Deputy Director of Asylum Strategy and Implementation - SCS PB1

• Details
• Reference number
• 475938
• Salary
• £86,000 - £96,000
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• SCS Pay Band 1
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• HO - Visas, Status and Information - Asylum Policy & Strategy
• Type of role
• Operational Delivery
• Working pattern
• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
• Number of jobs available
• 1
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

London, Manchester, Sheffield

About the job

Job summary

The post holder will lead the Strategy and Implementation team in the Asylum Policy, Strategy and Implementation Directorate (APSID), providing strategic leadership across the Asylum Group to drive system-wide reform, transformation and delivery. The role will ensure that key government priorities are translated into practical, operationally viable outcomes and that the Asylum Group is positioned to deliver both immediate and long-term improvements across the asylum system.

Job description

Key accountabilities

• Lead delivery of the Restoring Order and Control (ROC) Programme across the Asylum Group, providing strategic oversight, assurance and challenge to ensure reforms are delivered to ambitious timescales whilst maintaining operational effectiveness.
• Lead implementation and oversight of a refreshed long term Asylum Accommodation Strategy, working across government to deliver a sustainable, whole-system approach to accommodation.
• Continue the development and implementation of the Asylum Group Strategy, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into deliverable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Support the Asylum System Board and establish effective governance arrangements to drive delivery of strategic priorities, respond to National Audit Office recommendations and improve whole-system performance.
• Act as the strategic lead and centre of expertise for cross-cutting transformation activity across the Asylum Group, identifying risks, resolving barriers to delivery and driving alignment between policy, operational and programme teams.
• Lead high-priority strategic projects, reviews and interventions to improve performance, efficiency, customer outcomes and value for money across the asylum system.
• Lead a high-performing team, ensuring clear structures, strong capability, effective workforce planning and an inclusive culture that supports innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the Directorate is responsive to both long-term strategic priorities and emerging Ministerial, operational or crisis-driven requirements, providing high-quality advice, briefings and recommendations.
• Work closely with the APSID Senior Leadership Team to provide corporate leadership, support wider Directorate and Group priorities and build strong relationships across Government, Ministers and external stakeholders.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:

• A proven track record of developing and delivering strategy, transformation and change programmes within a complex, operationally-focused and high-profile organisation.
• Strong strategic leadership skills, with experience aligning organisational priorities, policy development, operational delivery and programme implementation to deliver whole-system outcomes.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and secure commitment from Ministers, senior leaders, cross-government partners and operational stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of leading large multidisciplinary teams, managing competing priorities and delivering at pace through ambiguity and change.
• Strong governance and organisational capability, including overseeing complex portfolios, managing risk and dependencies, ensuring robust planning and driving delivery against challenging objectives.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with a proven ability to build high-performing teams, develop capability, foster innovation and create a culture focused on continuous improvement and achieving results

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within or leading analytical or data science teams to translate complex data and present clear narratives.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Home Office contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please follow the Job Advert instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply online by 23:55pm on 28th August 2026.

You will be asked to provide:

A CV – (2 pages max) setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

A Statement of Suitability – (limited to 1250 words) providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria. This is your opportunity to give examples and show how your skills and experience fit the job requirements.

When writing a supporting statement, it is important that you:

• Read the job specification so you are clear about the job requirements. Structure your personal statement to reflect the essential criteria listed in the advert.
• Make sure you provide evidence against each of the listed criteria - i.e. ‘experienced in leading high performing and diverse teams and promoting inclusivity.’ When have you led a team, how large, what did you do to promote inclusivity, how did you handle diversity?
• Ensure any evidence you provide demonstrates the impact of your actions in that situation, provide statistical evidence where relevant.

For more information on how to write a personal statement, click here.

Guidance on the use of AI

Please review the guidance Artificial intelligence and recruitment to understand the acceptable use of AI for your application.

Before you submit an application, we will ask you to confirm the information you provide is true and accurate. More details about this will be provided in the application form and we may reject applications where AI is used inappropriately at any stage of the process.

Important information about the application process

• Once submitted, applications cannot be amended, so please ensure you are content with your submission before applying.
• Interviews and any Ministerial meetings will take place in central London.
• Expenses incurred during the recruitment process will not normally be reimbursed. In exceptional circumstances, this may be considered where agreed in advance with the SCS Recruitment Team.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment
• Email : SCSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : SCSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk