26.79 Head of Relationship Management

Job summary

DBS was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 on 1 December 2012, working from two sites, which are Liverpool and Darlington. We operate on behalf of government delivering Disclosure functions in England, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and Barring functions for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We function within a framework of legal and regulatory requirements and that includes work with a range of external organisations including other government departments, regulators, and trade bodies.

We provide a service that enables organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to make better informed, safer recruitment and other decisions. We do this by providing information to enable them to determine whether individuals are unsuitable or unable to undertake certain work, particularly with occupations involving regular contact with vulnerable groups, including children.

Our Strategy

Our current Strategy sets out our purpose, vision, and the impacts we want to achieve. Our strategy was co-created with our staff and has been supported by insight from our various partners, and throughout, you will find our ambitions to be achieved. Everything that we do within DBS, from developing our strategic intent, to the day-to-day operational delivery of our services, is underpinned by constant considerations of safeguarding, quality, sustainability, value for money, and diversity and inclusion. Our strategic objectives aim to enhance our effectiveness, influence, and customer satisfaction while fostering a supportive environment for everyone.

Equality, Diversion, and Inclusion at DBS

DBS is committed to fostering an environment that values individual differences and ensures fair treatment to unlock the full potential of staff and better support customers. Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to driving organisational success and we have developed specific equality objectives for DBS.

Every decision and activity will be considered through an EDI lens, aiming to build an inclusive culture, improve policies and practices, gain external assurances, and become a leading voice of good practice in EDI.

Read More

For further information, please see below for a collection of DBS strategies and business plans:

• DBS strategies - GOV.UK
• DBS business plans - GOV.UK

Job description

As a member of the DBS Operational Service Senior Management Team the postholder will be responsible for the successful day to day operational management of the Relationship Management team; balancing the protection of the interests of the Business Unit with meeting strategic and corporate responsibilities by developing and improving relationships with key delivery partners (Registered Bodies and Responsible Organisations).

The Relationship Management team forms part of the Operational Service Delivery team and the postholder will work closely with other G7 Heads of Service in the wider Operational Services Directorate.

The postholder will lead and co-ordinate resources across DBS, ensuring Relationship Management supports operational service delivery and enables the Directorate and its partners to deliver DBS priorities.

This key role will provide effective leadership, planning and management of a pro-active and responsive Relationship Management function.

The postholder will:

• Manage all staff within Relationship Management, budgets, and operational activities to ensure that quality, performance, service, and financial objectives are met in accordance with DBS financial regulations, procedures, and frameworks.
• Be a key member of the Operational Service Management and wider Operational Services Senior Management Teams, responsible for leading the delivery of efficient, value-for-money services to Operational Services customers and stakeholders, enabling safer recruitment decisions.
• Ensure that staff within the team are engaged and that outstanding performance and behaviours are recognised and rewarded.
• Manage the relationships across key DBS stakeholders.
• Develop an account management approach across key partners involved with all service delivery and products.
• Develop a compliance process to assure delivery partners are carrying out their designated functions appropriately.
• Set the strategic direction of the function and fit with partner strategies.
• Ensure key DBS communications are issued directly to key delivery partner stakeholder contacts.
• Co-ordinate the approach with key delivery partner stakeholder contacts regarding new products and services.
• Obtain demand forecasts from key delivery partner stakeholders to inform DBS’s business funding model.
• On-board Registered Bodies and Responsible Organisations to DBS’s e-bulk and web services.
• Monitor the stakeholder network to identify patterns or trends that indicate non compliance and provide education and guidance to resolve, or suspend/cancel if non compliance continues.
• Ensure stakeholder Registration Services are appropriately managed.
• Contribute to Operations Directorate business planning, taking the lead for advising on partner relationships.
• Translate DBS and Directorate priorities into an appropriate Stakeholder Relationship business plan and communicate this to the team.
• Take a proactive approach to influencing, supporting, and monitoring partners to ensure achievement of objectives and targets.
• Set clear direction for function and ensure all Heads of Unit are supported in working towards consistent goals.
• Ensure that appropriate contracts and SLAs are agreed and applied across all service delivery partners.
• Identify user needs and translate these into requirements to progress and improve the business.
• Maximise the productivity of the capacity and capability available in the team.
• Ensure effective contribution from key delivery partners on demand as an input to the demand management process.
• Ensure the output from the demand management process regarding volumes is translated to efficient workflow volumes and corresponding capacity requirements with key stakeholders.
• Ensure adequate and appropriate resources are in place through ensuring staffing levels are maintained, supporting recruitment, ensuring learning & development takes place and that performance issues are addressed.

Corporate Duties:

• Deputise for Associate Director as required.
• Ensure DBS’s overall vison, purpose and strategy is central to outcomes for customers and stakeholders and all senior leaders understand their role in delivering improved services.
• Support the Associate Director by engaging in and support delivery of the corporate Change and Transformation Programme and aligning Directorate transformational changes to leverage business outcomes from technology improvements.
• Support delivery of the Directorate’s performance targets and published service standards, and work in partnership with corporate functions in order to contribute to the delivery of the full range of DBS’s outcomes and objectives.
• Lead and be accountable for building and nurturing strong positive relations with senior stakeholders.
• Member of the DBS wider Leadership Team, specifically contributing to development and delivery of business opportunities, organisational development, and value for money.
• Drive awareness and commitment to Public Sector Equality Duty and maximising Social Value.
• Act as a role model for our Equality and Diversity agenda, creating an inclusive environment that is safe and trusting; where people feel valued, have a voice and act with autonomy.
• Manage health and safety issues in your area of responsibility in line with the relevant section(s) of the relevant Health and Safety Policy.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Ability to solve problems and manage complex issues, using judgement to make decisions
• Ability to facilitate sessions to support decision making and service planning within Disclosure
• The ability to manage priorities, set direction and promote the work of the Directorate.
• A highly collaborative team player approach with the ability to interact with senior stakeholders and manage feedback from multiple stakeholder groups
• Proven experience in a senior management role in the Operational environment with the ability to lead, manage, develop, and motivate teams within a changing and complex environment
• Proven experience of people management and development, including ability to engage, motivate, mentor and coach colleagues
• Gaining cooperation and commitment from both internal and external stakeholders
• Facilitation and promotion of benefits to be gained from networking across stakeholder groups
• Ability to communicate at all levels
• Focus on delivering and being accountable for meeting commitments and targets
• Prepared to take tough decisions and hold stakeholders to account in order to gain best results for the organisation
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to write high quality documents and reports suitable for relevant audiences.
• Must be able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the role and organisation

Desirable Criteria

• Understanding DBS vision and purpose and strategic intent
• Understand end to end/supply chain service delivery process
• Understand stakeholder dependencies and how these impact upon service delivery
• Management qualification

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,380, Disclosure & Barring Service contributes £17,492 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

The DBS offers a number of excellent benefits for its employees. These can include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Excellent maternity, paternity and adoption schemes (after a qualifying period)
• Commitment to the health and wellbeing of our employees
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Flexible working opportunities
• Eyecare voucher scheme
• Occupational Health Service including referrals for counselling and physiotherapy
• 24/7 Counselling and Wellbeing Service
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Legislative changes and the closure of Employer Supported Childcare scheme on 4 October 2018 will mean that if you are already a Civil Servant and move across the Civil Service, your ability to claim Childcare Vouchers will be impacted. However, you may still be eligible to claim Tax Free Childcare. For further information and to check if you are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare see Get Tax-Free Childcare: step by step on GOV.UK.

The DBS vision and purpose is to make people safer by being a visible, trusted and influential organisation, providing an outstanding quality of service to all our customers and partners, where our people understand the important safeguarding contributions they make and feel proud to work here. To do this, the DBS is committed to being an employer that is able to attract, develop, retain and engage diverse talent that is representative of the communities we serve, and to be an organisation providing outstanding service to all our existing and new customers, who are diverse and have a range of different needs. We want all our staff to be able to bring their ‘whole self’ to work.

Further Information:

To view the DBS Recruitment and On-boarding Privacy Notice, please click the link below:

DBS Recruitment and On-boarding Privacy Notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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 role, please provide a CV along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words, outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role, including all essential and desirable criteria.

You will also need to provide examples that demonstrate the following behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

For all candidates who are successful at the initial sifting stage, you will be invited to interview.

The interview will consist of an in-person panel-based interview at our Liverpool or Darlington office - location to be confirmed at interview stage.

The aim of the panel interview will be to assess your ability to demonstrate the following behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

The following timetable outlines indicative dates. Please note, these dates may be subject to change without prior notice.

Closing date: Monday, 17 August 2026 at 10am.

The initial candidate sift is due to take place week commencing 17 August 2026

Interviews are due to take place week commencing 1 September 2026

Whilst we will endeavour to provide some flexibility with regards to dates wherever possible, it is unlikely that we will be able to offer an alternative date once an appointment has been scheduled.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil 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

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 : DBS People Support Team
• Email : DBSPeopleSupportTeam@dbs.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSPeopleSupportTeam@dbs.gov.uk

Attachments

1. Success Profiles Candidate Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)Head of Relatonship Management - DBS Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 360kB)