centre.
- Facilitating and lead on official visits to the IRC when required.
Training
You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the classroom and then continues on the job with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.
Working pattern
Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills with proven ability to develop good working relationships with a variety of internal and external partners.
- Excellent organisational skills with proven ability to plan, organise and manage time to deliver the best quality and efficient service.
- Excellent management skills to manage a diverse team.
- Demonstrate an ability to work under pressure with a flexible and positive approach whilst paying attention to detail.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor their delivery to suit their audience.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a detention or prison environment, with understanding of the immigration system.
- Experience of contract monitoring/audit and assurance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
- In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
- Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
- Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
- This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of between 15% and 18% Further information can be found on our website.
- See more of our benefits on our Home - Home Office Careers
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.
1. Application – by 23rd December 2024
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- Personal Statement (maximum 500 words).
- Evidence of the Lead Behaviour Delivering at Pace (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.
For guidance and information on how to construct your application (Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
2. Sift – week commencing 30th December 2024
The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Lead Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'
Should a high volume of applications be received, the sift will be conducted only on the Personal Statement only.
The Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Lead Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace' will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their Lead Behaviour scored and will only receive a sift score for the Personal Statement.
3. Interview – week commencing 20th January 2025
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be:
- Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.
For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.
Interviews will take place via MS teams.
Further information
Problems during the application process
If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.
Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts, late night finishes, and overnight shifts. These shifts may be outside of public transport operating hours.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Additional Security checks
Integrity Check
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
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.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance Required” 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
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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
- Email : horccampaignteamie@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
