** Service Delivery Manager

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.

Detention Services (DS) forms part of Immigration Enforcement and is responsible for the management and delivery of immigration detention facilities across the UK. These facilities are provided through contracted services covering security, operational management, maintenance and wider support functions across Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), pre-departure accommodation and short-term holding facilities.

The detention estate is designed to provide a humane, safe and secure environment for individuals while their immigration cases are considered and resolved and, where appropriate, ahead of removal or deportation from the UK.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to lead service delivery within a high-profile operational environment, supporting the effective day-to-day running of the two Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres. The role requires strong operational leadership, contract management, stakeholder engagement and assurance skills to ensure the continued delivery of safe, secure and humane services while supporting Home Office priorities.

The detention estate operates within a complex and fast-paced environment, balancing competing demands including the Department's response to illegal small boat crossings and the priority to increase the removal of individuals who have no right to remain in the UK. Detention Services is continuing to develop and maintain sufficient detention capacity, ensure site readiness and deliver effective national coverage across the estate.

Alongside a second postholder, you will bring strong operational experience, sound judgement and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders to support the delivery of high-quality services across a dynamic, high-profile and nationally significant operational portfolio.

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 both your experience and skill set.

Please note: If your permanent workplace location is not Heathrow IRCs, you will be expected to be present on-site a minimum of six times per calendar month.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage reactive operational issues and ensure effective day-to-day running of the site, supporting Home Office returns priorities while maintaining a safe, secure and humane environment.
• Manage a risk-based assurance programme across operational areas, monitoring contract performance, compliance with legislation and standards, and driving improvements.
• Work collaboratively with Commercial, Property Services, programme teams and contracted providers to support contract delivery, contract changes, capital works and mobilisation or development activity where required
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key partners, including operational, commercial, healthcare and contracted service provider colleagues, to support joined-up detainee care and service delivery.
• Lead, support and develop a team in a fast-paced operational environment, providing clear direction and promoting a strong one-team ethos.
• Implement recommendations from audits, inspections and assurance activity in line with agreed action plans.
• Provide timely, accurate site-specific information to support departmental obligations, including litigation, FOIs, external enquiries and senior reporting.
• Participate in the Detention Services on-call rota and attend site regularly in line with hybrid working expectations.
• Oversee site-specific operational, assurance and governance responsibilities, including resident management, site expansion, incident learning, performance reporting, risk registers, compliance forums, statutory/third-party recommendations, facilities management and key partner relationships across the Heathrow IRCs.

Working Pattern

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

Training

You will receive training and support to do the job. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

The successful candidate will be required to complete PPST Level 2.

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

Travel

Travel, including occasional overnight stays, may be required to attend off-site meetings and other business activities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience of leading and managing service delivery at a senior operational level within a complex, high-profile environment.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience of building effective relationships with external partners, suppliers, contractors and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to engage, influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders, providing clear, evidence-based advice to support decision-making.
• Good understanding of the legal, political, public and operational sensitivities associated with delivering services in a high-profile environment, and the ability to operate effectively within these constraints.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, respond to emerging operational issues and deliver outcomes to tight deadlines in a pressurised environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with a track record of driving continuous improvement, identifying practical solutions and delivering results through collaboration.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with private sector custodial or contracted service providers.
• Experience of working in a custodial, detention, secure or safeguarding-focused environment.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

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 60% of their working time in an office.
• 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.

1. Application – by 02 October 2026

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

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications 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 – commencing 06 October 2026

The sift will be held on the CV and Personal Statement.

3. Interview – commencing 02 November 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) and Strength based questions. All behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

In addition, candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews. The presentation question/scenario will be provided to you with your interview invitation (should you be successful at sift). Slides will not be accepted.

The presentation will be assessed against ‘Behaviours' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be specifically assessed against the Behaviour – Leadership.

The interview will take place on MS Teams.

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.

Location Preferences

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

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 not guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location and profession. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location and profession.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours 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.

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

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..

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 basic (or equivalent) 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

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.

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)candidate_information_v18_July_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 4250kB)