Operational Development Manager Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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About the job
Job summary
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), delivering over £2 billion in payments to farmers, traders and landowners each year.
We are an Operational Delivery Profession organisation, with the majority of our people delivering day to day services to our customers and stakeholders.
We make excellent delivery happen, empowering agricultural and rural communities to create a better place to live.
We manage over 40 schemes, and also make payments on behalf of Natural England, to ensure we have a healthy rural economy, strong and sustainable rural communities, and to protect and enhance the natural environment.
Our vision is to create a great place for people living in this country. We have developed a set of four strategic objectives covering our policy outcomes and corporate objectives. These objectives help us to deliver our ambitious vision to build our green and healthy future and provide a framework for all of the important work that we carry out.
Further information can be found on the Rural Payments Agency website www.rpa.gov.uk.
Job description
The Service Development Manager (SDM) role is an opportunity to make a difference in terms of delivering our environmental land management schemes, in particular Countryside Stewardship (CS), which will increase its contribution towards Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan outcomes. Alongside this our Agency's delivery landscape is changing, focusing significantly on improving our customer’s experience with us.
As the SDM, you will have an opportunity to be at the heart of shaping the future of CS to deliver our environmental outcomes, provide a simple and straightforward scheme for farmers and land managers alongside shaping how we deliver the scheme.
The work is challenging and high profile, with a unique blend of operational delivery, stakeholder engagement and change management. You will be working with colleagues in Defra, other delivery partners and across the agency, to influence and shape the schemes, making them operationally deliverable, simple and straightforward to access.
You will be responsible initially for overseeing service development of the new CS scheme journey through the lens of operational delivery which encompasses the service (system and process design) complete with reforming operational delivery to deliver refined customer focused outcomes.
You will input into development discussions and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team alongside service design and policy colleagues to assure the operational and customer needs are understood. You will successfully support delivery of key product(s) which are part of the overall enhanced CS service design, taking products from requirements through a lifecycle to enable successful development, testing and implementation into live to realise the benefits required.
Our people matter, and with a significant amount of change happening, some of which means our people will be working in new ways, engagement and understanding is important. You will ensure our people understand where we are heading and are brought along with the work. You will ensure that these changes are understood in your team and right across the RPA.
To be successful in the role, you will need to be highly collaborative and possess strong people leadership skills. This is a rapidly changing environment and it is important that you are adaptable, resilient and prepared to be flexible to respond to changing priorities.
As an operational delivery professional, you will support the development of your teams and role model exceptional operational delivery.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities are:
- You will role model exceptional operational delivery, advocate and encourage personal development and uptake of opportunities through the Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) alongside Project Delivery Profession.
- You will apply change leadership experience leading others through ambiguity and maintaining delivery of outcomes, often based on assumptions and theories.
- You will constructively challenge, influence and impact programme and policy proposals from an operational, people and customer perspective.
- You will actively engage and represent at strategic senior RPA and Defra governance meetings and workshops.
- You will be comfortable recommending and often making strategic decisions, often based on assumptions and/or incomplete evidence to provide solutions to resolve complex problems.
- You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (service design, policy, operational) to develop product(s) through a defined lifecycle from requirements through to implementation (products are end-to-end covering business, customer and technical).
- You will actively ensure the product(s) will deliver the right outcomes for users and to support the success of the overall programme. Managing the product delivery in such a way that the products will integrate into a seamless end-to-end service.
- You will lead a small team and will be responsible for their performance and continued development.
- You will build/maintain relationships with and influence a wide range of partners and stakeholders across a complex delivery system, ensuring that external partners (including Natural England, Forestry Commission, Historic England, other executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies that together make up Defra group) are appropriately engaged in the design, development and delivery of the product(s) – working effectively across boundaries to shape common goals and deliver integrated services.
- You will lead visibly and engagingly – Proactively and creatively engage with our people to ensure that they can contribute to development of schemes both within the Agricultural Transition Directorate and across RPA to ensure readiness for change.
The successful candidate will need to be a dynamic and adaptable leader with the ability to develop relationships and buy-in across a wide range of stakeholders and to drive delivery progress. You will be expected to handle complexity and ambiguity, deliver results quickly, be a great team player and be willing to support others and work across matrix structures.
Essential Criteria:
- Experience of leading the development and delivery of products and services which meet internal and external user needs as part of a complex and challenging programme.
- Evidence of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver high quality outcomes.
- Working effectively across boundaries to shape common goals and deliver integrated services.
- Proven evidence of a strong track record of engaging collaboratively with a range on internal and external partners who often hold competing views.
- Ability to make decisions and set direction without having the full picture and applying product and project delivery knowledge and techniques to set teams up for success, reduce ambiguity and ensure successful delivery.
- Experience of performing at high level over a sustained period, in a large organisation which has a complex operating environment, where there is uncertainty and change.
- Ability to think creatively and to respond quickly to complex changing circumstances and high-pressure situations.
- Comfortable in getting involved in technical and data architecture and linking technical and business together.
- Unwavering commitment to high standards and diversity, and the ability to develop high performing teams.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 750 word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria detailed in the advertisement.
Your CV should outline your career history and details of your qualifications. Your CV details will not be assessed during the process, but will be used to support discussions at interview.
You will also be asked to complete 2 behaviour statements on Leadership and Communicating & Influencing.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Online tests
After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests and application is 23:55 on 16/06/2023. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 16/06/2023.
While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible.
It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet.
Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits. Click https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reasonable-adjustments-for-online-tests-a-candidate-guide for test guidance.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates are detailed in the candidate information pack.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.
In the interview, Leadership and Communicating & Influencing will be assessed through a short pre-prepared presentation . The presentation subject will be sent to you shortly before your interview.
Interviews will be conducted in person or online
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the “Assistance required” 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.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offenses. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected]
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission
