• Details

Reference number

373239

Salary

£37,497 - £43,646

National: £37,497 - £38,373
Inner London: £42,958 - £43,646

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DWP - Finance Group

Type of role

Business Management and Improvement
Planning
Security

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

3

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Birmingham - B1 2DE
Blackpool - FY4 5ES
Glasgow – G2 8JB
Leeds - LS2 7PA
London – SW1H 9NA
Manchester – M2 3AA
Newcastle - NE98 1YX
Cardiff (Ty Taff) - CF37 5YN
Sheffield - S1 2DP, S3 7UF

About the job

Job summary

Join our dynamic Business Continuity and Resilience (BCR) Team, a crucial part of the Risk and Resilience Directorate within the Finance Group at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Our team plays a vital role in ensuring the stability and resilience of DWP’s operations, which support approximately 90,000 staff, over 800 sites, and around 500 supplier contracts.

What We Do:

Preparation and Response : We work closely with stakeholders across DWP and the UK Government to prepare for, respond to, and recover from business disruptions and cross-government crises. Our goal is to maintain the continuity of critical financial, employment, and welfare services.

Crisis Management : Our team coordinates crisis response efforts, policy development, briefing, and parliamentary business handling. We collaborate with Senior Leaders, the Executive Team, and Private Office to ensure a swift and effective response to any incident.

On-Call Support : We operate a 24/7 on-call rota to manage incidents that have the potential to disrupt high-volume and essential services. This ensures that we are always ready to address any challenges that arise.

Software Implementation : We lead the implementation and rollout of the Business Continuity software tool across all business areas and sites within the DWP estate. This tool is essential for maintaining up-to-date continuity plans and ensuring a coordinated response.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a team that makes a real difference in maintaining the resilience of a large and complex organisation.

Work with a diverse group of professionals, including senior leadership and cross-functional teams, to achieve our goals.

Develop your skills in crisis management, policy coordination, and business continuity planning.

As a Business Continuity Officer, the role includes:

• Gathering data and completing Business Continuity related products including Business Impact Analysis of key products and services, working closely and effectively with stakeholders, utilising our software solution (Riskonnect) to modernise our Business Continuity services.
• Testing planning assumptions through the design and delivery of an extensive exercise and training programme across all levels of the organisation.
• Supporting the development and integration of the professionalisation of Business Continuity as a specialism across government.
• Maintaining high levels of engagement with stakeholders to ensure the completion of a comprehensive assurance programme across all sites and corporate areas.
• Work with SEO leads to develop policy, standards and frameworks to effectively develop wider BC community and improve capability.
• Supporting SEO leads in the development of DWP’s operational resilience journey.

As a Response Officer, the role includes:

• Maintaining a 24/7 scalable crisis and incident response capability, ensuring DWP priority business functions can be restored and resumed in the event of an incident or business disruption, by supporting a secretariat function for Silver and Gold Commander, such as organising and executing plans for meetings effectively.
• Working with other Government departments to consider full packages of information on issues, including situation reporting, implications, dependencies, possible solutions and consequences of decisions and solutions.
• Drafting clear and accurate briefing’s, to very tight deadlines, for both routine and ad hoc requests for Ministers and Senior Officials and ensuring that this is tailored to the needs of the audience and is factual, accurate and consistent with Departmental steers.
• Responsibility for accessing and managing all emails received in the DOC mailbox, including recording, updating ongoing activities and/or closing activities on the activity log.
• Triage of emails to gain a clear view of the activity required and its urgency.
• Storing and recording actions and decisions, along with the rationale for each decision made for future audit requirements, in line with the Information and Records Management Policy.
• Ensuring key information is stored as Registered Files as part of Information and Records.

Person specification

This is what you will be assessed against and should align your personal statement to. Your evidence will be assessed against the following essential criteria. You must ensure you provide specific examples to demonstrate these criteria in your personal statement.

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

• The ability to engage, motivate, and coach others, while actively encouraging team members to share innovative ideas and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. (Lead criteria)
• Evidence of identifying key stakeholders and forging strong relationships, bringing together diverse groups of people with a range of skills and capabilities, establishing a shared vision to deliver business objectives and outcomes.
• Evidence of identifying a clear objective to develop a presentation, delivering clear and concise messages, tailoring communications to address the needs of the audience.
• Experience of working closely with stakeholders to identify and understand existing and potential threats and risks, recording and escalating recommending appropriate mitigations and solutions.
• The ability to analyse complex information and present it in a clear, concise and persuasive documents that effectively communicate information to a specific audience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as SharePoint and PowerPoint application.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,497, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £10,862 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed

Hybrid Working

This job role is suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. This role can only be worked from the UK.

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business.

Places for growth

As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers. As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Written Application and Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement of no more than 1250 words detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the essential criteria stated above. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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

Please be advised that we will assess your CV and Personal Statement against the Person Specification and Essential Criteria in the advert and then award your CV and Personal Statement a single, combined score on a range of 1-7.

Interview

Preparing for the interview

Interviews will be via video link using Microsoft Teams. You will receive a link to join the interview through the email account you provide us with on your application.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

The Interview

This should take approximately 45 minutes. You will be asked to present photographic identification to the Panel Chair as a preliminary step before the interview commences.

You will be asked a mixture of behaviour and strength-based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The behaviour and strength-based questioning explores what you, the candidate, can and have done, but also your potential.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed above.

An example of a Behavioural question would be:

Tell me about a time when you’ve had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in, and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

What was the task, How you approached the work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

Strengths

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions, however you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role.

While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.

After the interview

Once all interviews have been completed, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email and through their Civil Service Jobs account.

The successful candidate/s for the initial post/s offered will be contacted regarding their preferred location based on the role being offered. If you are able to accept this provisional offer, pre-employment checks will commence and once they are cleared, the vacancy holder will contact you with details of a start date.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP.

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

Any move to DWP 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.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP’s terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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 criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard 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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment .

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : riskandresilience.businesssupport@DWP.GOV.UK
• Email : riskandresilience.businesssupport@DWP.GOV.UK

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.