** Operations and Performance Officer

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. We also aim to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

As an Operations Officer, you will work as part of a team responsible for monitoring standards across the Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) and assessing the performance of the IRC supplier. Your work will help ensure that contracted services are delivered effectively, consistently and in line with expected standards.

This will involve regular movement throughout the Centre, engaging with supplier staff and detained residents to observe operational activity, identify issues and support effective compliance oversight.

Job description

The Executive Officer (EO) Operations and Performance Officer is based within the Compliance Team at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), part of the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement directorate. The team provides onsite assurance that the Centre operates safely, lawfully and in line with contractual, policy and international obligations.

Working in a fast-paced operational environment, the EO plays a key role in monitoring performance, reviewing compliance activity and supporting continuous improvement. This includes helping to identify and address risks effectively, while ensuring that standards are consistently maintained.

The role offers a varied and engaging workload, combining analytical, operational and stakeholder engagement responsibilities. It provides the opportunity to develop strong organisational, data handling and decision-making skills while contributing directly to the oversight of a complex and high-profile operational setting.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but aren’t limited to:

• Monitor and assess compliance with contractual, policy and Detention Service Order requirements, ensuring that operational activity at Dungavel IRC meets expected standards.
• Analyse performance data and operational information to identify trends, risks and areas for improvement, supporting effective decision-making and assurance activity.
• Conduct regular checks, audits and reviews of processes and practices, ensuring that issues are identified promptly and appropriate action is taken.
• Engage with internal colleagues, service providers and external stakeholders to gather information, share findings and support the resolution of compliance issues.
• Contribute to the preparation of reports and briefings, providing clear, accurate and timely information on compliance performance and risks.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance processes, strengthen controls and improve overall service delivery

You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams, where possible at your base location or within reasonable travel distance, depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden your experience and skill set.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Shift Working

Successful candidates will need to be able to attend Dungavel IRC for all rostered shifts, typically working 5 days out of 7, this normally includes one early shift, one late shift and three standard day shifts although occasionally this may change due to business needs. Occasional weekend working is required (typically ranging from one out of four to one out of eight depending on staff cover and leave) and participation in an on-call rota.

Training

You will receive full training and support to do the job, including structured onboarding to the Dungavel environment, systems and processes, as well as ongoing professional development to build capability in compliance monitoring, assurance activity and performance analysis. You work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

This role can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 2, which develops skills in personal safety, arrest and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer will be conditional upon you being physically fit to undertake and pass the training.

Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Travel

Travel requirements are minimal and generally limited to local or regional visits.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Ability to analyse and interpret information or data to identify issues, risks and trends, supporting effective decision-making.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to deadlines.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, building effective working relationships.
• Clear and effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present information in a structured and concise manner.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a compliance, assurance or regulatory environment.
• Experience of monitoring processes, standards or performance, with strong attention to detail in a busy environment.
• Experience of analysing performance information or producing reports to support operational decision-making.

Licences

Due to the nature of the work and the geographical location, driving is an essential requirement for this role. You will be required to drive on official business and must hold a full, valid UK driving licence (manual or automatic).

As the site is not accessible by public transport, you must have reliable means of travel to ensure you can attend work as required, including early mornings and late evenings.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 80% of their working time in an office.
• This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of currently 16.29% of salary, which equates to an additional ££5,230.72 per annum based on salary minimum. Further information can be found on our website.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

1. Application - by 13 July 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 500 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift - 15 July 2026

The sift will be held on the CV, Personal Statement and Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions, as listed in the advert.

3. Interview - 05 August 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) based questions.

The interview will take place on face to face at the passport office in Northgate, Glasgow.

Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours, technical skills, experience, and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Candidate_Information_v17_April_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 207kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)