Senior Operations Manager

HOUSE OF COMMONS; London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the House of Commons as a Senior Operations Manager, where you will oversee quality assurance in investigations related to complaints of bullying and harassment. This role emphasizes managing a team and ensuring high standards in investigative practices, supporting the vital work of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme in Parliament.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Civil Service pension

Access to training and development

Flexible working

Interest free season ticket loan

Bicycle loan

Qualifications

• Experience in a professional disciplinary system or regulatory body.
• Skilled in preparing formal reports and managing confidential material.
• Experience in coaching a team and developing procedures.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead case managers delivering operational work.
• Ensure quality of investigative practice and timely progress of investigations.
• Produce high-quality reports with evidence analysis against policies.

Skills

Investigative skills

Quality assurance techniques

Relationship management

Risk management

Job description

UK Parliament

Working at the UK Parliament offers a unique and rewarding career at the heart of the UK's democratic system.

With a wide range of roles available, our impartial colleagues enable the day to day running of the House of Commons, House of Lords and Joint Departments. Together, we make Parliament happen. More information on what it's like to work at the House of Commons can be found here: Be at the heart of the House of Commons - UK Parliament

Staff Benefits

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

• 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year).
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Access to training and development.
• Flexible working.
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

Introduction

The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme is a parliament-wide scheme, set up in response to allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in the parliamentary community. The ICGS team is a bicameral service, responsible for the contract management of the independent Helpline and the independent investigators. The team provides support to the independent investigators and ensures the ICGS policies, procedures and processes are applied effectively and equitably across different members of the parliamentary community. The team works closely with decision makers for all the groups covered by the Scheme including the House of Commons and Lords HR teams and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for the Commons.

The scheme covers all members of the parliamentary community, with the accompanying varied and complex employment relationships.

The Role

The Senior Operations Manager is a business-critical post, with a focus on quality assurance of the operational work, improving consistency and standards, as well as supporting improvements in timeliness in investigations.

You will manage the Case Managers, who in turn, oversee the work of external independent investigators investigating complaints of bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct in Parliament. The Case Managers are also responsible for the work of the Investigation Support Officers.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Managing and leading a team of case managers, the Contract Manager and Engagement Manager in the delivery of operational work. This includes overseeing independent external investigations into complaints of bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct within the Parliamentary community, ensuring they are progressed in a timely and thorough manner.
• Assuring the quality of the investigative practice, and supporting the case managers in this task
• Ensuring the reports are written to a high standard, with excellent analysis of evidence against policies

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Likely to have been in a professional disciplinary system, a regulatory body or a body concerned with the administration of civil justice. You will be skilled in assessing the evidence and preparing fair and impartial recommendations. You will have experience of dealing with highly confidential material. You will have experience of both the first line and second line of quality assurance techniques for operational work and managing risk in operations.
• You will have experience of preparing formal reports, letters and other documents for public readership; and of providing quality assurance for documents written by others. The subject matter is likely to have been politically and personally sensitive and the reports will have been prepared to a high standard of grammar and accuracy.
• The ability to build and manage effective relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. Proven ability to influence at all levels, including with high-profile individuals.
• You will have experience of developing and coaching a team in investigative skills, of devising and documenting procedures, of building quality assurance and of monitoring progress across a team. You must be willing to challenge and be challenged; to follow protocols and to be flexible about task allocation.

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form & CV - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit a CV and an application providing evidence against criteria 1-4 in the Job Description.

Before you apply: the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) has received a high number of applications for recently advertised external roles and, as a result, we have had to close the application portal earlier than the advertised deadline. So, please consider:

• Ensuring you have relevant investigative experience, this is not a generalist operations manager role. The work of the ICGS is specific to investigations of complaints of alleged behaviour.
• Refrain from using artificial intelligence (AI) to draft your application. In recent recruitment campaigns, a large proportion of application forms were extremely similar and lacking in the necessary detail required to pass the sift.
• Submitting your application early.

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Please ensure that you anonymise your application by removing any identifiable factors from your CV or Supporting Statement.

We may close the vacancy prior to the closing date stated due to a high volume of applications.

#LI-Hybrid