Senior Operational Leader

Job summary

Pleasenote: Applicants should review all aspects of this advert to ensure a thorough understanding. If reviewing via a screen reader, please note that the Job summary, Job description, Person specification and Things you need to know sections have been emphasised

About Companies House

We believe Companies House is a great place to work and we’d love you to come and join us!

We’re excited to be sharing an opportunity for an inspiring leader to take their next step in their career and join us in Companies House. We believe it’s a great place to work and we’d love for you to join us!

Our aim is to be the best registry of companies in the world, helping to develop and grow companies. We are committed to tackling economic crime and driving confidence in the UK economy, achieved through our brilliant people, delivering brilliant services.

Companies House is currently going through an exciting transformation – not only in terms of cultural and technical changes but also the legislation that underpins what we do and how we do it.

We are seeking an inspirational leader to join the Customer Delivery Directorate, playing a central role in changing our landscape and supporting Companies House in our transformation.

• Do you have vision and enthusiasm to drive forward change and new ways of working?
• Do you enjoy working as part of a team?
• Are you looking for a flexible way of working, with a great work-life balance?

If so, this could be the job for you!

Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work

Job description

As a Senior Operational Leader, main duties consist of but are not limited to:

• Lead and Inspire: Manage and motivate large teams, creating a productive and organised environment where people can thrive.
• Coach and Develop: Support your team’s growth by guiding them through change, nurturing their skills, and fostering continuous improvement.
• Communicate Effectively: Share performance updates clearly and transparently, inspiring others to achieve and exceed targets.
• Lead by Example: Set the standard for excellence, making confident decisions and taking ownership of outcomes.
• Champion Our Values: Help your team understand how their work contributes to our goals, embedding our values in everything you do.
• Ensure Compliance: Make sure all activities align with legislative powers and organisational standards, promoting a cohesive and compliant workplace.

For some of our Senior Operational Leader roles in our Customer Delivery Directorate a higher level of security vetting is required due to the nature of the work being undertaken. The level of security vetting needed is security check (opens in a new window) To gain security check (SC) level vetting you will need to meet the vetting requirements and have been a UK resident for a minimum of 3 years out of the last 5 years. See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

Please note- Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

Where will you be working?

You will be aligned to our Cardiff office, where you will be expected to attend on a regular basis. We use a hybrid working model to support a healthy work-life balance, with attendance at the office required weekly. Attendance patterns will be agreed with your manager. You may need to attend the office more often when business needs require.

Be part of the Operational Delivery Profession (ODP)
This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession – the largest profession in the Civil Service, with over 290,000 members. ODP professionals are the public face of government, delivering essential services to millions of people every day. As a member of this profession, you’ll have access to a wide range of development opportunities, a supportive community, and a clear framework to grow your career.

To learn more about the Operational Delivery Profession, visit ODP Civil Service Careers Page

Person specification

What we’re looking for

We’re seeking individuals who can demonstrate:

• Proven Leadership: You have experience leading teams and consistently achieving Key Performance Indicators across operational areas.
• Confident Decision-Making: You tackle challenges head-on, make well-informed decisions on complex matters, and drive innovation by questioning and improving existing processes.
• Exceptional Communication: You engage effectively with people at all levels, internally and externally, and adapt your communication style to suit different audiences.
• Adaptability and Influence: You embrace change quickly and inspire others to align with new objectives, maintaining composure under pressure and setting realistic expectations.
• Strong Planning and Organisation: You manage multiple priorities, plan effectively, and deliver outstanding results for customers in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative Team Spirit: You work well with others, foster a positive and inclusive culture, and keep the customer at the heart of everything you do.
• Passion and Energy: Your enthusiasm for our customers, our people, and our values shines through, creating a collaborative atmosphere and exceptional team spirit.

Please note: If you're interested in part-time hours, we can support this with a minimum of 32 hours per week over 5 working days.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,744, Companies House contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.

Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.

We celebrate diversity...

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.

Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).

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.

Additional details on security and vetting

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Check (SC) before they can be appointed. Further information on the vetting process can be found at National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK.

To be eligible for SC clearance, candidates must meet the vetting criteria and have been a resident in the UK for at least 3 out of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Please review our vetting charter to understand what you can expect from the process - The vetting charter - GOV.UK

If you have questions regarding this or are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk

What will the process look like?

Communications will be electronic via email therefore it is important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder.

We welcome applications in Welsh / Rydym yn croesawi ceisiadau yn y Gymraeg.

Key Dates:(dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)

• Closing date: 23.55 PM on 19/01/2026
• Sift/shortlist: W/C 20/01/2026
• Interview dates: W/C 02/02/2026

Stage 1– Sift

An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the below Success Profile elements.

We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as your name and age) from your personal statement. This also applies to your employment history, this means excluding names of schools, or any personal identifiers.

Experience

Your CV will be used to assess your suitability for the role alongside your 1250-word Personal statement.

In your application form we’d like you to:

CV

• Tell us about your employment history, including key responsibilities and achievements.

Personal statement
Tell us why you’re a great fit for this role by writing a 1250-word personal statement that highlights your relevant experience, skills, and motivations. As part of the assessment process, we’ll be reviewing your statement for clear evidence of how you meet the criteria outlined below:

• Proven Leadership: You have experience leading teams and consistently achieving Key Performance Indicators across operational areas.
• Confident Decision-Making: You tackle challenges head-on, make well-informed decisions on complex matters, and drive innovation by questioning and improving existing processes.
• Exceptional Communication: You engage effectively with people at all levels, internally and externally, and adapt your communication style to suit different audiences.
• Adaptability and Influence: You embrace change quickly and inspire others to align with new objectives, maintaining composure under pressure and setting realistic expectations.

Please note: Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria. If so, we will sift on:

1. Proven Leadership: You have experience leading teams and consistently achieving Key Performance Indicators across operational areas.(Lead Criteria)

If you pass the initial sift (lead criteria), you may either move on to a full sift (full personal statement) or go straight to interview, depending on number of applications received

We may raise the score required at sift stage to progress to interview if we receive a high number of applications

Stage2- Interviews

If invited to interview Behaviours and Strengthbased questioning will be used.

Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation.

Please note: candidates that proceed to the interview stage will be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation against the Leadership Behaviour Success Profile. Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation.

Interviews for this role will be carried out In person interview at our Cardiff office.

Stage 3- offer

Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

Reserve list
This recruitment campaign will keep a reserve list for 12 months. If you meet the requirements for this role but aren't offered after passing the interview, you'll be placed on the reserve list. Subject to business need, if a suitable position opens up during this time, we will reach out to individuals in merit order.

CVs sent direct to Companies House will not be accepted.

This post is being advertised to Internal, across Government and external candidates at the same time.

Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments then please let the recruitment team know via; recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk

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