Senior Operational Leader - Scotland

Job summary

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Do you enjoy engaging with customers? If so, we need you!

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy, and is responsible for helping people move into employment, supporting pensioners and protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt (CFCD) aims to reduce fraud, error and debt within the benefit system, to protect the public purse.

As part of CFCD, you will be at the heart of DWP’s efforts to reduce fraud and error in the benefit system. This is a hugely important public service, and our challenge is greater than ever.

If you want to join an organisation that recognises the importance of work-life balance, where you can develop new skills and progress your career, then CFCD is the place for you.

Job description

Your work as a Senior Operational Leader will involve different aspects subject to changing business priorities, therefore we need people who are very adaptable and flexible. The job will include a range of duties including, but not restricted to, the following:

• Lead a large, geographically dispersed team of HEOs, reporting to Grade 7 and setting strategic priorities.
• Make complex decisions independently and at pace, applying technical knowledge and sound judgment.
• Drive performance through regular reviews, risk identification, and continuous improvement.
• Champion business change, embedding new policies and procedures effectively.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across government and external bodies.
• Provide visible leadership through site visits and clear, engaging communication.
• Foster flexible, motivated teams by listening, acting on feedback, and setting high standards.
• Promote innovation and collaboration across teams and directorates.
• Oversee people planning and resource deployment across sites.
• Enhance customer experience by designing and managing roles and processes.
• Ensure compliance with DWP policies and legislation, managing risks sensitively and promptly.
• Championing a culture of professional investigation practice, supporting colleagues to develop technical capability in line with Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) requirements.

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

Person specification

What we are looking for in our leaders:

• Proven leadership with the ability to lead through others, make sound decisions at pace, and communicate confidently to drive positive outcomes.
• Skilled in managing diverse teams, coaching, and mentoring to improve service delivery and embed inclusivity.
• Strong in performance management, using data and insight to monitor outcomes, ensure compliance, and drive continuous improvement.
• Agile, resilient, and proactive - able to adapt quickly, overcome challenges, and encourage innovation.
• Effective in leading change, inspiring engagement, and aligning teams with the organisation’s long-term vision.
• Committed to staff development, promoting learning, apprenticeships, and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Emotionally intelligent and professional, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage teams remotely.
• Politically and strategically aware, with integrity and confidence in representing the organisation in multi-agency settings.
• Proven ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with senior representatives from other government departments and external bodies.
• Excellent in planning, delegation, negotiation, influencing, and collaboration.
• Champions equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery.

Key criteria

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:

• Demonstrates transformational leadership and communicates with clarity to influence outcomes ( Lead Criteria ).
• Leads large, diverse teams through coaching and mentoring to improve service and inclusivity ( Second Lead Criteria ).
• Empowers staff through innovation, supporting continuous learning and development including apprenticeships.
• Applies knowledge of risk, business continuity, and diversity impacts to inform decision-making and lead change aligned with the organisation’s long-term vision.
• Demonstrates resilience and ownership in overcoming challenges, inspiring engagement, and driving continuous improvement.
• Uses analytical skills and management information to monitor performance, ensure compliance, and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Webinar event

We will be holding a webinar event to let you know more about these roles. This will take place on 22/09/2026 between 12 noon and 1pm . Please follow the link to register for the session.

Vacancy 479719 Senior Operational Leader Webinar Link

** If the webinar page does not open, please check that pop-ups are enabled on your browser**.

Those who attend may be contacted following the event for evaluation purposes to improve our service.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,447, Department for Work and Pensions contributes

£12,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP 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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

** Ensure that you read the full information about the selection process thoroughly before starting your application**.

Please note the closing date for your full application (Application Form, Test, CV and Written Statement) is 23:55 on 29/09/2026**

Stage 1 – Application Form

Please complete the application form with your basic information, which includes your personal details, eligibility to apply and any reasonable adjustments required.

Stage 2 – Online Test

Following submission of your Application Form, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Management Judgement Test . Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24 - 48 hours is recommended). You will need to allow at least one hour to complete the test plus time to complete your CV and written application (see below for details). Guidance and a practice test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Online tests - Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance on Sunday 27th September 2026, 4pm – midnight. There will be a period during this time where candidates will not be able to access online tests. All online tests will be affected.

Impact for candidates - Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. They will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime. They can do this by accessing the test again from their application centre. Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime. Candidates reporting issues should be advised to return to take the test after midnight on 27/09/2026.

IMPORTANT : After the test deadline, we will look at all candidate scores to decide what the job’s pass mark will be. We will consider the impact on protected groups and the number of invitations to the next stage. We may decide to raise the pass mark for the job - if so, you will be informed, and you will be told if you have passed or failed at the raised standard. Meeting the minimum test requirements for a job level is no guarantee of an invite to continue the selection process.

Stage 3 - Curriculum Vitae (CV)

If you pass the test with the required score, you will be asked to complete a CV with details of your job history, previous skills and experience. You are not required to upload your personal CV.

In the previous skills/experience section you should detail your employment and/or education history relevant to this vacancy (we recommend a maximum of 500 words). The CV will also cover your work history (we recommend you include up to the last 3 roles of employment history, plus any others that you feel are relevant).

Your CV will not be formally assessed, so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.

Stage 4 – Personal Statement and Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a personal statement in no more than 1250 words detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the key criteria listed.

Please read and understand the key criteria thoroughly , as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Pay particular attention to the lead criteria and second lead criteria as if you do not demonstrate these on your application, you will not progress to the interview stage.

Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criterion separately; however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria. You may not be able to meet all the key criteria, but please ensure you evidence the key personal requirements, what have you done that’s relatable to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria or lead and second lead criteria. If so, we will sift on:

• Demonstrates transformational leadership and communicates w