Senior Delivery Manager

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Delivery Manager to join the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession at UKHSA. The role is responsible for leading the successful delivery of complex digital products and services through multidisciplinary teams, ensuring they meet user needs and align with the Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standard. You will lead delivery across one or more teams working on complex, high-risk services or programmes, ensuring work is delivered iteratively and provides measurable value to users. The role involves removing blockers, managing delivery risks and dependencies, coordinating stakeholders and suppliers, and ensuring teams remain focused on delivering outcomes that support UKHSA’s mission to protect the nation’s health.

Operating across the full product lifecycle – Discovery, Alpha, Beta and Live – you will ensure delivery practices support the development of sustainable, cost effective, high-performing digital services. As a senior member of the delivery community, you will also contribute to developing delivery capability across the organisation by coaching multi-disciplinary teams and promoting best practice in agile and lean delivery to required stakeholders to drive a move to product centricity.

The role may also include line management responsibility for Delivery Managers, providing leadership, coaching and professional development to strengthen delivery capability across the organisation.

Job description

• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex digital products and services using agile and lean practices.
• Maintain delivery momentum by managing risks, issues, dependencies and blockers.
• Ensure services are delivered in line with the GDS Service Standard and digital product lifecycle, following agreed UKHSA & Govt governance.
• Develop and maintain delivery plans and communicate progress clearly to stakeholders.
• Facilitate collaboration across product, engineering, architecture and operational teams.
• Identify resource requirements and support delivery planning and forecasting activities.
• Manage creation of SOWs, partner relationships and commercial delivery arrangements across multi-supplier teams, to ensure value for money to UKHSA and benefit realisation.
• Support continuous improvement of delivery practices across teams and the wider organisation.
• Manage product budget across lifecycle, working in collaboration with budget holder(s), commercial leads, operational contract managers and finance business partners.
• Delivery input/ contribution to PPA's and CDO Portfolio demand pipeline to ensure product delivery centric knowledge is applied in portfolio planning

Core Responsibilities

Delivery Leadership

• Lead multidisciplinary teams delivering complex digital products, platforms or services.
• Develop and maintain iterative delivery plans aligned to organisational priorities and user needs.
• Ensure delivery aligns with the Government Service Standard and product lifecycle phases.
• Maintain delivery momentum by identifying and resolving blockers, risks and dependencies.

Agile and Lean Delivery

• Apply and promote agile and lean delivery practices across teams.
• Coach teams to become self-organising, inclusive and continuously improving.
• Facilitate key delivery activities such as planning, retrospectives and progress reviews.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate delivery progress, risks and outcomes clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Facilitate collaboration between product, engineering, architecture, policy and operational teams.
• Support early engagement on new initiatives to ensure delivery feasibility and alignment with strategic objectives.

Resource and Delivery Planning

• Identify the skills, capabilities and resources required for successful delivery.
• Support planning, forecasting and estimation activities within complex delivery environments.
• Ensure delivery reporting and governance processes provide clear oversight of progress and risk.

Supplier and Commercial Management

• Manage relationships with delivery partners and suppliers.
• Draft and manage commercial agreements such as Statements of Work.
• Ensure suppliers deliver outcomes effectively and provide value for money.

Delivery Capability and Community Leadership

• Contribute to the development of delivery capability across the organisation.
• Share best practice through delivery communities of practice.
• Support mentoring and coaching of delivery professionals across teams.

Delivery Leadership and Line Management

• Provide line management and professional leadership for Delivery Managers, supporting their development within the Digital, Data and Technology profession.
• Coach and mentor delivery professionals to build strong delivery capability across teams.
• Support performance management, career development and capability growth within the Delivery Management profession.
• Contribute to workforce planning and recruitment to ensure teams have the delivery capability required to succeed.

Working Relationships

• The Senior Delivery Manager works closely with a wide range of stakeholders across UKHSA and external partner organisations.

Key relationships include:

• Product Managers and Heads of Product – aligning delivery with product strategy and user outcomes.
• Engineering, Platform and Architecture teams – coordinating delivery of technical solutions and resolving dependencies.
• Operational and business stakeholders – ensuring services meet organisational needs and priorities.
• Suppliers and delivery partners – managing external delivery capability and contractual outcomes.
• Senior leadership – providing delivery assurance, progress reporting and risk management.

This list is not exhaustive

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable experience delivering complex digital products or services using agile and lean delivery practices.
• Experience leading or supporting multidisciplinary teams in a digital delivery environment.
• Strong understanding of the Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standard and product lifecycle.
• Ability to identify and manage delivery risks, issues and dependencies in complex environments.
• Experience communicating effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience planning, forecasting and delivering work in uncertain or fast-changing environments.
• Experience managing suppliers or delivery partners to achieve delivery outcomes.
• Experience leading, mentoring or line managing delivery professionals, supporting capability development within delivery teams.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of Government/public sector digital delivery
• Experience in roles such as Scrum Master, Agile Coach or Delivery Manager.
• Experience commissioning delivery through commercial agreements such as Statements of Work.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,185, UK Health Security Agency contributes £16,276 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA's ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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 and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 8 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile that meets ALL essential criteria, will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Demonstrable experience delivering complex digital products or services using agile and lean delivery practices
• Strong understanding of the Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standard and product lifecycle
• Experience leading or supporting multidisciplinary teams in a digital delivery environment

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview - Success profiles

You will be invited to a single face to face interview. When face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills will be tested at interview. This will be in the form of questions.

There will be a Presentation which will entail a:

• Situational presentation to judge your approach and experience, to taking on a new product/service. This should last no more than 10 minutes; you will also have 5 minutes of a question session afterwards.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Lead Behaviour - Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communication and Influencing

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil

Service (including internal applicants).

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a standard disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms. Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.

Grade 7

• £56,185- £66,581 (National)
• £58,340- £68,574 (Outer London)
• £60,494- £70,566 (Inner London)

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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 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.

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

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 : John Inglis
• Email : john.inglis@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

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, in the first instance, you should contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk