Digital Service Specialist - 36195

Environment Agency; Ely; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Environment Agency in the United Kingdom is seeking a Digital Service Specialist to lead the ongoing service management for SEA Change, a Power Platform enabling P3M governance and reporting across the organisation.

The role collaborates with a product manager and developers to design operational processes, embed live service readiness and produce user guidance and training materials. Flexible/hybrid working is supported.

Qualifications

• Ability to create internal workflows, guidance documents and training to support effective management of a digital service.
• Experience supporting products or services transitioning into live operation.
• Understands user-facing technical issue resolution, change management and knowledge management processes for a digital solution.
• Excellent customer management skills across multiple seniority levels.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and drive improvement across teams.
• Experience supporting live products, continuous improvement and service management activities working with a product manager.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the ongoing service management of SEA Change, a Power Platform that supports the Environment Agency’s P3M capability.
• Help design and embed the operational processes required to support the product and provide user guidance.
• Develop service documentation, guidance and training materials for new and existing functionality.

Skills

Internal workflows

Training materials

Guidance documents

User support

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Live product support

Service management

Tools

Power Apps

Power BI

Job description

• Development of service documentation, guidance and support materials for new and existing functionality.
• Design and implementation of support and governance processes.
• Stakeholder engagement, training and user adoption activities.
• Continuous improvement of the service as the product evolves.

• Development of service documentation, guidance and support materials for new and existing functionality.
• Design and implementation of support and governance processes.
• Stakeholder engagement, training and user adoption activities.
• Continuous improvement of the service as the product evolves.

This role requires strong stakeholder engagement, service design/management and continuous improvement skills. The successful candidate will act as the bridge between users and the project team to ensure SEA Change continues to evolve and supports the organisation to improve decision-making, governance and reporting.

Desirable

• Understanding of service management principles and frameworks such as ITIL / ITIL Foundation qualification
• Understand capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI) or experience developing with these
• Understanding of portfolio management and / or Management of Portfolio Foundation or equivalent
• Experience working in agile or iterative delivery environments

Job Description

The Digital service specialist will lead on the ongoing service management of SEA Change, a Power Platform that supports the Environment Agency’s P3M (Portfolio, Programme and Project Management) capability. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the tool offers a user-centred live service, establishing effective service management processes, support arrangements and user guidance.

SEA Change provides project and portfolio managers one place to record key information, such as budgets and project status updates. It also provides Power BI dashboards that give a clear view of projects and change activities across the organisation. Having been rolled out as a minimum viable product (MVP) across all directorates, SEA Change is now entering its next phase, with continued development to increase capability.

Working closely with the Product Manager, developers and wider project team, the successful candidate will help design and embed the operational processes required to support the product. They will contribute to:

• Service readiness and transition of new functionality to live operation.
• Development of service documentation, guidance and support materials for new and existing functionality.
• Design and implementation of support and governance processes.
• Stakeholder engagement, training and user adoption activities.
• Continuous improvement of the service as the product evolves.

This role requires strong stakeholder engagement, service design/management and continuous improvement skills. The successful candidate will act as the bridge between users and the project team to ensure SEA Change continues to evolve and supports the organisation to improve decision-making, governance and reporting.

The team

The SEA Change team is highly capable, multidisciplinary project team with a track record of delivering quickly and to a high standard. The team works in a largely agile manner, engaging closely with directorates across the EA to gather feedback, prioritise enhancements and deliver iterative releases. The team sits within the Transformation Management Office of Service Transformation, within the Strategy, Transformation and Assurance Directorate.

Experience/skills Required

Essential

• Ability to create internal workflows, guidance documents and training to support effective management of a digital service
• Experience supporting products or services transitioning into live operation
• Understands user-facing technical issue resolution, change management and knowledge management processes for a digital solution.
• Excellent customer management skills across multiple seniority levels
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and drive improvement across teams
• Experience supporting live products, continuous improvement and service management activities working with a product manager

Desirable

• Understanding of service management principles and frameworks such as ITIL / ITIL Foundation qualification
• Understand capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI) or experience developing with these
• Understanding of portfolio management and / or Management of Portfolio Foundation or equivalent
• Experience working in agile or iterative delivery environments

Contact and additional information

You’ll have an inclusive incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll help you find a role to suit your needs. Appropriate training will be given.

You’ll have an EA Office base location, as a national role, the working location is flexible / hybrid.

We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel; some travel and overnights may be required.

Please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack for information. Any queries, contact [e-mail]

Applications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions.

Interviews will be held via MS Teams during the week commencing 2nd November.

If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

Length of contract

Up to 12 months

Competence 1

Focuses on Efficiency, Innovation and Quality

Description

• Takes responsibility for the quality and timeliness of own work, admits errors when necessary and quickly takes action to rectify
• Demonstrates an ongoing concern to improve performance and increase efficiency.
• Checks and ensures the accuracy of information received and produces work that is right first time.
• Puts in place checks to ensure that plans and processes are being carried out to the required degree of accuracy.
• Actively seeks and implements opportunities to maximise efficiency and effectiveness of self and the team.
• Ensures that data and information are always delivered in an accurate, timely and legal manner.
• proactively looks for better ways of doing things; learns from events and seeks to improve future performance.

Question:

SEA Change is a live digital service used across the Environment Agency to support project, programme and portfolio management. Describe a time when you were responsible for ensuring a service or operational process was delivered accurately and effectively.

More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.

If a large number of applications are received, an initial sift using this lead capability may be conducted. Successful candidates will then proceed to a full sift or directly to assessment/interview.

Feedback is generally not available at sift stage

Competence 2

Communicates Effectively

Description

Description: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

• Is an active listener, has time for people; seeks their contribution.
• Uses full range of communication methods to ensure effective understanding.
• Considers needs of and impact on audience, anticipates reactions and uses appropriate communication method and style.
• Prepares written reports and data in clear, readable and accurate manner, using appropriate grammar, syntax and style.
• Ensures communication is two‑way; responds and acts on feedback
• When presenting is easily understood and inspires attention from an audience.
• Is clear and to the point when speaking.
• Anticipates the main issues and prepares responses.

Question: Describe a communication challenge you have faced when introducing or supporting a new system, service or process. What concerns did stakeholders raise and how did you adapt your approach for different audiences?

Competence 3

Takes Decisions and Solves Problems

Description

Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

• Uses previous experience and careful analysis to identify potential problems, effective solutions and arrive at sound decisions.
• Identifies and asks appropriate questions to explore and detect root causes of problems or sources and quality of evidence.
• Applies sound techniques to analyse problems, generate options and select best course of action.
• Seeks out and considers the best available information before making decisions. Probes, checks and confirms veracity of data as appropriate.
• Confronts head‑on difficult situations where major decisions have to be made quickly.
• Makes sound decisions based on complex or incomplete information and/or within limited timescales.
• Escalates issues when they are beyond own limitations and/or have consequences further than own responsibilities.

Question: On occasion where you identified the root cause of a recurring problem that others had been unable to resolve, how did you solve it?

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

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. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.