UK Visa & Immigration - Sponsor Compliance Network Team - Sponsor Compliance Network Operations Manager Stoke-on-Trent, England
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Location
About the job
Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. Every day, our teams across the UK and beyond deliver outcomes to improve citizens’ lives. Our work is challenging, high profile and rewarding. Delivering it is a team effort, and we rely on talented people with a wide range of skills and experience.
UKVI is responsible for making thousands of decisions every year about who has the right to stay in the country, with a firm emphasis on national security and a culture of customer satisfaction for people who come here legally.
For more information about working for the Home Office, please visit Home Office Careers website.
Job description
The Sponsor Compliance Network is the operational arm of UKVI, and our primary role is to visit businesses who hold sponsor licences to ensure they are meeting their sponsor commitments.
This is a high performing team, and the role is varied and fast paced with extensive interaction with members of the public. Compliance Officers conduct detailed audits and interviews and produce high quality evidence-based reports.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a team that both protects and enhances the UK economy. Our work is varied and rewarding, attracting people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our colleagues can bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
Although you will be based in one of our network hubs, the role requires regular travel within your region and across the UK with occasional overnight stays. The nature of our work means we may occasionally work outside of core hours. Candidates must hold a full UK Driving Licence and be prepared to drive on official business.
Candidates should either hold or be able to undertake Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 2 for which annual refresher training is required. This is a mandatory requirement for this role.
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a flexible environment with a mix of field and office-based working along with options to work from home.
Person specification
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Maintaining the integrity of the sponsor register and tackling potential immigration abuse at the earliest opportunity. Using intelligence products to drive that integrity.
- Delivering a service which continues to meet our own and customers’ expectations time after time. Using a quality assurance process to measure that consistency.
- Enhancing the reputation and integrity of the sponsor licensing regime and to use innovation and the principles of continuous improvement to further improve our service.
- Providing a first-class service to our customers, meeting key performance indicators to support economic growth in the UK and actively seeking feedback to measure that level of service.
- The compliance network also undertakes a range of audit and assurance activity outside of the sponsorship work stream on behalf of the wider Home Office and other government departments, some examples of which include providing oversight of procured services such as Secure English Language and Knowledge of Life in the UK test centres, as well as supporting the Seasonal Workers Program.
- You will manage a team of compliance visiting officers, ensuring delivery of key operational priorities across a range of compliance activities. Team leaders will have an operational command and line management responsibility for up to 8 EO Compliance officers.
- Team leaders will be responsible for delivery and performance across that command.
This will include:
- Ensuring effective use and deployment of resource to deliver key operational priorities.
- Effective line management of staff in the command, recognising excellent performance, tackling poor performance and using workflow and management tools in order to do so.
- Monitoring, reviewing and evaluating performance. Conduct regular one to ones and team meetings to embed a performance led culture and increase in staff engagement.
- Undertaking Compliance visits when required and to support business delivery. Supporting on high profile cases as necessary. Working alongside colleagues to deliver specialist projects as the business dictates.
- Building a strong team identity locally and acting as a visible leader within the network.
- Carrying out regular quality assessment of compliance visiting officer’s work. To address issues arising as part of that quality assessment, identify training needs and share best practice.
- Supporting the wider business across UK Visas and Immigration where required through flexible use of resource.
- Working as part of a local leadership team and across the network as part of a national leadership cadre.
- Leading all staff in a fair and inclusive way that encourages engagement, developing others to reach their potential.
- Developing the capability of your team to support wider delivery, to do this through the use of Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement tools and commitment to innovation.
- Delivering key messages around equality, diversity and inclusion and exhibiting leadership in this area.
Essential criteria
- Proven experience of operational leadership. Clearly demonstrating the ability to deliver performance activity through large teams in a way that encourages innovation and diversity in approach through participation and inclusion.
- Experience in customer service and stakeholder engagement with a focus on quality outputs.
- Evidence of delivering and implementing business improvements and operational review that have resulted in tangible benefits to the team and the unit.
- Be adaptable to change in a fast-paced environment.
- Hold a Full UK Driving Licence.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within a frontline operational environment.
Licences
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Leadership
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
As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.
After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass this test, you will then be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test and full application form is 23:55 on 4th May 2023. If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.
Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.
You CANNOT complete the Tests on a mobile phone or tablet.
Following successful completion of the test, you will then be asked to complete
- Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) (maximum 500 words)
- Provide evidence of the behaviour Leadership (250 words maximum
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The Statement of Suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria detailed in the job description.
For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement
For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links –Behaviours
The sift will be held on the Statement of Suitability and the lead behaviour Leadership.
The Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) will be scored first for all candidates. Candidates who meet the minimum pass score for the suitability of statement, will progress to a further sift where the lead behaviour Leadership will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for both elements will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.
Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions (no preparation necessary) and behaviour-based questions (preparation recommended).
Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here
For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links –Behaviours
Sift and Interview dates
Sift will take place week commencing 8th May 2023
Interviews will take place week commencing 29th May 2023
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.
Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:
- A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
- Good internet connection
- Skype for Business/Microsoft Teams
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.
Further information
For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
A reserve list may be created for other similar roles for a period of 12 months. Selection will be in Merit Order to fill the same role or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria and Success Profile elements without further assessment.
NOTE FOR CANDIDATES: 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. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.
If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or contingent worker you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.
Hybrid working
Hybrid working enables employees to work partly in their workplace(s) and partly at home. A hybrid working pattern may be available, where business needs allow. Applicants can discuss what this means with the vacancy holder if they have specific questions.
Personal Safety Training (PST)
These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) which develops skills in personal safety, arrest and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer will be conditional upon you being physically fit to undertake and pass the training.
Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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 offences. 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.
For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.
Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.
Transfer Terms: Voluntary.
If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.
Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.
Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is 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
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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).
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