SCS2 Director, Young People and Skills Strategy

Job summary

Could you be the next Leader within DWP Policy?

DWP is looking to fill SCS2 Director, Young People and Skills Strategy role within the Policy directorate.

The role sits at the heart of the Government’s ambition to improve outcomes for young people as outlined in the Get Britain Working White Paper. This role was established in response to the Government’s strategic priority to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The post-holder will lead the cross-government Youth Guarantee strategy and delivery, working closely with senior leaders across DWP, the Department for Education, HM Treasury, and key external partners. This includes supporting the delivery of locally led trailblazers, contributing to the development of a new national jobs and careers service, and ensuring the successful implementation of the Youth Guarantee.

Want to know more about DWP and the role?

Join our Live Engagement Event on 24th March 2026 at 11:10am

Click here to join the Live Engagement Event on 24th March 2026 11:10am

This virtual session is an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and what it's like leading within DWPs Policy Directorate. You'll get the opportunity to hear directly from the vacancy holder, Katherine Green and HR Director, Joanne Lanham, who will provide an overview of the role and hold a Question & Answer session.

Job description

This Director post plays a high profile and critical role within DWP, working within a fast paced and dynamic environment, combining responsibility for leading the response to the challenge of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with responsibility for overall skills strategy.

The Government has made a clear commitment to improving outcomes for young people - and this role is central to delivering on that ambition, leading on strategy, policy delivery and working in collaboration with the Department for Education, HM Treasury, and other key partners to shape plans to address the barriers to employment for young people.

The post-holder is critical to establishing the new adult skills function, supporting integration with DfE colleagues and policy delivery work transitioning from DfE. The role requires significant collaborative working with senior officials within DWP and DfE, ministers and external stakeholders.​

The post-holder will need the credibility and confidence to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders including influencing decisions across the organisation, being able to build relationships of influence at senior levels, and the ability to win the trust of senior officials and Ministers.​

• The postholder will:
  Provide strategic leadership on youth employment policy, ensuring alignment with departmental and cross-government priorities, working closely with senior leaders across DWP, the Department for Education, HM Treasury, and other key stakeholders.​
• Oversee the delivery of the Youth Guarantee, a core component of the government’s commitment to using innovative solutions to reduce Youth unemployment and improve transitions into work, education, or training, acting as the senior responsible officer for relevant programmes.
• Provide leadership to the Skills Hub, working across the new Labour Market and Skills Group.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across government, local authorities, and the voluntary and private sectors.
• Provide high-quality advice to Ministers and senior officials, including regular briefings and submissions.
• Represent DWP at senior cross-government forums and in public engagements as required.
• Lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Strategic Policy Leadership: Proven experience in leading complex policy development and strategy at a senior level, ideally in in a cross government, multi agency or large-scale organisational context.
• Cross-Government Collaboration and Influence: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders across government, including HM Treasury, DfE, and local authorities
• Ministerial or senior leadership Engagement: Ability to build partnerships and trusted relationships across senior leadership and high-profile stakeholders and to gain the confidence of and influence ministers or board level stakeholders.
• Programme Delivery: A track record of working across boundaries to improve service delivery with a strong focus on outcomes, innovation and value for money.
• Leadership and People Management: Strong leadership skills, with experience building inclusive, high-performing teams and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Analytical and Evidence-Based Decision Making: Ability to use data and evidence to inform policy, simplify complexity, and support strategic decision-making.

Desirable criteria:

• Labour Market and Youth Policy Insight: An understanding of labour market dynamics and the challenges facing young people, particularly those not in education, employment or training (NEET) would be an advantage.
• Adult Skills Insight: An understanding of the adult skills operating environment and the wider issues impacting access to adult skills opportunities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £28,970 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 25 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

1. Application Process

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below no later than 23:55pm on Tuesday 7th April 2026:

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years;​
2. A personal statement (maximum 1250 words), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. ​

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

2. Shortlist

A panel, including the hiring manager, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the person specification section of this pack. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application. The timeline in the attached candidate pack indicates the date by which a decision is expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

3. Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a Staff Engagement Exercise and Individual Leadership Assessment in advance of the interview. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to Katherine Green, prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.

4. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the person specification. You may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

Your interview will either be a face-to-face, in London. Details will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates nearer the time. The interview panel will be chaired by Civil Service Commissioner, Elizabeth Walmsley (Link to information about Civil Service Commission) and Vacancy Holder, Katherine Green, who will be supported by additional panel members. The final panel interview will be a blended interview, covering experience. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role.

5. Offer and Feedback

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible. We will offer the opportunity to discuss feedback for all candidates who reached interview.
A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future similar vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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 security 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 : DWP SCS Resourcing Team
• Email : senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Further information

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact: senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Final Candidate Pack - SCS2 Director Young People and Skills Strategy Opens in new window (pdf, 461kB)