This role may be located in one of the following locations: Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Sheffield. Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.
Job Summary
Are you highly organised, able to work with others at a senior level effectively, with excellent judgment to prioritise tasks?
We have an opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment with excellent leadership, organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills, to join our team in the Chief Digital and Information Office (CDIO) office.
The day in the life of CDIO is ever-changing with the need to respond to urgent and often conflicting requests both internally to the Civil Service and externally. The CDIO office provides support and advice to the CDIO to enable them to lead the digital function and deliver the Objective Key Results (OKRS) and the Digital Business Plan. The CDIO officer acts on their behalf to ensure that the DWP Digital vision and key priorities are communicated and understood.
The team’s portfolio includes eight Digital Director lead functional areas and close relationship management with Ministerial, DWP Executive Team Private Offices and cross-government offices including but not limited to the Chief Digital Data Office, Government Digital Service, and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
This Senior Digital Director's Support Manager plays a key role in supporting the Head of Office to manage the ever-changing, challenging, and business-critical CDIO office and lead a team of support colleagues in providing an efficient and consistent service across not only the CDIO but the wider DWP Digital Senior Leadership Team.
Job Description
This role will require you to act as the critical bridge between CDIO and Senior Civil Servants within the Department and cross-government/External Partners. You will be expected to lead on key areas of the CDIO portfolio, being the primary point of contact for Digital Group and providing robust advice to the CDIO and Head of Office.
As Senior Digital Directors Support Manager you will work in a fast-paced environment in a complex area. You will work closely with the Head of Office to manage the CDIO’s Office and lead a team of support colleagues in providing an efficient and consistent service across the Digital Executive Team (DET).
You’ll be expected to build a good understanding of the Digital landscape and strategic priorities across Digital Group, taking a keen interest in the work we do and using that insight to plan and prioritise on behalf of the CDIO.
This will mean acting with integrity and keeping confidences, whilst also generating an understanding of strategic priorities to ensure the CDIO’s time is utilised effectively and they are fully briefed on emerging challenges.
You will actively manage the CDIO’s inbox, being the first point of contact for a wide variety of requests and formal submissions. You’ll have to work quickly but efficiently and constructively with the team to discharge actions accordingly.
You will manage a flow of multiple internal and external work strands on behalf of the CDIO and will ensure you develop the knowledge and experience to prioritise accordingly and deliver a professional service which may often mean delivering through others.
You’ll play a key role in building and managing relationships with Ministerial, Permanent Secretary, and DWP Executive team Director General offices. You’ll use these relationships effectively to consistently deliver for the CDIO.
You will play an integral role in managing the ministerial submission process on behalf of CDIO, to ensure key digital/DWP colleagues are played in to contribute towards submissions of a high standard which is fit for purpose.
As this role will involve direct line management responsibility in a very high demanding and busy CDIO office, good time management and leadership skills are essential, along with a passion for developing and delivering through others. You will be helping them to shape and meet team objectives and improve ways of working, ensuring there is an efficient and consistent level of support for all of the Senior Leaders within Digital Group.
You will play an active role in developing new ways of working within the team, have excellent organisation skills and build strong internal and external relationships.
The successful candidate will be expected to play an active role in the wider Digital Director Support community, sharing knowledge, experience, and good practice and developing a strong community presence.
This role will require travel to other digital hubs when there is a business need.
Person Specification
When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:
* Lead Criterion: Provide clear evidence of building and influencing relationships with senior stakeholders, effectively managing these relationships to consistently support leaders at the senior board level.
* Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, balancing a large number of competing priorities.
* Extensive experience in managing a team, delegating tasks, and supporting personal development.
* Excellent attention to detail and strong critical thinking skills.
An initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact michael.coombs@dwp.gov.uk.
Alongside your salary of £42,614, the 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.
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 25 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.
Selection Process Details
Stage 1: Application
Your application will consist of four parts:
* A Personal Details application form.
* Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications, and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the essential criteria.
* Personal statement - up to 750 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person specification.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills, and knowledge against the essential criteria.
You will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your CV and Personal Statement.
An initial sift will be conducted using the lead criterion stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.
Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.
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/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
* We recognise that AI may be helpful when applying for this role, but it is important to use it in the right way. Read the DWP AI Candidate Guide to understand how you can make the best use of GenAI while ensuring your application remains authentic and effective.
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 experiences listed in the essential criteria.
Interviews will take place from early June 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Questions in Advance
To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the experience-based questions in advance of the interview, 7 days prior to your interview.
These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your experience. Candidates should be asked further probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to secure their interview slot promptly to ensure fairness in preparation time with the questions provided in advance.
Other Information
If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
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 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
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.
Feedback
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 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)
* 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.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact Point for Applicants
Job Contact
* Name: Michael Coombs
* Email: michael.coombs@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment Team
* Email: digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here. #J-18808-Ljbffr