Length of employment: Job Summary: Retirement Services Directorate (RSD) is looking to fill two key Operational Delivery leadership roles. One role in the Later Life service, which will be based in our Newcastle office - Tyneview Park, NE98 1BA. The second role, in the Assurance and Enabling service, which can be based in one of the following offices. Blackpool - Fylde View Service and Support Centre, 1 King Street, FY1 3EJ Motherwell - Johnstone House, Airbles Road, ML1 3FA Newcastle - Tyneview Park, NE98 1BA Please note: If your preferred location is Newcastle, you will initially be based in our Newcastle office, Tyneview Park, Whitley Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA. However, from September 2025, RSD will move temporarily to our Benton Park View Office, BentonParkRoad, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE98 1YX, before moving permanently to a new office in Pilgrim Way in 2026. You will be asked for your preferences for up to 3locations, 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. These job roles 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. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. Please note: From 1 September 2025, there is an expectation that all employees work from the office for 60% of their working time. Job Description: What the successful candidate will do in the Assurance and Enabling service role: Operational Leadership of c500 colleagues and 3 Senior Executive Officers (SEOs) across 4 locations to deliver Spending Review objectives across Verify Earnings and Pensions (VEP) and General Matching Service (GMS) for the Directorate. Implement ongoing recruitment and redeployment activity to ensure correct resource/delivery model in place across the Directorate. Deliver Spending Review commitments and associated Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) savings across Carers Allowance and Pension Credit VEP and priority GMS areas. Complete digital discovery activity to enhance VEP portal and support efficient delivery. Continue to deliver process improvements to enhance delivery across these areas including empathetic approach and support for customers with overpayments. Strong stakeholder liaison with RSD Fraud, Error and Debt (FED) lead, Counter Fraud Compliance Directorate colleagues, Digital, DWP Operations Hub and other key areas to support delivery objectives. Work with RSD delivery colleagues to improve end to end processes across delivery arms and reduce duplication. What the successful candidate will do in the Later Life role: Running a large Operational Delivery arm of the business serving some of our most vulnerable customers: Manage at pace in a fast, ever-changing environment, delivering operational service delivery outcomes whilst maintaining and driving performance, contributing to the wider Service Modernisation agenda will be key requirements of the job role. Demonstrate commitment to departmental ways of working, including face to face visibility to all colleagues on your site in line with departmental hybrid-working arrangements, whether part of your direct line management chain or not; taking responsibility for the site leader role and embedding a culture of inclusion and support for wellbeing in line with our DWP values including leading on engagement activities within your site. Be an active member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the wider Departmental agendas and providing visible, accessible, and effective senior leadership, taking a personal lead in communicating messages with clarity and conviction. Create and sustain effective relationships with senior stakeholders, including Directors, Director General, Permanent Secretary and Ministers and key partners/stakeholders, to develop stronger working across DWP to create powerful, purposeful partnerships. 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 (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. Key Criteria for the roles: You have recent leadership experience in operational delivery and can demonstrate how you have led large teams to deliver multiple competing priorities whilst ensuring delivery of a compassionate, efficient and professional service. (Lead criteria) You will provide transformational leadership to the team and beyond, inspiring colleagues through difficult situations, transforming performance and building high performing teams using your experience & understanding of performance metrics to deliver high quality outcomes. You can set and articulate a strong strategic vision to others and develop team plans and activities to deliver against Departmental objectives, empowering teams and ensuring everyone understands their roles and business priorities, adjusting delivery to meet your audience needs. You demonstrate visibility and accessibility, role modelling your support for departmental hybrid processes through office attendance, communicating confidently and providing clear direction and showing genuine care for colleagues, understanding the sensitivities of individual's circumstances. You can demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations. You have strong experience of working in partnership and collaboratively across teams at a senior level engaging and building trust with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals. Stages for applying There are 4 stages to the application process: Stage 1 - Complete the eligibility section of the application form. Stage 2 - You will be invited to complete a personal statement of 1250 words. Personal Statement When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria on slide 8 of the candidate pack 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 evidence: the key personal requirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. You don't have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role. The evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism, or sharing of questions, information or answers throughout any part of the selection process is found, your application will be withdrawn. Examples of plagiarism can include: Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own. Copying content from an online/published source. Using forms of Artificial Intelligence to produce application content which you present as your own. If you fail to submit your Personal Statement before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions. Stage 3 - The sift: The sift is scheduled to commence week commencing 14 July 2025. Depending on the volume of applications received we may by-pass the sift process and invite all candidates who complete the first 2 stages of their application by the deadline to an interview. In the event of a large number of applications we will use the Lead Criteria, ' You have recent leadership experience in operational delivery and can demonstrate how you have led large teams to deliver multiple competing priorities whilst ensuring delivery of a compassionate, efficient and professional service ', to initially assess your application during the Sift stage. In addition, 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. Stage 4 - The interview: Interviews are scheduled take place week commencing 4 August 2025. The interview will last approximately 30 to 40 minutes and will take place via MS Teams. Further details regarding the process are available in the candidate pack. Questions will not be shared in advance of the interview on this occasion. Please note that the proposed sift and interview dates are only indicative at this stage and may be subject to change. 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website. 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 to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland 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 stating the job reference number in the subject heading. For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email 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 applicant's 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 you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. 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 you're deaf, a Language Service Professional. 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. Feedback