Technical Officer

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!

The roles offered are 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 payment

Providing estate accounting and other business services to the Agency

Job description

The Redundancy Payment Service (RPS) deal with 60,000 to 100,000 applications from people in financial distress each year. RPS pays out around £250-£450m annually to employees of insolvent companies who would otherwise be left without redundancy pay and other associated payments.

As Technical Officer in RPS, you will play a critical role in ensuring our staff have the necessary skills to deliver excellent service while meeting targets. Key responsibilities include creating and delivering training, auditing case officers to ensure quality and identify skills gaps, and supporting case officers with technical queries and issues.

While this role does not initially include line management responsibilities, there may be a future requirement to manage Administrative Officer (AO) staff as the role evolves.

Responsibilities

• Delivering central training to RPS, including inductions
• regularly evaluating and reviewing training materials and delivery methods to ensure they remain relevant, up-to-date, and effective
• completing audits on case officers, providing feedback, and identifying any skills gaps or training needs
• creating, overseeing, and delivering training programmes across RPS
• working closely with subject matter experts to create guidance and ensure existing guidance is up to date
• working collaboratively with the RPS management team to organise, plan, support, and deliver training events and ad hoc coaching requirements
• answering technical queries from case officers, escalating as appropriate to our CEO Technical Team
• acting as a Super User for our case management system, escalating issues, testing the effects of system updates, and communicating updates to the wider team
• identifying improvements to operational delivery processes to deliver quality service to customers
• supporting colleagues’ development through training and coaching
• monitoring mandatory e-learning for RPS, ensuring completion across all grades
• contributing to staff engagement and continuous improvement initiatives
• maintaining training records and skills matrixes
• organising, chairing, and note-taking in RPS meetings as required.

Person specification

Previous experience with delivery of training or Learning and Development Management is desirable.

Ability to deliver constructive feedback and support performance improvement.

Good numeracy skills, with the ability to learn and explain payment calculations.

Ability to acquire knowledge quickly.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Excellent planning and organisational skills.

Ability to work to under pressure to tight deadlines.

Ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Experienced and confident using MS Office applications (Outlook, Word and Excel).

Behaviours

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

• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

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, Ability and Experience.

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

• Online Tests
• Personal Statement

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement, assessing candidates against the essential criteria. Only those who meet the essential criteria at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on26th March 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 8 March - 4pm to 7pm. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between these times. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

Personal Statement Guidance

Your personal statement should be no more than 750 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,

Behavioural Competencies - assessed through:

• Behaviour 1 - Developing Self and Others
• Behaviour 2 - Communicating and Influencing
• Behaviour 3 - Managing a Quality Service

Strengths

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Sift – w/c 30 03 26

Interview – w/c 13 04 26

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.

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.

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 Service 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.

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 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.

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 : Rebecca Edwards
• Email : Rebecca.Edwards@insolvency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service by emailing the contact point for applicants (as listed on the vacancy advert), if they think that: They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised to the Insolvency Service

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)