Team Leader (Redundancy Payments Service)

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency that plays a vital role in delivering essential services to both the public and businesses. Our work is central to the proper functioning of markets, the wider economy, and to providing support for the thousands of people each year who experience financial difficulty.

We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including individuals from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to foster a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, helping us achieve our diversity ambitions. We offer seven employee network groups: LGBT+, FACES, Break the Stigma, Disability & Health, Part-Time Workers, Women’s, and Carers, which colleagues are encouraged to join or support as allies.

We place strong value on capability, technical skills and experience, and we emphasise continuous development to support our people. We encourage colleagues to get involved in areas they feel passionate about, whether contributing to agency wide initiatives through our Engagement Network or volunteering within their local communities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, develop and progress your career.

The role offered is with the Business Service Division (BSD) of the insolvency service. BSD is an operational delivery directorate, covering some 300 staff, providing high volume, often transactional services to the public or supporting the provision of these services by others.

BSD supports the main purpose of the Insolvency Service, delivering economic confidence through:

• Supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors
• making statutory redundancy payments to employees of insolvent companies
• managing the Debt Relief Order process and administering the online bankruptcy application process and Breathing Space process
• identifying wrongdoing associated with Debt Relief Orders and redundancy payment applications
• providing a first point of contact for all insolvency service enquiries
• processing distributions to creditors from PPI compensation payments
• providing estate accounting and other business services to the Agency.

Job description

We currently have multiple teams within RPS each performing bespoke but integrated functions within RPS operational activity. This role sits within one of our operational teams and involves management of a team of RPS Case Officers.

Responsibilities

As an EO Team Leader within RPS you will:

• Manage the day to day operations of the team
• manage resources on the team to ensure there is adequate cover to meet work demands
• encourage and support your team by ensuring the relevant training is in place, working with the EO Technical Support Officers within the wider team
• actively manage performance in line with key performance indicators
• deliver key operational messages to your team, ensuring their understanding
• provide regular and meaningful feedback from quality audits and identify trends to inform learning and development plans
• work with the other EO team leaders to ensure operational targets are met
• play an active role in raising the profile of RPS across the wider agency
• follow all HR processes, including supporting attendance and performance management.

Person specification

You will:

• Have excellent communication and influencing skills
• have the ability to manage a team of AO’s throughout periods of change
• be a self motivated, enthusiastic, and willing learner who can support their team and managers
• have the ability to identify and resolve issues
• have confidence to articulate your team’s needs in various forums
• previous experience of team management would be desirable
• experience and confidence with using MS Office applications (Outlook, Word and Excel) and the ability to learn new IT systems
• the post holder can be based in any of our RPS sites but travel between sites may be required.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,000, Insolvency Service contributes £8,691 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

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.

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

• CV
• Personal Statement

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

CV Guidance

Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, relevant qualifications, and the skills and experience you’ve gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.

Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.

Personal Statement Guidance

Your personal statement should be no more than 500 words and must demonstrate how your personal skills, qualities, and experience align with the requirements of the role. Please ensure your statement references the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:

Behaviours - assessed through:

• Behaviour 1 - Leadership
• Behaviour 2 - Communicating and Influencing
• Behaviour 3 - Making Effective Decisions

Strengths

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Sift – w/c 09 03 2026

Interview – w/c 16 03 2026

Location - MS Teams

Your interview will either be conducted by video. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Visa Applicants

To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Further Information

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

Any move to Insolvency 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.

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/Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

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.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

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 Insolvencyrecruitment.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 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 : Adil Zafar
• Email : Adil.Zafar@insolvency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process or that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact hr.recruitment@insolvency.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Applying for a Job - A Candidate Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 3061kB)Insolvency Service Candidate Information Pack (Sept 2025) Opens in new window (pdf, 6459kB)