BOU Client Service Lead

UK Debt Management Office; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A government financial agency is seeking a Client Service Lead to oversee the Business Operations Unit. Responsibilities include managing public loans, ensuring operational efficiency, and leading a team. The ideal candidate will have several years of client service experience with a focus on financial markets and strong leadership skills. The role offers a salary of £55,000 with significant employer contributions to a pension scheme and additional benefits.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme

Flexible working options

Annual Leave 27.5 Days FTE

Learning and development tailored to your role

Qualifications

• Several years of experience in a client service role, ideally with exposure to financial markets.
• Experience in process automation and a proactive approach to improvements.
• Proven experience in managing and developing others.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the administration of Public Works Loan Board loans and Debt Management.
• Ensure accurate processing of operational and investment requirements.
• Manage internal business development projects related to BOU functions.

Skills

Leadership

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Financial reports preparation

Financial reconciliations

Education

Degree level qualification in a relevant field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Client Service Lead is responsible for overseeing the Business Operations Unit (BOU), ensuring efficient administration of Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) loans, Debt Management Account Deposit Facility (DMADF) deposits, and Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND) fund management, while prioritizing operational activities and maintaining high performance standards. The Lead will manage the team of staff as well as other internal and external stakeholder relationships. The role will also include oversight and operational roll-out of an automated system for deposits and loans., The UK Debt Management Office (DMO) is an Executive Agency of HM Treasury. The DMO's responsibilities include debt and cash management for the UK Government, lending to local authorities and managing certain public sector funds.
The Business Operations Unit (BOU) is a front-office operational team responsible for administering three client services. These are: advancing loans to local authorities (PWLB), taking short-term deposits from local authorities (DMADF), and managing various funds on behalf of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt (CRND).
Each client service also has a Topic Lead - a member of staff with relevant business knowledge who is responsible for policy and strategic matters associated with the relevant client service, and the BOU works closely with the Topic Leads.
Key responsibilities and main tasks and activities:
+ Ensure accurate and timely processing of daily operational and investment requirements for the core BOU functions.
+ Monitor performance against operational targets and report outputs in line with daily, weekly, monthly and annual deadlines.
+ Manage internal business development & policy projects relevant to the BOU business functions.
+ Provide overview of activity to internal and external stakeholders including commentary regarding fund activity and current solvency margins
+ Maintain and update relevant sections of the DMO website and relevant agreements with other teams and government departments
+ Lead the BOU team and manage staff and stakeholder relationships and drive continual operational improvement to meet business objectives cost effectively.
+ Ensure the delivery of any relevant audit treatments or incident and/or risk register actions.
+ Coordinate advice to stakeholders on proposed changes in policy or strategy that could impact operational processes, We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Leadership
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ financial reports
+ financial reconciliations, If we receive a large number of applications, applications will be assessed against the lead criterion alone first. They will then be assessed against the other criteria if they have met the minimum score on the lead criteria
Supporting statement and CV
It is essential when submitting your personal statement that you provide as much detail as possible, and utilise the full word count given, explaining your motivation for the role and against the essential and selection criteria outlined above as this will be used in conjunction with your CV to assess candidate suitability to move to the next stage of the recruitment process. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
AI
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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Interview
At interview we will use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess you against , Experience ,Technical Skills and the following Behaviours :
Behaviours:
+ Making effective decisions
+ Leadership
+ Communicating & Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at pace
+ Managing a quality service
Please visit the following pages to find out more:
+ UK DMO Careers
+ Career FAQ Page
If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your application form. If you would like to speak to the DMO recruitment team regarding this, you can contact them via email at [e-mail]. A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
Timetable
Applications close at 23:55 on 31 August 2025
Sifting w/c. 8th September 2025
Interviews w/c. 15th September 2025
These dates are indicative and may be subject to change
Please note; feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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)

+ A degree level qualification or equivalent in a relevant field would be preferred but is not essential
+ Several years of experience in a client service role, ideally with exposure to financial markets.
+ Experience in process automation and a proactive approach to identifying and implementing process improvements
+ Proven experience in managing and developing others, with the ability to lead by example and support team growth.
+ Delivery focused with excellent attention to detail. Proven ability to meet operational targets, work within tight timelines, and ensure business objectives are met.
+ Strong time and resource management
+ Ability to build effective relationships with key stakeholders and communicate confidently with senior colleagues and management.
+ Intermediate Microsoft Office skills, strong data entry and handling capabilities
+ Experience of preparing financial reports and financial reconciliations, + Experience: Several years of experience in a client-facing operational role, within financial markets (Lead criteria).
+ Behaviour: (Leadership): Several years of experience managing others, with a successful track record of leading a team and developing staff capability (Lead Criteria)
+ Technical: Experience of preparing financial reports and financial reconciliation
+ Behaviour- (Communicating and influencing) Ability to build effective relationships with key stakeholders and communicate confidently with senior colleagues and management.
+ Behaviour (Delivering at pace) Proven ability to meet operational targets under pressure, demonstrating attention to detail and strong time management.

Alongside your salary of £55,000, UK Debt Management Office contributes £15,933 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
+ Annual Leave 27.5 Days FTE
+ Please see candidate Pack for further details