As the DWP SSCL Change, Car Hire & Venue Contract Lead, you will be responsible for: Developing pro-active and effective relationships with Suppliers and Stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of outsourced services. Establishing a common understanding of the contractual and framework obligations, including service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs), their measurement and the reporting regime between the suppliers and DWP, based on contract/framework terms. Monitor supplier performance, ensuring that management information accurately reflects agreed contractual and framework obligations, clarifying DWPs and Suppliers obligations. Manage and impact changes from within DWP and other key stakeholders (such as framework authorities and other Government Departments) to support the successful delivery of change. Ensure change requirements are clearly explained and understood by all parties impacted by the contract, keeping key stakeholders informed on progress including meetings and outcomes. Ensure changes and associated costs are approved and fully authorised and provide challenge where necessary taking remedial action as required. Provide support and issue resolution by managing escalations on behalf of the business (or supplier) ensuring appropriate stakeholder engagement at all stages. To consider future business needs and develop plans with both stakeholders, partners and suppliers to ensure the continued delivery of effective services and VFM. To work with suppliers and specialists within the DWP in the development of specifications for future contract/framework requirements to meet DWP needs. To Identify and evaluate opportunities for service improvement and innovation which could benefit DWP. Locations You will be asked for your preferences for up to 3 locations, these will tell us where you would prefer to work if you are successful. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role in that location. Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, this role will be based at Benton Park View from September 2025, and then at 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre by the end of 2027. Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles here. Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences, where appropriate, and the geographical requirements of the business.Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer DWP may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held. Hybrid working 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. This role can only be delivered from the UK. Visa Sponsorship For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed. Person specification Essential Criteria A strong candidate for this role should be able to demonstrate the following Essential Criteria: Lead Criteria Demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and professionally with a wide range of stakeholders and suppliers. Skilled in adapting communication style to suit different audiences, including senior leaders, external partners, and operational teams, securing their engagement to aims and objectives and deliver better outcomes for the Department. Proven experience in leading, motivating, and developing a team to achieve performance targets. Demonstrating an ability to delegate effectively while maintaining accountability. Skilled in managing conflict and promoting a positive team culture. A strong track record of securing engagement that leads to measurable improvements in service delivery, efficiency, or customer satisfaction. Committed to achieving better outcomes through collaboration, transparency, and proactive problem-solving with a wide range business and corporate stakeholders in DWP, across Government and the private sector. A strong track record of delivering at pace and prioritising workload. The ability to deliver through others, using strong negotiation and influencing skills to maintain professional standards in the face of pressure while achieving positive outcomes. Experience of effectively planning for and implementing change. Improving the performance of processes and systems in terms of accuracy, security, efficiency and value for money. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Communicating and Influencing Working Together Seeing the Big Picture Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Please outline your skills and experience demonstrating how you meet the Lead Essential Criteria listed for this position in no more than 250 words. Benefits Alongside your salary of 57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 16,786 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, Experience and Technical skills. Sift stage: As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a 1000 word Personal statement and 250 word technical statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Initial sift Lead Criteria As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide evidence against the lead criteria Demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and professionally with a wide range of stakeholders and suppliers. Skilled in adapting communication style to suit different audiences, including senior leaders, external partners, and operational teams, securing their engagement to aims and objectives and deliver better outcomes for the Department.of no more than 250 words. We are interested in what you did and how you did it, and what was the outcome, as part of your example. Only candidates who pass the initial sift on the Technical Skill will be progressed to full sift of their personal statement. As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a Personal Statement of up to 1,000 words, addressing the remaining Essential Criteria. Please note that references to the Lead Criteria should not be included in this section. Further guidance on what is expected can be found in the application form. Interview stage: Successful candidates will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams. You will need to produce evidence of ID at the interview. You will be assessed against the behaviours outlined in the job advert. Timeline Application sift is planned to be carried out week commencing: 8th of December 2025 Interviews are planned to be carried out from the week commencing: 26th of January 2026 Please be advised that the above dates are indicative only and are subject to change. Further Information At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub. Reserve List A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note: If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health). If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list. Disability Confident Scheme 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. Reasonable Adjustments 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 the 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. Integrity, plagiarism, Civil Service Principles and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 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. Examples of plagiarism can include: Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service o n 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. 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. If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out. Important New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 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. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks. Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWPs Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role. 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. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions. Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary. 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 the Childcare Choices Website. 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 (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). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : Graham Campbell-Banks Email : graham.campbell-banks@dwp.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission. Attachments 419 Candidate Pack (2) PDF Opens in new window (pdf, 756kB) DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB) Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)