Operational Delivery Team Leader

Job summary

Posts we currently have available are in:

• Newcastle
• Reading
• Worcester
• Workington

Additional Team Leader vacancies may become available in the future across any of our locations (Bridgwater, Bristol, Cambridge, Carlisle, Crewe, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Worcester, Workington, York). We plan to hold a reserve list for 12 months and will use this list to fill future vacancies. We encourage you to apply now, even if there are currently no advertised posts in your preferred location.

Are you passionate about leading and supporting a team to drive productivity?

As a Team Leader you will be leading colleagues to deliver an excellent service to rural communities by developing and leading people, building an innovative and resilient team, and driving the quality of our work and improving performance.

We’re hosting two virtual drop‑in sessions where you can join us to ask questions about the role, the application process, or what it’s like to work at the RPA.

Each drop-in session will last for 1 hour, but it is not necessary to attend more than one session or to stay for the entire session unless you'd like to. It is also not compulsory to join any of these and participation will not impact recruitment decisions in any way.

You can join these sessions via the MS Teams App (free for most laptops and mobile phones) or by telephone using the details below at the start of the session via the links below:

Please join us on MS Teams via the links below:

Wednesday 8 April 2026 13:00 - 14:00

Meeting ID: 316 064 379 698 96

Passcode: 5U8Aa6Nk

Dial in by phone

United Kingdom, London

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 613 091 108#

Thursday 16 April 2026 16:00 - 17:00

Meeting ID: 339 671 930 665 879

Passcode: TS23Lo7z

Dial in by phone

United Kingdom, City of London

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 580 987 917#

For further information on the Rural Payments Agency website visit: Rural Payments Agency - GOV.UK

Job description

Responsibilities:

As a Team Leader within the Rural Payments Agency, you will:

• Lead and support teams through change positively, motivating teams to deliver an excellent performance and service to customers
• Be a champion for change inspiring and empowering teams to embrace and contribute to change in a positive way
• Ensure changes are understood, acted upon and are embedded into day-to-day delivery
• Work flexibly and at pace to contribute to the best outcomes for the Agency and its customers
• Closely monitor, manage and track performance of teams, taking accountability for delivery and quality of service to customers
• Be accountable for any allocated work streams or tasks alongside day-to-day delivery
• Utilise different resources to enhance productivity across teams by efficiently managing workloads to address daily priorities and meet customer demands
• Use data to analyse trends and influence improvements to tools, guidance and resources to enhance service delivery
• Be confident, respectful and timely in providing constructive feedback, challenging poor performance or behaviours and take ownership in delivering difficult messages
• Work collaboratively with people of all grades across RPA and beyond to influence processes, systems and approaches to work to give the best quality service and outcomes for customers
• View issues from various perspectives while assisting teams to engage with continuous improvement approaches to move work forward or address customer queries
• Engage, interact and report to Senior Managers
• Identify risks, putting mitigation in place, often working to tight timescales
• Confidently handle challenging conversations and interviews
• Maintain accurate records and produce relevant guidance material
• Monitor and manage team and individual performance and behaviours including HR Responsibilities in line with Line Management expectations

Person specification

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience listed in the essential criteria

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in leading, motivating and supporting others
• The ability to communicate to different audiences and present information clearly
• Organisational skills with the ability to work at pace
• The ability to manage work, monitor and track progress of yourself and others
• Confidence in the use of standard IT packages, with the ability to learn and adapt to different technologies and software packages

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,715, Rural Payments Agency contributes £8,608 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application Process

After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Management Judgement test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests and application is 23:55 on 22 April 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 22 April 2026.

While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible.

It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet.

Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits. For more information on the Civil Service Management Judgement test including guidance and practice test - please click here Preparing for the Civil Service Management Judgement Test - GOV.UK

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on19th April 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

If you are successful in the test, you will be asked to complete the following:

• A 500-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the person specification and essential criteria detailed in the advert
• A 250-word statement on the behaviour Leadership

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Situational Task

A situational task will form part of the interview to assess the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Communicating Influencing

Details of the task will be provided to you 45 minutes prior to your interview start time.

Behaviour Question

During the interview, you will be asked a question based on the behaviour below:

• Delivering at Pace

For more information on behaviours and to help you prepare please click here

Strengths

You will be asked a number of strength-based questions. These explore what you do well, do regularly and what motivates you. The questions are shorter, and the panel will be interested in your first reaction to the questions and the information or reasoning to support this.

For more information on strengths including the strengths dictionary to help you prepare please click here

Interviews will take place via MS Teams .

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to RPA 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.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Criminal Record Check

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 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.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ 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.

Accessibility

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

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that RPA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Feedback

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.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 : RPA Recruitment Team
• Email : rparecruitmentadmin@rpa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

Candidate Pack EO Operational Delivery Team Leader 446686 Opens in new window (pdf, 1596kB)