As Head of Portfolio and Delivery Assurance, the role-holder has various accountabilities across Digitals Portfolio (both its operations and the profession), delivery assurance, internal and external governance, and service standards. The post holder will be part of a wider Senior Leadership Team who, as a collective have a clear role to play in creating the right culture, values and behaviours across Digital Group. This role importantly involves a large element of operating upwards and out of DWP, at the most senior level, setting direction and driving improvement across multiple work-streams. As evidenced by the accountabilities, the scope of this role is significant, the role-holder represents a variety of groups at both inward and outward facing forums. Some key accountabilities include; Building commitment and alignment to the Digital Strategy and operating models for the department. Building DWP Digitals reputation as a transparent and expert lead for Digital Services within DWP, Government Digital Service and across government stakeholders. Managing of the commercial and technology pipeline to Cabinet Office, HMT and DWP Investment Committee. Maintaining the Digital Front Door, a single gateway for all new unplanned digital demand across DWP and Government. Operating all Digital governance boards, including Digital Board and Digital Executive Team (DET). Leading the Portfolio Professional Community of Practice and its relationship with functional Portfolio teams. Some notable cross-government activities include: Lead DWP Digitals engagement with CDDO initiatives. Provide the gateway and interface between DWP Digital and Cabinet Office, HMT and CDDO. Coordinate Digital Pipelines representation at Investment Committee. Engage with National Audit Office regarding DWP Annual Audit. Other key internal responsibilities include but are not limited to; Portfolio: Provide Portfolio and Delivery assurance for DWPs major change programmes, supporting briefings and business cases and attending Change Portfolio Board. Onboard new and emerging areas of work, assuring project inception and ensuring correct levels of assurance are applied. Monitor, assure and unblock critical portfolio risks and dependencies. Delivery Assurance: Drive continuous improvement activity through the Digital Governance Centre of Expertise. Ownership of various governance boards and the Digital Governance Hub, supporting the effective management of Digitals financial governance and assurance processes. Service standard Assessment and Assurance: Lead the DWP Service Standard Assessment and Assurance function, delivering assessments into digital teams within DWP and across government. Act as subject matter expert on digital transactional services, supporting digital teams on quality assurance and service level requirements for digital service operation. Deliver a bespoke, professionalised Level 5 Service Standard qualification within DWP and across government to build and mature assessor capability. Person specification The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria: (Lead criteria) Proven experience of leading large-scale digital portfolios within a complex organisation, operating at the most senior levels to set direction and drive improvements across multiple workstreams. Strong technical skill and knowledge of Portfolio management and delivery practices. Proven experience of developing and implementing organisational governance, financial and assurance frameworks in large scale, complex environments. Demonstrated ability to apply strong leadership and communication skills to build, manage and influence key strategic relationships across disciplines. Demonstrated ability to build and develop high performing, engaged and inclusive digital teams. Desirable: Qualified Portfolio Management Practitioner. Be a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS) or willing to work towards this. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Making Effective Decisions Communicating and Influencing Working Together Benefits Alongside your salary of 76,000, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 22,017 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 Generous annual leave at least 25 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 and Experience. To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below no later than 23:55pm on Monday 10th March A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years; Three statements (maximum 500 words each) answering the 3 pre-defined questions (below), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. Q1. Tell us about your experience of leading large-scale digital portfolios, and describe a significant challenge and how you met it? Q2. How have you developed and sustained complex and influential relationships to support and drive change to achieve a delivery outcome or strategy, and how you have made a difference? Q3. How do you build engaged, motivated and inclusive teams, and can you describe when you have lifted a team to high performance? Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise. As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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 Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) 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) .