Lead Digital Project Manager - DWP Digital - Multiple Locations

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Job Description
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Job summary

Are you an experienced Digital Project Manager of Large-scale Projects and Programmes?

Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment continually looking to evolve?

If this sounds like you, this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

We're looking for a driven and passionate Lead Digital Project Manager who can build digital capability, lead complex product delivery, and deliver successful outcomes.

Our Digital Project Managers use a range of skills and methodologies, managing multi-functional delivery teams to deliver change, maintain our core applications and deliver new services that support the lives of millions of people.

We have vacancies available in the following two areas:

• Hybrid Cloud Services - You will work on projects delivered by the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team. A strong understanding of SRE concepts and experience in this domain will be essential for this role.
• DWP Digital Debt Programmes - These programmes are delivered by multi-functional teams at various stages of development, providing transformational services to DWP colleagues, citizens, and other Digital services. The work is often high-profile, complex, and fast-paced, requiring a dynamic and adaptable approach.

Please note - as part of the role, you will be required to travel regularly to all digital hubs.

Job description

As a Lead Digital Project Manager, you will:

• Manage end-to-end delivery of multiple programmes or projects in parallel that are high risk, or which have significant business impact that are delivered on time, scope and cost constraints.
• Ensure programmes or projects are commercially viable and deliver value, giving full consideration to impacts and opportunities for existing services.
• Manage risks, issues and dependencies (external and internal) for complex programmes and coach other members of the Digital Project Management community to help them manage risks and issues effectively.
• Manage team dynamics, lead by example, demonstrating the right behaviours. Deal with conflict and helps establish a positive team culture.
• Manage stakeholder relationships at the most senior level, helping resolve strategic risks, issues or conflicts.
• Help set priorities for the programme and help and support other members of the Digital Project Manager community to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Manage supplier relationships at a strategic level, helping resolve complex or high risk commercial issues and ensuring value for money for the department.
• Line manage, mentor, coach and support the senior digital project managers and help identify development and growth opportunities for them.

Person specification

See selection process for further details.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Natalie.selby@dwp.gov.uk.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Project Management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,664, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £21,050 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also 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 25 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.

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. 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.

Salary Information

New entrants to the Civil Service will join on band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of four parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed.

3. Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria below:

• Experience in a large-scale digital project delivery role, managing high impact, high risk projects, across the entire project lifecycle or managing a portfolio of projects within a programme over the entire programme lifecycle.
• Demonstrable history of making and justifying significant decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact, and complexity.
• Experience of managing complex stakeholder environments and relationships, resolving strategic risks, issues, and conflicts.
• Strong experience of delivering projects whilst utilising external and internal suppliers. Maintaining strict adherence to contractual agreements, ensuring maximum value for money.
• Experience of leading effective collaboration across organisational boundaries and differing perspectives. Setting the priorities for the programme and supporting other members of the Digital Project Manager community.
• Evidence of managing team dynamics, leading by example, promoting a positive team culture, and identifying development and growth opportunities for team members.

4. Technical statement (up to 250 words). The following statement is aligned to the required technical skill of Project Management.

• Experience of managing technical change programmes for large complex IT systems and advanced understanding of the project management lifecycle and experience of leading project deliveries end-to-end, often managing the delivery of several projects simultaneously.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history, personal statement, and technical statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.

An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history, personal statement or technical statement contain any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
• We recognise that AI may be helpful when applying for this role, but it is important to use it in the right way. Read the DWP AI Candidate Guide to understand how you can make the best use of GenAI while ensuring your application remains authentic and effective.

Stage 2: Interview

If you're successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed above.

You will be asked to do a 10 minutes presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Interviews will take place from mid May 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

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 Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

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 DigitalRecruitment.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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.

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 (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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name :Natalie Selby
• Email :Natalie.selby1@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.