Policy Team Leader roles - Priority Sectors, Skills and Sponsorship

Job summary

Skills are central to both growth and opportunity – supporting people to get in to work, helping them progress and increase earnings and giving employers access to the skills needed for growth. This is an exciting time to be joining DWP to work on skills as we seek to maximise the opportunities from the recent Machinery of Government change and embed skills alongside labour market support.

The Priority Sectors, Skills and Sponsorship team provides broad system leadership – setting the strategic direction for adult skills strategy in DWP, leading on priority sectors skills packages to support growth, and sponsorship of three important skills arm’s length bodies, Skills England and the Industrial Training Boards.

We are recruiting for up to seven G7 roles to develop an adult skills strategy across DWP and ensure the labour market and skills system can effectively tackle workforce challenges including in priority sectors.

Collectively, these teams are responsible for:

• Setting the strategic direction for adult skills in DWP and developing close working relationships across DWP and DfE teams and other government departments, including DBT and HMT.
• Driving coherent sector skills strategy, including co-ordinating activity across government to support key growth-driving sectors and development of Jobs Plans.
• Strategic oversight and reporting for the whole, and driving delivery activity on DWP elements of, the sector skills packages in Construction, Defence, Engineering and Technology sector packages.
• Supporting Skills England and Industrial Training Boards to maximise their contribution to the skills system through effective sponsorship arrangements, ensuring clear strategic direction, robust governance and an effective strategy for the relationship between these ALBs and government.

Job description

We are recruiting for up to 7 roles across the Priority Sectors, Skills and Sponsorship team:

• Strategy roles working across the skills system. These roles will lead the development of adult skills strategy, provide high‑quality advice to Ministers and senior officials, and work closely with DfE and other government departments to shape coherent, system‑wide responses to skills challenges, including in priority sectors. The roles require strong strategic thinking, policy design and delivery skills, and the ability to work at pace in a complex, high‑profile policy environment.
• A Briefing and communications role responsible for leading the reactive and proactive communications of strategic messaging on adult skills and on sector skills packages, working with strategic comms and ministerial offices to ensure high‑quality ministerial and senior stakeholder briefings. This role will bring leadership for the division in coordinating communications on skills strategy, sponsorship and packages with other teams across the skills portfolio and beyond, ensuring clear, timely and consistent messaging on the division’s priorities.
• Programme management, reporting and delivery for the sector skills packages. These roles will be responsible for understanding progress against agreed milestones and a strategic approach to maximising the impact of the packages, and considering risks and mitigations. They will coordinate activity across departments and with delivery partners and bring a strategic overview to ensuring delivery has maximum impact and aligns with Ministerial priorities.
• A sponsorship role leading on the sponsorship of Skills England and the Industrial Training Boards. This role will work alongside an existing G7 to provide strategic oversight of these important ALBs, manage senior relationships and build strong connections across government, ensure effective governance and assurance arrangements are in place, and support sponsored organisations to agree and deliver against agreed objectives aligned with Government Priorities. The role will lead key elements of work to enhance the impact of these organisations, which includes proposed reforms to the Industry Training Boards and a formal review of the effectiveness of Skills England.

These roles are exciting and challenging. You will lead the development of innovative policy solutions on crosscutting problems and have the opportunity to show clear strategic thinking and leadership, both within and outside the Department. There will be a strong emphasis on building relationships across the organisation with other policy teams; and beyond the Department with external experts and other Government Departments. The roles offer great scope for personal development, including strong leadership skills and opportunities to influence key decision makers.

The successful candidates will be responsible for developing and delivering elements of future skills strategy and will be expected to:

• Provide high quality thought leadership and strategic thinking, demonstrating curiosity, innovating and building a strong understanding of the Department’s skills and labour market priorities.
• Lead skills strategy activity, including collaborating with DfE and externally to resolve cross cutting skills challenges at a system level and driving strategic alignment on how skills outcomes will be delivered between DWP and DfE.
• Lead policy design and delivery – support to develop and implement policy, including compiling evidence, conducting analysis and developing solutions to policy questions.
• Support Minister for Skills to have visibility across full skills portfolio, distilling complex information, quickly and succinctly to provide clear advice to senior officials and Ministers, both in writing and in person, often to tight deadlines to support the Department in making effective decisions.
• Lead performance management and reporting work with cross government stakeholders to ensure project delivery and effective governance – helping to deliver against agreed milestones. Advising ministers and joining up across departments on skills particularly where advice relates to the delivery responsibilities of another department.
• Lead multi-site and multi-disciplinary teams on managing and resolving complex problems, delivering key skills objectives for the Department and identifying opportunities to improve capability and policy thinking within the Group.

Engage widely within DWP, across Government and with external organisations – including skills delivery partners, local and devolved governments, employers/ employer representative bodies to promote and support delivery.

Person specification

Experience Key Criteria

• Working across organisational boundaries (lead criterion): Experience of building strong influential relationships, across Government, externally and when delivering in complex environments.
• Leadership: Experience of working through others to deliver positive outcomes in an inclusive way, and promoting a strong culture of reflection, feedback and continuous improvement.
• Strategic thinking: experience of focussing on the big picture, analysing evidence, thinking critically about trends and emerging issues, and articulating complex issues to a wide range of stakeholders succinctly and clearly.
• Proven experience of strategic leadership in a policy environment, with evidence you have developed evidence-based solutions to complex problems.
• Problem solving and proactivity – high levels of personal effectiveness to shape work of the team and demonstrable planning and delivery skills.

A knowledge of adult skills policy would be advantageous in this role.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £16,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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 and Experience.

1. Application & Sift

Please apply using a Personal Statement with a maximum word count of 750 words, to include which of the roles you are most interested in. We will use the Personal Statement to sift candidates and invite them to a virtual interview. You will also be asked to complete a CV which will not be scored and used for information only.

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

Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets all the Experience Key Criteria set out below and not the published behaviours listed in this advert. We are not looking at how much time you have spent in a job, but rather how you have performed. Your Personal Statement must show demonstrable evidence of what you did, how you did it, and what outcome was achieved. This should include the impact of your approach and evidence of your ability to take forward different approaches in different circumstances.

The standards detailed in the Experience Key Criteria are the minimum expectations for the role and only candidates with the strongest evidence will be invited to interview. In the event of a large number of applications, meeting the pass standard for the lead criterion "Working across organisational boundaries" will determine if the other criteria are scored. Candidates will have to meet the standard for all criteria to progress to interview.

Your statement must not exceed 750 words and you are advised to take advantage of the full word count.

2. Interview Stage

If you are successful at the sift you will be invited to a MS Teams interview. The interview will comprise of Behaviour-Based questions and shorter strength-based questions. The guidance on Success Profiles explains these selection tools and the Behaviours being assessed are detailed in the job advert.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Note that the Behaviours will be assessed at interview stage only. Candidates invited to interview will receive the Behaviours questions in advance of their interview. The strengths to be assessed will not be shared ahead of the interview.

Successful candidates will be matched into one of the advertised roles, with the aim of doing so in line with the candidate’s preference if possible, but please note that this is not guaranteed.

When applying for these roles, you will be required to state in preference order which of the locations you can work from, Sheffield, Leeds, Coventry, Manchester and London. Please be aware these roles can only be carried out in the UK, not overseas, and your office base must be one of these locations. Appointments may be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences and geographical requirements

By indicating your preferred location(s) in your application you are stating that you are willing to accept a post in any of your location(s).

• Quarry House, Leeds, LS2 7UA
• Caxton House, Tothill St, London, SW1H 9NA
• King’s Court, Hanover Way, Sheffield, S3 7UF
• Cheylesmore House, Coventry, CV1 2WT
• Sanctuary Buildings, London, SW1P 3BT
• Piccadilly Gate, Manchester, M1 2WD

The Department is committed to promoting flexible ways of working, whilst enabling the business to operate at maximum efficiency and will expect colleagues to work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, as required.

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.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 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.

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 applicants' 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 or 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.

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.

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

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP 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. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

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 : Michael Grooby
• Email : Michael.grooby@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)