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Job summary

As an Operations Manager (Service Improvement), you'll play a key role in supporting continuous improvement across the service, ensuring that customer needs, operational challenges, and organisational priorities are translated into meaningful and sustainable change. You'll work closely across service improvement, business change, stakeholder engagement, and operational delivery, helping to identify opportunities, develop solutions, and support their successful implementation.

This role offers the opportunity to influence how services evolve by working collaboratively with operational teams, digital specialists, project professionals, and stakeholders across the organisation. You'll use customer insight, performance data, and business requirements to improve processes, strengthen service delivery, and deliver tangible benefits for both internal and external customers. If you're passionate about service improvement, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and change delivery, this is an opportunity to contribute to initiatives that directly improve organisational performance and customer outcomes.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

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, visitODP Civil Service Careers Page

Job description

In this role, you'll lead and coordinate service improvement activity across the service, working closely with customers, stakeholders, and operational teams to identify opportunities for improvement and translate them into clear, deliverable requirements. You'll oversee the improvement pipeline, monitor progress, facilitate stakeholder engagement and workshops, and collaborate with digital, project, data, and innovation teams to support the successful delivery of change initiatives. You'll also maintain and continuously improve service procedures and guidance, ensuring processes remain effective, customer-focused, and aligned with organisational priorities.

You'll be responsible for ensuring service improvement initiatives are effectively prioritised, managed, and evaluated, with clear oversight of risks, issues, dependencies, and benefits realisation. As a people manager, you'll develop and support colleagues while promoting a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration. You'll be accountable for providing accurate performance information, maintaining compliance with relevant policies and governance requirements, and ensuring improvement activity delivers measurable benefits for customers, colleagues, and the wider organisation.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is being advertised at SEO Grade which has a salary of £46,689.

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, part time at 30 hours or above, flexible working hours policy available.

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based at our office in Bristol, 10-minute walk from Temple Meads train station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview. Excitingly, we're relocating to a brand new office in December, while maintaining excellent transport links with Bristol Temple Meads station still just a 10 minute walk away

Person specification

• Significant experience in gathering, analysing, validating, and documenting business requirements, with a proven track record of producing high-quality Business Requirement Documents (BRDs) for complex business change and digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience of running workshops and gathering information from stakeholders to understand business needs and requirements.
• Proven track record of building relationships, working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including those at senior level and in other organisations.
• Experience of information and records management to shape and deliver service standards.
• Management experience of multiple teams and workstreams.
• Experience of the software delivery lifecycle and familiarity with Agile delivery process.

For guidance on how to structure your application please visit: About the application process , Civil Service Careers

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Significant experience in gathering, analysing, validating and documenting business requirements with a proven track record of producing high quality Business Requirement Documents for complex business change and digital transformation initiatives

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,689, Planning Inspectorate contributes £13,525 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the King’s birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays.
• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

• A CV: The CV section lets you share your job history. List your jobs, how long you worked at each, and briefly describe your roles and duties. Make sure to show how your experience matches the essential criteria of the job you're applying for. Type or paste this information into the 'Employment History' box in the online application. You can't attach your CV.
• A Personal Statement (1000 words max):The personal statement lets you explain why you're a good fit for the job in more detail. Use it to show how you meet the essential criteria listed in our advert.
• A Statement against the Lead Sift Criteria (250 words max): This statement should give evidence against the Lead Sift Criteria listed below.

If there are many applications, we might use a lead sift. This means we'll first check if you meet the key requirement listed below. If you don't, we won't review the rest of your application.

• Significant experience in gathering, analysing, validating, and documenting business requirements, with a proven track record of producing high-quality Business Requirement Documents (BRDs) for complex business change and digital transformation initiatives.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour and experience questions.

Candidates who pass the shortlist stage will receive full assessment details with their interview invitations.

Other Information:

Shortlist Date: w/c 17th August 2026

Interview Date: w/c 7th September 2026

Interviews will be held remotely using MS Teams. The interview will not be recorded or retained, other than usual interview protocol and in line with Civil Service Jobs privacy notice.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 9 months from which further appointments can be made.

Future Matches

Candidates who demonstrate strong potential and future readiness but score just below the required level at interview may be considered for alternative positions. These roles may be at a lower grade but align with their skills and offer opportunities for growth.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

ID and Documents

If the job needs specific qualifications or memberships and you get the job, you'll need to send scanned or photographed images of them before you start.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme/Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service values diversity and offers equal opportunities. We have a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the job's minimum criteria. We will also provide reasonable adjustments to all where possible. For more information please see Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

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 : Funke Idisha
• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance: The Vacancy Manager via the Talent Acquisition Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).

If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you should then contact, Chief People Officer, via the Talent Acquisition Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).

If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive from the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitme…

Attachments

Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Opens in new window (pdf, 534kB)