Adjudication and Casework Lead

Job summary

About the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC):

The Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC) is an independent public body established by Government under the Enterprise Act 2016 to tackle overdue payments and unfavourable payment practices in the private sector.

Its mission is to make life easier for small businesses by getting money moving through the economy and streamlining support. It achieves this by supporting small businesses to get paid quickly and on time, influencing larger businesses to reduce their payment times to suppliers and working with all businesses to improve the culture of payment practices across the UK.

The OSBC has a statutory duty to review enquiries and investigate formal complaints made by small businesses regarding late and overdue payments from large businesses, as well as providing advice and support on issues relating to overdue payments and payment practices in the private sector.

It undertakes a range of activity to improve outcomes for small businesses and works across Government, and with partners in the private and third sector, to raise awareness of the impact of overdue payments and unfair payment practices across the whole of the UK, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

As an Arm’s Length Body (ALB), classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body, the OSBC is accountable to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade through its sponsorship team at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST).

The OSBC collaborates intensively with its sponsorship team at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, various partnership teams within BIST, and the Minister for Small Business, to provide valuable insights into issues impacting the small business sector, including the effects of Government policy and legislation.

Job description

Role Responsibilities:

Setting Strategic Direction:

Lead the Adjudication and Casework functions, setting strategic priorities, delivery plans and operational objectives. Reporting to the Head of Enforcement and Casework, ensuring delivery supports the OSBC’s Business Plan, statutory responsibilities and organisational goals.

Leading Operational Delivery:

Provide leadership and oversight of all casework and adjudication activity, ensuring operations are delivered efficiently, fairly, consistently and within agreed service standards.

Managing People and Performance:

Lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams, creating a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, professional development and excellent customer service.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance and Quality:

Maintain oversight of decision-making processes and case outcomes, ensuring that all adjudications and casework activities are robust, evidence-based, legally sound and aligned with relevant legislation, policies and procedural standards.

Supporting Enforcement Activity:

Work closely with the Head of Enforcement and Casework to identify emerging risks, trends and compliance issues, contributing to enforcement strategies and the effective delivery of regulatory interventions.

Stakeholder Engagement and Influencing:

Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government departments, legal advisers, industry representatives and small and large business stakeholders, acting as a senior representative for the OSBC on adjudication and casework matters.

Driving Continuous Improvement:

Identify opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness, case management processes, governance arrangements and customer experience through the use of data, insight and best practice.

Governance, Risk and Reporting:

Provide assurance on performance, risks and operational delivery, preparing high-quality reports, briefings and recommendations for senior leaders, the Small Business Commissioner, Boards and other governance forums.

Person specification

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

This role would generally suit someone who;

• Lead strategically and inspire high-performing teams, setting clear direction, building capability and maintaining focus on organisational objectives and outcomes.

• Manage complex casework and adjudication functions, exercising sound judgement and ensuring fair, proportionate and evidence-based decision making.

• Interpret and apply legislation, policy and regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance and consistency across Adjudication and Casework functions.

• Analyse complex operational data and emerging trends to inform decision making, prioritisation and strategic planning.

• Build credibility, trust and influence senior stakeholders, establishing effective working relationships across government, sponsorship, boards, industry and regulatory environments.

• Deliver change and continuous improvement initiatives, using insight and innovation to improve performance, efficiency and service quality.

• Provide clear and concise advice to senior leaders on operational, regulatory and casework matters, including business risks and mitigation strategies.

• Manage competing priorities and resources effectively, ensuring delivery of high-quality outcomes within demanding timescales.

Essential Skills:

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.

• Strong strategic leadership and people management experience, including leading multidisciplinary teams.

• Significant experience of managing operational casework, adjudications or regulatory functions.

• Proven ability to make and oversee complex, evidence-based decisions within a regulatory, legal or compliance framework.

• Excellent business stakeholder management and influencing skills, including engagement with business leaders and external partners.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex company information and data to make timely, effective decisions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of detailed performance reports, briefings and recommendations for senior audiences.

Desirable Skills:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.

• General awareness of working within an Arm's Length Body or wider public sector organisation.

• General awareness of the Small Business Commissioner's statutory role, payment practices and wider small business issues.

• Ability to understand legislation such as the Commercial Payments Bill, including its policy objectives, regulatory implications and impact on supplier payment practices, compliance and enforcement activity.

• Experience of implementing service improvement, transformation or change programmes within an operational environment.

• Experience of managing performance, risk and governance arrangements within a public sector, regulatory or enforcement environment.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,732, Department for Business and Trade contributes £17,594 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

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.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• CV: Up to 1,000 words (approximately two A4 pages), setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements. Your CV should focus on employment history relevant to the essential criteria for the role. Please explain any gaps in employment during the last two years.
• Personal Statement: Up to 750 words, providing evidence of how your skills, qualities and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role against the essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK’s world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI 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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 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

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 : Ryan Knowles
• Email : ryan.knowles@smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ 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 DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)