Continuous Improvement Manager (Debt Function)

Job summary

Continuous Improvement Manager – Debt Function

£60,000 per annum

Bedford

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Ready to make a real difference? Join us at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as our Continuous Improvement Manager. This is your chance to play a meaningful role in helping people across the UK build stronger financial futures and to do it as part of a supportive, energetic team.

Why This Role Matters

The Continuous Improvement Manager is an embedded role within the Debt Function, responsible for leading and delivering a portfolio of continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives across Debt.

The role exists to strengthen delivery capacity within Continuous Improvement, addressing current bottlenecks by owning and driving the re‑baselining, optimisation and ongoing improvement of Debt processes, and by supporting the delivery of agreed maturity priorities.

Working closely with Debt teams, key enabling functions and, where appropriate, MaPS‑funded debt advice providers and external stakeholders, the postholder will focus on hands‑on delivery of CI projects, particularly in relation to process design and management, governance, and operational effectiveness. This will ensure that tangible improvements continue to be delivered at pace within Debt.

You’ll join a team that’s passionate, collaborative, and driven by the belief that financial confidence should be something everyone can access.

About Us

MaPS is based in bright, modern offices in Bedford, and we’re here to help people across the UK feel more confident and informed about their money.

Our values guide how we work together:

• Caring – for colleagues and the communities we support
• Connecting – building supportive, positive relationships
• Transforming – creating impact that truly matters

We’re proud to foster an inclusive, welcoming culture. Our colleague networks include LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health and ethnicity groups — and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Job description

• Lead the delivery of CI projects across the Debt Function, aligned to agreed maturity priorities
• Drive the re‑baselining, documentation and optimisation of Debt processes in line with the MaPS Process Design and Management Policy

• Support improvements to both internal Debt operations and, where relevant, externally delivered debt advice services through collaborative improvement activity
• Contribute to building CI culture and capability across Debt by enabling teams and partners to participate in, learn from and own improvement

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and deliver a defined portfolio of continuous improvement projects across the Debt Function, from initiation through to implementation and stabilisation, ensuring benefits are clearly articulated and realised.
• Re‑baseline existing Debt processes against the MaPS Process Design and Management Policy, ensuring processes are appropriately designed, documented, owned, and reviewed.
• Work with Process Owners, Process Managers and subject matter experts to map, analyse and improve operational processes, reducing inefficiency, variation and risk while improving quality and consistency.
• Apply continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, structured problem solving) to identify root causes, design improvements and support sustainable change.
• Support delivery of the Debt maturity framework priorities, particularly within the Processes and Governance pillar, contributing to more established and managed levels of maturity.
• Establish and maintain CI backlogs for Debt, supporting prioritisation of improvement opportunities based on impact, effort, dependency and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with the Senior Continuous Improvement Manager to ensure CI activity aligns with Debt and corporate strategies, and complements wider organisational improvement initiatives.

• Contribute to CI activity across MaPS and beyond, including collaborative improvement work with MaPS‑funded debt advice providers and other external stakeholders where this supports Debt strategy objectives.

• Support the development of CI culture by enabling participation in improvement initiatives, sharing learning, and reinforcing principles of experimentation, learning and continuous feedback.
• Deliver clear and practical communication on CI activity, progress and outcomes, contributing to transparency and learning across the Function.

Person specification

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience delivering continuous improvement or operational excellence initiatives in complex service or operational environments.
• Practical experience of process mapping, analysis, redesign and implementation, ideally within a formal process governance framework and using a recognised format such as BPMN.
• Strong understanding of continuous improvement methodologies and tools (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, root cause analysis), with evidence of applying them in practice.
• Experience of managing multiple improvement initiatives concurrently, balancing pace with quality and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data, insight and evidence to identify issues, inform decisions and measure improvement impact.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Experience working within debt advice, financial services, public sector or third sector environments.
• Formal qualification or certification in Lean Six Sigma or related continuous improvement disciplines.
• Experience supporting or implementing organisational process design and management policies or frameworks.

Key Attributes:

• Delivery‑focused and pragmatic, with a strong bias towards turning analysis into action.
• Confident and credible when working with operational teams, able to challenge constructively and supportively.
• Resilient and adaptable, comfortable working in environments with competing priorities and evolving maturity.
• Collaborative and relationship‑oriented, with a commitment to building capability and ownership rather than dependency.
• Personally committed to continuous improvement, learning and reflective practice.

Benefits

What We Offer

• 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Pension (2:1 matched contribution up to 10%)
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme (up to £3,000)
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Life assurance
• EAP Assist & Life
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• 2 paid volunteering days
• Recognition scheme
• Retail discounts portal

Flexible Working

We believe work should fit around life. This Bedford‑based role offers genuine flexibility so you can balance work, family, and personal commitments. We come together for purposeful team collaboration to stay connected and drive great results.

Career Development
We love supporting internal growth and progression, while continuing to follow fair and open Civil Service recruitment practices.

Important Information About Applying

• Please apply only via official MaPS links - we can’t accept applications via email or unauthorised sites.
• MaPS is unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Reserve List: If you're successful at interview, we may place you on a reserve list for up to 6 months. If a similar role becomes available, you may be offered it without the need for another assessment.

If you believe your application hasn’t followed the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, you can contact resourcing@maps.org.uk. If unresolved, you may then contact the Civil Service Commission.

Job Reference: MaPS01138

Close Date: 13/04/2026

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

Our Recruitment Process

We keep things simple, fair, and transparent:

Step 1: Submit Your Application

Open: 30/03/2026 , Deadline: 13/04/2026

To apply, please submit the following document:

1. Your most up-to-date CV

Step 2: Telephone Interview

Between 30/03/2026 – 15/04/2026

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a telephone interview with one of our recruiters. This is an opportunity to:

• Discuss your experience in more detail
• Learn more about the role and our organisation
• Ask any questions you may have

Step 3: Final Stage Interview

Hosted from 23/04/2026

Successful candidates from the telephone interview will be invited to attend a remote interview over Microsoft Teams. This stage will include:

• A series of competency-based interview questions

We follow fair, open, and merit‑based recruitment in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Everything we do aligns with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

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 : sophie rigney
• Email : sophie.rigney@reed.com

Recruitment team

• Email : sophie.rigney@reed.com