Operational Leader - Southern

Job summary

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Do you enjoy engaging with customers? If so, we need you!

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy and is responsible for helping people move into employment, supporting pensioners and protecting some of the most vulnerable in our society. Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt’s (CFCD) aim is to drive down the level of fraud, error and debt within the benefit system, to protect the public purse.

As part of CFCD you will be at the heart of DWP’s efforts to reduce fraud and error in the benefit system. This is a hugely important public service, and our challenge is bigger than ever.

If you want to join somewhere that recognises the importance of work-life balance, where you can learn new skills and progress your career, then CFCD is the place for you.

Job description

CFCD Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Operational Leaders support the flexible, effective, personalised delivery of customer service, quality and performance across sites. HEO Operational Leaders inspire colleagues through difficult situations, transform performance and are accountable for the effective utilisation of operational resources, delivering improved value for money and driving out inefficiencies.

Successful candidates will be posted to CFCD Operational Teams. All our leaders will be leading and driving performance as per the key tasks below, but it is important to state that CFCD Operational Leaders primarily work in a case work environment.

Operational Leader Roles

We are recruiting Operational Leaders for three areas of our business:

• Compliance Operational Leader - 1 post based in Bristol.
• Enhanced Review Team (ERT) Operational Leader - 2 posts based in Plymouth & Taunton.
• Fraud Investigations Operational Leader - 5 posts based in Bournemouth, Bristol, Eastbourne, Taunton & Truro.

Key tasks include:

• Directly line manage a team, provide clear, visible and strong leadership and engage with colleagues to drive high performance and quality.
• Create an inclusive team environment, embracing different individual needs, views and ideas, making it clear to all that bullying, harassment and discrimination is unacceptable.
• Motivate, develop and encourage teams, undertake regular performance reviews, undertake coaching, learning and development opportunities, and regular one-to-one meetings to develop capability and skills.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders, including local authorities, the police and HMRC, encouraging collaborative working between teams, building relationships and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Provide relevant information to colleagues regarding changes to DWP policy or CFCD operational instructions, legislation and statutory requirements as appropriate, and identify and implement best practice.
• Identify risks to performance achievement and drive forward continuous improvement.
• Monitor and improve the quality of the face-to-face/telephony and end-to-end customer experience, ensuring that ‘one customer, one service, one business’ becomes a reality within DWP.
• Ensure all security matters (including information protection) are dealt with promptly and sensitively, in line with DWP policies and procedures.
• Use networking and influencing to create, maintain and improve service delivery for all customers.
• Support the identification of priorities and work collaboratively to ensure the delivery of both your own and others’ objectives.
• Due to the geographically dispersed nature of our teams and the nature of these roles, there will be occasional travel and overnight stays.

The following tasks are undertaken byFraud Investigations Operational Leaders in addition to the above tasks.

• Provide advice and direction to Investigation Officers to support the progression of investigations.
• Record, retain and review material gathered during criminal investigations to meet disclosure requirements.
• Conduct interviews under caution as per legal guidelines under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (England and Wales) and Common Law (Scotland).
• Review prosecution cases following Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and National File Standard guidance (England & Wales) and in line with Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service guidance in Scotland.
• Attend court and give evidence in criminal cases and appeal tribunals.
• Promote fraud awareness across DWP and with external partners.

Person specification

What we are looking for in our Operational Leaders:

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• A driven, energetic leader who is able to improve quality and consistency within our customer journey.
• Strong collaboration and negotiation skills, with experience of influencing and managing effective stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent communication, presentation and organisational skills.
• Able to innovate and make sound business decisions at pace, through creative thinking and a flexible, agile outlook and approach.
• Able to work at pace in an ambiguous and changing business landscape.
• Able to lead remotely, promote inclusivity and hold a solid understanding of equality and diversity and how they impact upon service delivery.
• A high level of emotional intelligence, honesty, integrity and a personal demeanour that inspires confidence and loyalty.
• Understanding of external factors affecting an organisation, and the ability to set the vision for your teams, with an awareness of wider, long-term aims for an organisation.

Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP)

At DWP, we are committed to developing a skilled and professional workforce. Fraud Officers are required to attain and maintain Practitioner-level membership of the Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) through an annual self-assessment, demonstrating their expertise in the role. We support all post holders with structured learning pathways and workplace adjustments to help them succeed. Failure to achieve Practitioner-level membership may result in DWP seeking an alternative role for you.

By applying, you confirm that you have read and understood the professional requirements of the role.

Learning Requirements for Fraud Investigations Operational Leader only

Successful candidates must be willing to undertake the mandatory Level 4 Counter Fraud Investigations Apprenticeship (CFIA) which is essential for carrying out the technical functions of the role. The apprenticeship is expected to last 18 months, and all associated training will be full-time and may require travel.

Candidates who already hold one of the following equivalent qualifications will not be required to complete the apprenticeship:

• Accredited Counter Fraud Investigators Programme (ACFIP)
• Professionalism in Security (PinS) Accredited Counter Fraud Officer

All colleagues are required to complete any future mandatory learning relevant to their role.

Please Note - Appointments to this role will be subject to successful completion of the above learning. Failure to achieve the required level to pass the courses may result in redeployment into another DWP role (or DWP formal procedures being used which could result in termination of contract).

Additional Travel Requirements for Fraud Investigations Operational Leader

This role involves travel and may require attendance at:

• Briefings and operational planning meetings with external stakeholders, including Police, Lawyers, and Barristers
• Interviews conducted under Caution
• Court appearances as required
• Business and private addresses to obtain witness statements

Successful candidates must be able to travel at short notice, retrieve evidence, and be available during unsociable hours—including nights, weekends, and across various locations nationally. A departmental vehicle or hire car may be provided, subject to holding a full UK driving licence.

Candidate Integrity Declaration for Fraud Investigations Operational Leader only

Before an offer of employment is made, successful candidates will be asked to declare the following, to the best of their knowledge:

• Any previous disciplinary findings related to conduct in employment.
• Any ongoing disciplinary proceedings or unresolved notifications of potential misconduct.
• Any criminal convictions, police cautions, or legal findings—whether spent or unspent.

Please note: Disclosure of this information will not automatically exclude candidates from consideration. However, it is important for the Department to be aware of any matters that could affect a candidate’s credibility, particularly if they may be required to give evidence in court.

Civil Service Careers

The attached link will take you to the Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt website which gives you further information about these roles CFCD , Civil Service Careers.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,772, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £11,232 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).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

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, Ability and Experience.

**Ensure that you read the full information about the selection process before starting your application. Please note the closing date for your full application (Application Form, Test, CV and Written Statement) is 23:55 on 15th September 2026**

Stage 1 – Application Form

Please complete the application form with your basic information, which includes your personal details, eligibility to apply and any reasonable adjustments required.

Stage 2 – Online Test

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 is 23:55 on 15/09/2026. 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 CS Jobs website.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 16:00 and 00:00 on 30/08/2026 and Midday to 1pm on Sunday 13th September 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.

Stage 3 - Curriculum Vitae (CV)

You will be asked to complete a CV with details of your job history, previous skills and experience. You are not required to upload your personal CV.

In the previous skills/experience section you should detail your employment and/or education history relevant to this vacancy (we recommend a maximum of 500 words).

The CV will also cover your work history (we recommend you include up to the last 3 roles of employment history, plus any others that you feel are relevant).

Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.

Stage 4 – Personal Statement and Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a personal statement detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role. In no more than 1,000 words, please carefully consider the questions below. You should address these when constructing your personal statement. You do not need to answer each individually as one example of evidence may cover all of the questions. You should also consider both the job description and person specification details above when providing your evidence.

• Can you explain a time when you have displayed strong leadership and communication skills to achieve required outcomes while changing priorities at short notice (Lead Question).
• Describe when you analysed a range of information sources to make a difficult decision?

Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used.

If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead question. If so, we will sift on:

• Can you explain a time when you have displayed strong leadership and communication skills to achieve required outcomes while changing priorities at short notice (Lead Question).

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

In the event we don’t receive a high number of applications we may not undertake a sift and progress all candidates to interview. For these reasons, the timeline is subject to change depending on the approach we take.

**The closing date for all stages of your application is 23:55 on 15/09/2026. If you fail to complete all stages before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn**

The sift is scheduled to be held from 16/09/2026 to 02/10/2026. These dates may be subject to change.
Following completion of the sifting period above, results will be collated, and candidates will receive confirmation of the outcome. Those candidates who have met the agreed pass mark will be invited to interview.

No feedback will be provided at this stage.

Stage 5 - Interview

If you pass the written application sift with the required score you will be invited to a blended interview and will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account. If high application volumes are received, the benchmark / score for candidates to proceed to the interview stage may be raised.

The interviews will be conducted face to face. Where possible the interviews will take place at the locations listed, however candidates may be expected to travel to an alternative location as required.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to attend a face-to-face interview, please ensure you state those on your application form when asked to do so.

Interviews are scheduled to take place from 02/11/2026, please note that this date is only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Interviews will be scheduled Monday to Friday, between 09:00 to 17:00.

Communications will be electronic and/or by SMS/telephone therefore it is important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number, it is important that you answer so that your interview can be confirmed. If you wish to opt out of SMS messages, please email this address, including the vacancy reference and your candidate ID CFCD.RECRUITMENTINBOX@DWP.GOV.UK. As part of our commitment to improving the candidate experience, you may be contacted during the recruitment process to provide feedback.

Preparing for the Interview

The interview will take approximately 40 to 45 minutes and will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The questions explore what you, the candidate, can and have done, but also your potential.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed at Higher Executive Officer – Level 3.

An example of a behavioural question would be “How did you lead by example to inspire and motivate your teams?”.

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

• WHO - What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
• STAR - What was the ituation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

Strengths

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.

If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in. Your examples do not need to be from an office environment.

If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not progress further.

Stage 6 – Offer

Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Our current plan is that this will be week commencing 30/11/2026, but this may be subject to change. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business. Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer, we may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held.

The successful candidates will be notified of a start date following successful pre-employment checks, which is likely to be during January 2027.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that for these vacancies we recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role.

We can never guarantee sponsorship; requests will be considered in line with the relevant DWP guidance and Home Office policy in place at the time.

Location

The roles available will be based in the following locations subject to space availability at the time of posting:

Bristol - Lodge House, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3HZ.

Bournemouth - Tamarisk House, Cotlands Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3BG.

Eastbourne - St Annes House, 2 St Annes Road, Eastbourne, BN21 3XX.

Plymouth - Old Tree Court, 64 Exeter Street, Plymouth, PL4 0AJ.

Taunton - Brendon House, 35-36 High Street, Taunton, TA1 3NY.

Truro - Lemon Quay House, Lemon Quay, Truro, TR1 2PU.

You should only apply for suitable posts where you can travel to and from your home office location daily within a reasonable time. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed. Make sure the locations works for you before applying!

Hybrid working​

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office. If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert. Hybrid working will not commence until any training and consolidation period has been successfully completed.

Working pattern​

Part-time, part-year, term-time compressed hours and job-sharing working patterns within working hours will be considered but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful candidates with agreed alternative working patterns will be required to work full time for specific periods to complete all training and consolidation.

​​Hours of work ​

The full-time working week in DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours of: ​

• 7:45am and 8:00pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and​
• 8:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday.​

Managers will agree working patterns with successful candidates within these business hours and review these as appropriate. You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule.

Learning and Development

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work-based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work-based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract. Important: If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

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

Integrity, Plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own.
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own.

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check will be carried out.

Candidates 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 candidate’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.

Political Impartiality​

Due to the nature of our role, DWP is required to ensure that the political impartiality of its employees cannot be brought into question. The role you are applying for is classed by DWP as a ‘sensitive’ role because it involves contact with the public, so permission cannot be given to anyone in such a role to engage or remain politically active in any kind of local councillor role. There may also be restrictions applied to other political activities which are set out in the