The post holder will be responsible for Leading and supporting the Deputy Directors Office, working alongside the Grade 7 Leader. This will include working closely with the wider Deputy Directors support team. You will provide this support by having a full understanding of the operational priorities across UCR and Fraud and Error Prevention/Correction. You will also support the Strategic Lead for National Security, ensuring this is embedded on a national basis.
The role requires you balance and manage a number of competing priorities and is therefore challenging but rewarding. You will work closely with colleagues throughout the Operations Directorate as well as counterparts across DWP.
Person specification
Key accountabilities:
The role is very flexible, and the Deputy Director will look to you to provide support in a range of areas, including:
Key Criteria
The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
Alongside your salary of 42,614, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 12,345 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Stage 1 Complete eligibility section of the application form.
Stage 2 - If eligible, you will be invited to complete your application using a Personal Statement of 750 words. You need to demonstrate evidence against the key criteria in the person specification.
Stage 3 Written Sift - The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your Personal Statement of 750 words. This will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the responsibilities section of the advert.
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 provide as much evidence as you can to allow us to assess your skills, knowledge and experience.
Share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the Key Criteria.
In the event of a large number of applications we will use a Lead Key Criteria to initially assess your application at the sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial Sift may be progressed to a full Sift or direct to interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Stage 3 - The interview process:
This will consist of a interview which will last approximately 30 40 minutes. This will be a blended interview assessing a mixture of behaviours and strengths as detailed in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles .
Your interview will either be conducted by video.
Blended Interview
You will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach. The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
An example of a Behavioural question would be:
Tell me about a time you have set about improving customer service, giving a sense of pace and criticality of success? How did you ensure this activity achieved its objectives whilst keeping costs under control? What tools and techniques did you use?
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.
To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour* questions in advance of the interview, 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your 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.
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. 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 t oDisclosure 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.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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 applicants 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.
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.
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 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 youre 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
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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) .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
The role requires you balance and manage a number of competing priorities and is therefore challenging but rewarding. You will work closely with colleagues throughout the Operations Directorate as well as counterparts across DWP.
Person specification
Key accountabilities:
The role is very flexible, and the Deputy Director will look to you to provide support in a range of areas, including:
- Ensuring the Deputy Director is provided with sound, accurate and timely advice to enable them to effectively conduct all of their decision-making and business responsibilities. Oversee the Deputy Directors diary management so competing priorities are managed professionally.
- Drafting communications for the Deputy Director including letters and internal communications.
- Managing one off pieces of work as directed by the Deputy Director and Grade 6 Leaders across the team, these will be dependent on current priorities.
- Collating and monitoring data, ensuring this is gathered accurately, with the confidence to discuss this across a number of forums.
- Preparing information and presentations for the Area Director.
- Building your knowledge of the priority areas and develop a network of key contacts in the DWP and across the Civil Service. As part of this, build and maintain effective working relationships with other Business Support Teams across DWP.
- You will be responsible with the G7 for the communication and leading compliance of all security related areas for the Deputy Directors direct area of business as well as Nationally. To be able to encourage collaborative working between teams and directorates to drive innovation and service improvements. To use your knowledge to identify gaps in training/learning products and working with the Learning and Development community to improve/develop.
- Ad-hoc duties as directed by the Deputy Director and G7 Business Support Manager.
Key Criteria
The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:
- Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions and effectively manage complexity and change, with strong attention to detail to ensure the accuracy of documents/statistics produced.(Lead Criteria)
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate with senior leaders across the department or business including but not limited to the use of excellent drafting skills.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to forward plan, with a good working knowledge of Microsoft products.
- High level of judgement and ability to deal confidentially with sensitive matters.
- A positive approach to working in a fast-paced environment Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and innovate the people who work within your team and actively seeks ways to continuously improve.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of 42,614, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 12,345 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
DWP 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 (prorata 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 years 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 Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Stage 1 Complete eligibility section of the application form.
Stage 2 - If eligible, you will be invited to complete your application using a Personal Statement of 750 words. You need to demonstrate evidence against the key criteria in the person specification.
Stage 3 Written Sift - The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your Personal Statement of 750 words. This will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the responsibilities section of the advert.
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 provide as much evidence as you can to allow us to assess your skills, knowledge and experience.
Share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the Key Criteria.
In the event of a large number of applications we will use a Lead Key Criteria to initially assess your application at the sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial Sift may be progressed to a full Sift or direct to interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Stage 3 - The interview process:
This will consist of a interview which will last approximately 30 40 minutes. This will be a blended interview assessing a mixture of behaviours and strengths as detailed in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles .
Your interview will either be conducted by video.
Blended Interview
You will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach. The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
An example of a Behavioural question would be:
Tell me about a time you have set about improving customer service, giving a sense of pace and criticality of success? How did you ensure this activity achieved its objectives whilst keeping costs under control? What tools and techniques did you use?
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.
To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour* questions in advance of the interview, 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your 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.
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. 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 t oDisclosure 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.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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 applicants 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.
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.
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 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 youre 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
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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) .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
