Operational Manager - Valuation Support Unit

Job summary

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This role is part of HMRC Valuation Office, formerly known as the Valuation Office Agency. We have recently integrated into HMRC. As we continue the transition to our updated HMRC branding, you may still see some VOA logos or references in our advertisements for a temporary period.

HMRC Valuation Office are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers with a vision to be a world-leading provider of public sector valuations. Our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.

Job description

Role Overview

To provide leadership to a team of AOs who carry out a range of activities within the Valuation Support Unit (VSU).

An EO Operational Manager plays a key leadership role within the Valuation Support Unit, providing proactive, people‑focused management to ensure the team delivers high‑quality, timely and customer‑centred services. The role leads and develops a team of AOs, driving performance through clear expectations, meaningful coaching conversations, and close monitoring of productivity, quality and service standards.

As an Operational Manager, you will plan and organise daily workflows, allocate resources effectively, and use online systems to maintain accurate performance and activity records.

Key responsibilities

• Proactively lead and develop a team of AOs to achieve individual and team performance goals in line with KPI’s, demonstrating accountability for performance whilst managing productivity and delivery challenges.
• Support and manage your team’s performance by closely monitoring both timeliness and quality metrics. Conduct quality checks in line with the Quality Strategy and have meaningful performance conversations with teams and individuals around personal development.
• Plan and organise work; monitoring delivery in accordance with expected Service Level Agreements and recording advisor activity using online systems to gain an accurate understanding across individual and team productivity.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to prioritise and make best use of all resources to deliver our work. Allocate work within the team to ensure service levels and targets are achieved.
• Support and coach your team to ensure they have the right skills and knowledge needed for their job, also communicating effectively, and supporting your team through change.
• Foster an inclusive team environment and create an engaged, focused, and driven workforce where individuals have a voice and feel valued.
• Deal quickly and effectively with any management issues using Agency HR policies and procedures, sometimes delivering difficult messages.
• Handle VSU call-backs through direct communication with customers where calls have been escalated. Apply emotional intelligence to handle customers in distress or unacceptable customer behaviour in support of telephony advisors.

Person specification

We are looking for a natural passion for leading teams in a busy contact centre environment, developing people and helping them succeed. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of day-to-day operations and how their area contributes to wider business goals with a focus on delivering great service and driving team performance.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, along with strong organisational abilities and a proactive approach to problem-solving allowing you to work at pace. The ideal candidate will be confident using data to inform decisions, adaptable to change, and committed to continuous improvement. You will lead by example, demonstrate resilience, and foster a positive, high-performance team culture.

Essential Requirements

• Demonstrate credible leadership by valuing and developing the contributions of others, effectively engaging, and influencing to set direction, and build a strong unified team focused on delivering shared priorities and objectives.
• The ability to support individuals to improve their performance and provide constructive feedback, demonstrating emotional intelligence to handle difficult situations.
• Excellent communication skills to be able to communicate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing as well as to support your team through change.
• The ability to work on your own initiative, but also collaboratively with and supporting others effectively in a team environment in a fast paced, large dynamic customer service environment.
• Excellent organisation and planning skills with the ability to switch, at short notice, between the various duties outlined.
• The ability to inspire and motivate a team to deliver consistent and exceptional service.
• Good judgement and decision-making skills.

Other desirable requirements

• An understanding of managing attendance and wider HR policies would be preferable but not essential.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,096, Valuation Office Agency contributes £9,008 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance that starts at 25 days, increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days and a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.

• Family friendly policies.

• Personal support.

• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRChear from our insiders or visitThinking of joining the Civil Service

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.

If you can meet our person requirements above, we are keen to hear from you.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

• A Personal Statement (maximum 500 words), please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the ‘Essential Requirements’ and ‘Person Specification’ outlined in the advert when providing your answer.

Sift - 22nd - 29th April 2026. Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change.

• We will assess you on your Personal Statement.

Should there be a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be made on Personal Statement against the lead essential requirement : Demonstrate credible leadership by valuing and developing the contributions of others, effectively engaging, and influencing to set direction, and build a strong unified team focused on delivering shared priorities and objectives.

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

Interviews -W/C 11th May 2026. Please note these dates are provisional and may be subject to change. These will be confirmed should you be invited to interview.

Interviews are currently taking place using Face to Face. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.

We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description and Strengths.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

Application Hints and Tips

For more information on Success Profiles, tips on how to write a successful application and find out more about what’s involved in the application process please visit About the application process , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk).

Further Information

Hybrid working at HMRC

In the HMRC VO, we are an office-based organisation, but all colleagues have access to hybrid working by default, as our roles have aspects which can be completed from home.

With this role we’d be looking for colleagues to work 3 days per week in the office once they have been trained. You and your manager will then continue to review your hybrid working pattern to make sure it meets your needs as well as the needs of the business.

Applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

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

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Team via mailto:unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.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.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Terms & Conditions

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

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

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 3 month reserve list as standard. During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Concerns/Complaints

HMRC Valuation Office recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address:

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.

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 : CSC Recruitment
• Email : cscrecruitmentteamplymouthvo@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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