Director for Working Age Services

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

8d ago

Job
Full-time
Expert Level
Government & Politics
IT & Cybersecurity
London
8d left

AI generated summary

You need experience in delivering transformational digital services, leading teams, driving culture change, improving service quality, engaging stakeholders, and managing supplier relationships.
You will lead transformation strategies, manage multi-disciplinary teams, ensure financial oversight, foster collaborations, and drive innovation in user-centered digital services for effective outcomes.

Requirements

Significant experience of delivering high performing, transformational digital services at scale and to budget.
Experience of building and leading high performing teams, proactively setting strategic priorities, communicating delivery impact and issues to senior colleagues.
Demonstrable experience of shaping and sustaining organisational culture change that supports new ways of working across organisational and professional boundaries.
Experience in developing and continuously improving digital services, increasing service quality and performance whilst reducing cost.
High levels of digital literacy and be capable of effectively engaging with design, delivery and technical colleagues, suppliers, and stakeholders to define the best approach to service design.
Experience of building service strategy based on user-insight, driving value through delivering user-centred digital services.
Experience of adopting innovative approaches to delivering and procuring services and managing relationships with suppliers.

Responsibilities

You will own the delivery strategy delivering transformation outcomes through our services, including working across Directorates to deliver policy intent through user-centred digital services. Ensuring that the right processes, procedures, and technologies align to delivering improved user, policy, and business-related outcomes.
Development and execution of comprehensive roadmaps for those services, aligning organisational design, governance practices, capability, and 3rd party services to enable delivery of service design and delivery. Lead design, development, and delivery of large-scale user-centred services, utilising innovative technologies and data, integrated with DWP’s core platform capabilities.
Lead multi-disciplinary teams to design, plan, deliver and maintain products - including user experience, development, data models, real-time analytics, machine-learning, APIs, development, and behaviour-driven testing
Lead creation of core capabilities to support the service and make available across DWP though loosely coupled services, leading and influencing matrixed architecture, security, and infrastructure operations teams.
Play an active role within the DWP Director community, and as a senior Digital leader across the Government.
Lead and embed new ways of working and technology-enabled innovation, driving and building sustainable digital capability across the Department to support Civil Service Reform.
Role modelling inclusive leadership behaviours and creating the culture and conditions to empower people to work across organisational boundaries, in multi-disciplinary teams, in service of our priorities.
Provide assurance and oversight of transformation programme activity, ensuring they are managed effectively and represent value to taxpayers.
Maintain outstanding financial management and control standards, which require financial budgets to be managed to within 1% variance per quarter and per budget allocation.
Contribute to and actively participate in the executive leadership of DWP as we deliver unprecedented change to the welfare system, and to the products and services it delivers.
Manage complex relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including partners and vendors
You will own the delivery strategy delivering transformation outcomes through our services, including working across Directorates to deliver policy intent through user-centred digital services. Ensuring that the right processes, procedures, and technologies align to delivering improved user, policy, and business-related outcomes.
Development and execution of comprehensive roadmaps for those services, aligning organisational design, governance practices, capability, and 3rd party services to enable delivery of service design and delivery. Lead design, development, and delivery of large-scale user-centred services, utilising innovative technologies and data, integrated with DWP’s core platform capabilities.
Lead multi-disciplinary teams to design, plan, deliver and maintain products - including user experience, development, data models, real-time analytics, machine-learning, APIs, development, and behaviour-driven testing
Lead creation of core capabilities to support the service and make available across DWP though loosely coupled services, leading and influencing matrixed architecture, security, and infrastructure operations teams.
Play an active role within the DWP Director community, and as a senior Digital leader across the Government.
Lead and embed new ways of working and technology-enabled innovation, driving and building sustainable digital capability across the Department to support Civil Service Reform.
Role modelling inclusive leadership behaviours and creating the culture and conditions to empower people to work across organisational boundaries, in multi-disciplinary teams, in service of our priorities.
Provide assurance and oversight of transformation programme activity, ensuring they are managed effectively and represent value to taxpayers.
Maintain outstanding financial management and control standards, which require financial budgets to be managed to within 1% variance per quarter and per budget allocation.
Contribute to and actively participate in the executive leadership of DWP as we deliver unprecedented change to the welfare system, and to the products and services it delivers.
Manage complex relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including partners and vendors

FAQs

What is the location for the Director for Working Age Services role?

The role is based in Leeds, London, Manchester, or Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

What is the salary for this position?

The salary for the Director for Working Age Services position is £100,000, with an additional pension contribution of £28,970 from the Department for Work and Pensions.

What should I include in my CV for the application?

Your CV should outline your career history, key responsibilities, achievements, and any gaps in employment over the last two years.

What is the deadline for submitting applications?

The deadline for submitting your application is 12:00 noon on Monday, May 11, 2026.

What does the selection process entail?

The selection process includes an application review, a shortlisting phase, a Staff Engagement Exercise, individual leadership assessments, and a final panel interview.

Is there an opportunity to ask questions about the role before applying?

Yes, there will be a virtual engagement session held on May 1, 2026, where you can hear from the vacancy holder and ask questions.

Are there any diversity and inclusion initiatives in place?

Yes, the Civil Service promotes diversity and has various networks and support schemes, including a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities.

What kind of experience is required for this role?

Candidates should have significant experience in delivering high-performing, transformational digital services, as well as experience in leading teams and managing relationships with stakeholders.

Will there be a criminal background check required for this position?

Yes, successful candidates will need to undergo a criminal record check and meet certain security requirements.

What additional benefits does DWP offer?

DWP offers a broad benefits package that includes generous annual leave, support for financial wellbeing, health and wellbeing initiatives, and funded learning and development opportunities.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy.

Government

Industry

10,001+

Employees

1948

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the UK’s largest government department and is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. It administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits, serving around 20 million customers. DWP is responsible for understanding and dealing with the causes of poverty rather than its symptoms encouraging people to work and making work pay encouraging disabled people and those with ill health to work and be independent providing a decent income for people of pension age and promoting saving for retirement providing value for money and reducing levels of fraud and error reducing work-related death and serious injury in workplaces through the Health and Safety Executive DWP is a fast paced organisation which puts leadership at the centre of its transformation journey. The majority of DWP colleagues are part of the Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) – providing customer service to DWP’s 20 million customers across the UK. ODP is a thriving, inclusive professional community that supports colleagues and encourages them to learn, develop, grow and progress in their career to reach their full potential.