Head of Planning Delivery and Engagement

at  Department for Work and Pensions

JOB SUMMARY

DWP is one of the largest government departments, operating at a scale that is almost unmatched anywhere in the country.
It is at the heart of the Government’s agenda for tackling social injustice and poverty and leading our national recovery, including helping people into work. DWP touches the lives of over 22 million people every day and currently provides financial assistance of over £180 billion per year to ensure that the most vulnerable people in society are protected. DWP is one of the few Government Departments that is both a policy Department but also a front-line delivery organisation.
This is an opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives. The Finance Group sits at the heart of the department, influencing and shaping the policy and delivery of our front-line services. The Group is responsible for shaping the future strategy of DWP; making payments; maximising the value we deliver on behalf of taxpayers from our resources; procuring commercial services for the department; and delivering services safely and securely through Risk Management, Security and Estates.
The Departmental Planning and Performance team (DPP) is a relatively small team of c18 staff made up of two G6 led teams covering: planning performance and reporting; and this post, planning delivery and engagement. DPP’s dynamic, collaborative and friendly team is responsible develop a single cross-departmental Plan to ensure the whole Department is working towards the same goals and delivery is kept on track.
We pride ourselves on making Finance Group a great place to work, where diversity is valued and celebrated, individuals feel respected, and people can bring their whole selves to work. DPP is a very diverse, supportive and inclusive team and applications are particularly encouraged from job sharers, flexible workers and those with protected characteristics.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Your responsibilities will include:
Outcome Delivery Plan (ODP) Development – you will be accountable for writing DWP’s ODP, and subsequent annual refreshes, an exciting opportunity as this will be the first ODP of a new administration. You will be leading a high-profile departmental process working with the most senior officials in the department to ensure the department’s activities and plans align to the Governments Missions, DWP’s strategic goals and the long-term vision of the Department. You will lead wide-ranging stakeholder engagement to plan, develop and write a clear, credible and articulate ODP that is forward thinking and achievable within DWP’s Spending Review (SR) settlement.
Deliverability - you will be responsible for quarterly deliverability assessments of the ODP, including leading the high-profile deliverability process at fiscal events to ensure that new proposals and initiatives can be safely delivered alongside existing commitments. You will be the visible leader that galvanises action and gains support by working across Directorates to bring clear coordination and collaboration across departmental functions to distill key delivery challenges and ensure the Executive Team, Departmental Board and Ministers are making sound, evidence-based judgements in managing the delivery of the Plan. You will work closely with the Risk Management Directorate and delivery teams to support the management and mitigation of relevant deliverability risks.
Planning communications - you will lead and manage a top-down communication process, engaging across the business to ensure everyone understands the ODP, are bought into the outcomes it is looking to drive and understands how they contribute. You will influence business planning processes across the organisation, to align with ODP outcomes, ensuring the benefits of doing so are understood and that accountabilities and responsibilities (including those of DPP) are understood department-wide.
Leadership and Management – you will ensure the strategic direction of the team and its activities are aligned with the wider work of the Directorate and the Department. You will manage a team comprising of 2 G7s and 5 SEO/HEOs (the team will be expanded if the role also covers the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA)) and support wider management across branches to deliver joined up products. You will build capability and adaptability in your team and empower the team to think creatively and develop innovative approaches that support them to deliver a quality service in sometimes ambiguous environments. From time-to-time, you will also be asked to lead on other cross-Directorate projects as agreed and to deputise for the Deputy Director Planning and Performance and Director Strategic Finance at key forums. You will be a core member of the senior leadership team and play an active role in the corporate leadership of DPP.
Relationship Management – You will be expected to build and maintain strong strategic relationships across DWP and to manage and influence multiple stakeholder groups up to and including Director General level.
Hybrid working
This job role may be 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.

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)

The roles available will be based in:

• 3 Arena Central, Bridge Street, Birmingham B1 2AX.
• Peel Park, Brunel Way, Blackpool FY4 5ES.
• Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7UA.
• 2 St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 3AA.
• Benton Park View, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE98 1BA.
• Hartshead Square, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2FD.
• Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, SW1 9NA