Senior IT Manager

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions is seeking a Senior IT Service Manager to oversee and enhance the quality of digital service delivery. The role requires a strong background in IT Service Management, aligned with best practices to ensure high standards of customer service and operational efficiency.

Benefits

Flexible working patterns

Generous annual leave

Support for financial wellbeing

Health and wellbeing support

Family friendly policies

Funded learning and development

Inclusive and diverse environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience of delivering high standards of customer service.
• Knowledge of a Service Management Framework, e.g., ITIL.
• Understanding of Digital Products and Services.

Responsibilities

• Manage performance of Products/Services ensuring customer expectations.
• Lead day-to-day live service support operations.
• Oversee activities of team members and service management processes.

Skills

Customer Service

IT Service Management

Stakeholder Management

Forecasting

Job description

This role may be located in one of the following locations; Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sheffield. Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

Job Summary

You will be working in the Digital Channels directorate supporting and leading on Live Service for DWP strategic products and services such as Outbound Notifications, Bulk Print, Enterprise Document Repository.

As a Senior IT Service Manager, you are responsible for ensuring value and quality is achieved for the end-to-end technology solution, support service and/or user experience of a digital Product/Service.

You are responsible for defining and managing mechanisms such as service level agreements (SLAs) and operational level agreements (OLAs) to deliver to agreed performance targets in a cost effective and timely manner across all relevant functions.

Manage the contractual delivery between Digital and third-party suppliers, monitoring compliance against SLAs and OLAs, through regular performance reporting, monitoring service level infractions, trend and forecasting analyses and developing new SLAs and metrics to inform service demand and quality.

You drive analysis and resolution of complex issues, enlisting support and escalating where appropriate to relevant IT service functions.

You own stakeholder relationships and make sure that Products and Services are delivering the best value for money in meeting business and user requirements and can offer guidance and respond effectively to queries about Product/Service design, policy, etc. In addition, you undertake standard service management duties e.g. incident management, problem management.

You will have line management responsibilities which would require setting objectives, managing development of others and acting as a point of escalation.

The successful applicant will become a member of the DWP Digital IT Service Management community, with opportunities for personal and professional development.

The post also needs to cover both in and out of hours Major Incident support On Call on a rota basis 24/7 for which full training will be provided.

Job Description

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing and leading the performance of the Products/Services within their remit ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.
• Responsibility for leading day-to-day live service support centred on operational running of Products/Services.
• Overseeing day to day activities of junior members of the team and delegate administrative tasks relating to Service Management processes and the wider team
• Establishing and managing a programme of continual service improvements across the wider support team, ensuring these are aligned to quality management, problem management and resolution profiles, risk management, security policies and procedures, etc. and the identified actions to maintain or improve levels of service are implemented.
• Ensuring Products/Services are delivered to agreed processes and policies.
• Ensuring new and changed Products/Services are sufficiently and safely supported into live service whilst meeting the expectations of customers and service management standards.
• Providing high quality initial support for all end users, understanding and trying to resolve user issues and queries.
• Understanding user needs and make an initial assessment on the impact/urgency of requests and incidents.
• Ensuring effective management of issues raised on all channels and handle the resulting incidents using agreed incident management processes, procedures and policies.
  
  

Key Responsibilities Include

• Managing and leading the performance of the Products/Services within their remit ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.
• Responsibility for leading day-to-day live service support centred on operational running of Products/Services.
• Overseeing day to day activities of junior members of the team and delegate administrative tasks relating to Service Management processes and the wider team
• Establishing and managing a programme of continual service improvements across the wider support team, ensuring these are aligned to quality management, problem management and resolution profiles, risk management, security policies and procedures, etc. and the identified actions to maintain or improve levels of service are implemented.
• Ensuring Products/Services are delivered to agreed processes and policies.
• Ensuring new and changed Products/Services are sufficiently and safely supported into live service whilst meeting the expectations of customers and service management standards.
• Providing high quality initial support for all end users, understanding and trying to resolve user issues and queries.
• Understanding user needs and make an initial assessment on the impact/urgency of requests and incidents.
• Ensuring effective management of issues raised on all channels and handle the resulting incidents using agreed incident management processes, procedures and policies.
  
  

Person specification

When Giving Details In Your Employment History And Personal Statement You Should Highlight Your Experience In Line With Essential Criteria Below

• Lead criterion: Proven experience of delivering a consistently high standard of customer service internally and/or externally unaided by identifying clear pathways for resolution and engagement with relevant stakeholders to successfully manage and resolve issues arising.
• Demonstrable experience of IT Service Management eg including knowledge of a Service Management Framework e.g. ITIL
• Proven ability to demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of Digital Products and Services including independently supporting and maintaining Products and Services and presenting Management Information making recommendations as appropriate.
• Demonstrable experience in forecasting and financial management of budgetary spend.
• Ability to deliver confident and clear leadership with the ability to implement and translate strategy into action.
  
  

An initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact [e-mail].

Alongside your salary of £42,614, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,345 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.

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application

Your Application Will Consist Of Three Parts

• A Personal Details application form.
• Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the essential criteria.
• Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person specification.
  
  

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

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

You will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your CV and Personal Statement.

An initial sift will be conducted using the lead criterion stated above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift.

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

Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.

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 contains 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 in the essential criteria.

Interviews will take place from late July 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 [e-mail] 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.

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.

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).

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 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 : Akhtar Ali
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

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/.