Service Delivery Senior Operational Lead

Job summary

Are you passionate about supporting our food and farming industry, and helping rural communities create a better place to live?

Join the Rural Payments agency and be a part of a dynamic team dedicated to administering direct aid and rural development payments of over £2 billion annually to farmers and rural businesses in England. We are committed to world class farming and land management for the environment, food, and rural resilience.

Further information can be found on the Rural Payments Agency website here: rpa.gov.uk

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and inspiring Operational Delivery leader to drive the successful delivery of key schemes and services across our Operational Delivery teams in Exeter, Bristol and Bridgwater within the Service Delivery directorate. You will take full accountability for performance, ensuring high quality service delivery to tight deadlines, meeting KPIs, and championing a culture of continuous improvement.

You will play a pivotal role in securing excellent outcomes for our customers, working collaboratively with colleagues across the team and wider Agency to support the delivery of all operational commitments across the organisation.

Operating in a fast paced and dynamic environment, you will balance immediate operational priorities with forward planning, guide teams through organisational and cultural change, promoting a positive, inclusive culture where individuals feel empowered, engaged and supported.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Operational Lead, you will

• Provide visible leadership through organisational change, offering clarity, direction and reassurance
• Champion clear communication, collaboration and effective teamwork across all locations
• Create a positive, inclusive and respectful culture where colleagues feel empowered, engaged and supported
• Be accountable for the delivery of schemes and services across multiple sites, ensuring high quality outcomes for customers
• Lead, motivate and develop teams to deliver a quality service to tight deadlines, meeting KPIs and operational commitments
• Plan and drive performance to meet current operational needs while preparing for future work
• Use data and insight to inform decisions, manage performance and drive continuous improvement
• Identify, manage and mitigate operational risks
• Coach and develop people, identifying and nurturing future talent
• Lead on HR responsibilities at team, directorate and agency level
• Ensure alignment of people and work to agency priorities
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Agency and wider Defra Group to represent Service Delivery positively and proactively
• You will be expected to travel regularly to other RPA locations as part of the role

Person specification

Essential Criteria

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience

• Strong leadership skills with experience motivating and managing dispersed teams in a fast-paced operational environment
• Ability to deliver high quality services to tight deadlines, meeting KPIs and driving continuous improvement
• Excellent communication and engagement skills, with the ability to build strong relationships and champion collaboration across multiple work areas and locations
• Proven ability to lead people through organisational change, creating an inclusive and supportive culture
• Strong decision-making skills, using data and insight to inform actions, manage performance and identify risks
• Experience coaching, developing and managing people, including identifying future talent
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders and stakeholders across the organisation and wider civil service

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,375, Rural Payments Agency contributes £16,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application Process

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

• A name blind CV summarising your job history/full qualifications/previous skills and experience

• A 1000-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria detailed in the advert

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

A situational task will form part of the interview to assess the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

Details of the task will be provided to you 30 minutes prior to your interview start time.

You will also be asked behaviour questions on the following:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving

Interviews will take place via MS Teams.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s)

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both RPA’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra Group organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

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

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to RPA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Criminal Record Check

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

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.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 defrarecruitment.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.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that RPA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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 : RPA Recruitment Admin
• Email : RPARecruitmentadmin@rpa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

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 Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

RPA Candidate Pack G7 Service Delivery Senior Operational Lead 444845 Opens in new window (pdf, 988kB)