Head of Delivery Unit

Job summary

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is a government department and £130 billion financial institution, deploying finance at scale to drive economic growth. We work all around the world building economic bridges between the UK and some of the world’s most exciting and fast-growing markets. This is a particularly exciting moment to join UKEF – Minsters have announced plans to expand UKEF’s work into a range of new areas: economic security, investment, critical minerals and supply chains.

Strategy Division sits at the centre of UK Export Finance, helping the department set its direction and convert ambition into impact.

The Division leads UKEF’s strategy, develops its five-year plan, oversees delivery of the department’s most important commitments, and advises ministers on how to respond to rapid global change. It also leads the department’s governance and communications functions.

Job description

This is one of UKEF’s most influential G6 roles.

As Head of the Delivery Unit, you will lead the function responsible for turning UKEF’s ambitions into results. You will work closely with the Chief Executive, Executive Committee and senior leaders to identify the priorities where additional pace, coordination or challenge can make the greatest difference.

You will lead a portfolio of high-profile projects spanning economic growth, support for SMEs, mobilisation of bank finance, defence and international financing, improvements to transaction processes, and emerging ministerial and government priorities. Over the last twelve months this has covered:

• Designing a delivering a new £50 billion defence facility announced by the Prime Minister.
• Overseeing UKEF's support for Ukraine, including £200m of finance supporting export of enriched uranium from the UK to keep Ukraine’s energy grid functioning, signed by the Foreign Secretary.
• Developing an £11 billion fund with the major high street bank to support SMEs, including designing the scheme and leading negotiations with the banks.
• Leading a technical project, working to the CEO, to speed up transaction execution and deal-flow for UKEF's international finance.

The role combines strategic judgement with hands-on delivery leadership. You will create clarity where objectives or ownership are uncertain; establish practical plans and accountabilities; use data to identify problems; and bring together colleagues from across UKEF and government to overcome barriers.

Some projects will require you to lead directly. On others, you will enable senior owners and multidisciplinary teams to deliver by providing the right structure, evidence, governance and constructive challenge.

You will also shape the Delivery Unit’s future, building a team known for pace, impact, and the ability to make difficult things happen.

Main Activities:

Leadership

1. Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing Delivery Unit, setting a clear purpose and creating an outcome-focused culture. Managing a team of 4 and providing broader visible leadership across the department.
2. Work with the Deputy Director for Strategy, Chief Executive, Executive Committee and Ministers to identify where the Unit can add the greatest value.
3. Set and manage the Unit’s portfolio, balancing sustained delivery of major initiatives with rapid responses to new priorities.
4. Support the Deputy Director in planning activities over the longer term to achieve strategic goals.

Delivery

1. Lead support for delivery of UKEF’s Business Plan, translating major commitments into clear outcomes, milestones and accountabilities.
2. Lead a portfolio of UKEF’s highest-priority cross-cutting projects, from initial concept through to implementation and measurable results.
3. Lead rapid reviews of difficult delivery problems and provide senior leaders with clear, evidence-based recommendations.

Speed of execution

1. Lead work to make UKEF faster, simpler and more effective, particularly where processes or responsibilities cross several divisions.
2. Diagnose the causes of delay or underperformance and bring together operational, risk, policy, finance, legal, digital and commercial expertise to resolve them.
3. Challenge unnecessary complexity and administrative burden while ensuring appropriate controls and accountabilities are maintained.

This list is not exhaustive; you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business need.

Person specification

Essential

Qualifications

• Graduate level qualification or significant relevant professional experience. (A)
• Evidence of continuing professional development. (A)

Knowledge

• An understanding of the government policy landscape related to UK exports and/or wider business support. (A, P & I)
• Outstanding political sense and understanding of government priorities. (A, P & I)

Skills/Ability

• Highly organised & methodical approach to managing a workload, with ability to juggle multiple workstreams with shifting priorities. (A)
• Strong problem-solving skills. (A, I)
• Strong communication skills (oral and written) sufficient to be credible with a wide range of senior stakeholders and influence outcomes throughout all levels of an organisation. (A&I)
• Strong analytical ability to understand and advise on complex legal and policy issues. (A&I)
• Outstanding relationship-building and influencing skills, with a proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and build consensus. (A & I)
• Ability to represent UKEF effectively externally at all levels. (A)
• Ability to lead, coach and manage within the division. (A&I)

Experience

• Policy development and implementation. (A&I)
• Managing teams to deliver outcomes. (A&I)
• Experience of collaborating and negotiating with external organisations and/or a wide variety of internal teams to achieve organisational objectives. (A & I)
• Experience of working in trade, financial services or government (A)

Other requirements

• Able to fulfil the travel requirements of the role, and work outside traditional office hours as required.

Qualifications

• Graduate level qualification or significant relevant professional experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Technical - A 10-minute presentation linked to the behaviour Seeing the Bigger Picture, followed by a Q&A based on a topic determined by UKEF and will need to be prepared in advance, the details of this will be provided to the relevant candidates.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,293, UK Export Finance contributes £23,550 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%

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Please ensure that you read through the Candidate Information Pack attached to this advert, before applying.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

• Qualification - Graduate level qualification or significant relevant professional experience.

• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 500 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

1. Experience - Application and Statement of Suitability

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview, to be held onsite at 1 Horse Guards Road or via MS Teams; this will include the following assessment:

1. Behaviours/Experience/Line Manager Standards - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all three behaviours highlighted in Appendix 1.
2. Technical - A 10-minute presentation linked to the behaviour Seeing the Bigger Picture, followed by a Q&A based on a topic determined by UKEF and will need to be prepared in advance, the details of this will be provided to the relevant candidates.

Candidates may be invited to a second interview should there be a tie in scores. Details of this will be provided at a later date.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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.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 : UKEF Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk and include “Complaint” in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF’s investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission - http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint.

Attachments

UKEF Information Pack - Head of Delivery Unit (Grade 6) - Aug 26 Opens in new window (pdf, 4353kB)