Senior Operational Leader

Government Recruitment Service; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK is seeking a Senior Operational Leader to oversee a large, diverse team of over 100 employees dedicated to combating fraud in the welfare system. This role involves setting strategic priorities, driving performance, and fostering innovation within the team. The ideal candidate will have a strong leadership background, experience in making complex decisions, and the ability to build collaborative relationships with other government departments. Frequent travel will be required.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading large teams (100+ colleagues) with a focus on performance.
• Ability to make complex decisions swiftly in a dynamic environment.
• Experience in driving change and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead a large team setting strategic business priorities and driving performance.
• Oversee business change and lead performance reviews.
• Build strong relationships with senior representatives from government bodies.

Skills

Leadership skills

Decision-making ability

Problem-solving skills

Collaboration skills

Emotional awareness

Job description

As part of Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD) Directorate you will be at the heart of DWP’s front line operations, helping to change people’s lives and supporting the CFCD purpose of fighting fraud in the welfare system.

As a Senior Operational Leader, you will role model excellent senior management leadership, taking responsibility for the flexible, effective, personalised delivery of customer service, quality, and performance. You will provide transformational leadership to a geographically diverse team - leading through others, driving people engagement, and inspiring colleagues to deliver objectives.

CFCD is a great place to work where the leadership team are passionate about attracting the best talent whilst nurturing and valuing new and existing colleagues to be the best they can be. We are looking for people who can demonstrate our values and commitment to leadership which are based around collaboration, resilience and inclusivity. We look for emotionally aware leaders who enable teams to be innovative, adaptable and flexible. We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and finding daring and dynamic solutions that support our values and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do.

As a Senior Operational Leader, you will:

• Lead a large, geographically diverse team of at least 100+ colleagues setting strategic business priorities and driving performance.
• Make sound, complex decisions at pace and instil technical knowledge in your team.
• Use initiative to seek solutions to problems; making interpretative judgements where circumstances fall outside of available guidance.
• Oversee business change, lead performance reviews, and drive continuous improvement.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with senior representatives from other government departments and external bodies.
• Provide visible, effective leadership through regular site visits and clear communication.
• Motivate teams to operate flexibly, seek feedback, and personalise services for customers.
• Encourage creative thinking and collaborative working to drive innovation and service improvements.
• Ensure compliance with DWP policies and procedures, managing risk exposure.
• A large part of the role is dealing with HR policy and procedures and carrying out the decision maker role on sensitive staff related issues.

Due to the geographically dispersed nature of this team, this role will require frequent travel and occasional overnight stays.