Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Lead

Job summary

Help shape how DWP tackles fraud and error

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports around 20 million customers and plays a vital role in protecting public funds.

The Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS) sits at the heart of the department and is a national team within the Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt directorate providing a core service as the centre of expertise for fraud and error.

IRIS provides the department with a single view of fraud and error risks within the benefit system and contributes towards efficiencies, savings and tackling organised crime and modern slavery through its core delivery services. We are a multi-disciplinary team bringing together a diverse range of expertise and technology including data science, digital specialists, cyber specialists, intelligence analysts and counter fraud experts. This creates a powerful force using data and insight in innovative ways, supporting DWP to deliver our collective mission to pay the right person the right amount at the right time.

We are recruiting two Grade 7 Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Leads to join the IRIS Operational Delivery Centre (ODC).

These national roles sit at the heart of IRIS delivery, leading the strategic planning and delivery of work across a network of around 15,000 operational colleagues. You will ensure the right work reaches the right teams at the right time, maximising the impact of our products and services through sound judgement, effective strategic prioritisation and resourcing to risk.

Working across IRIS, CFCD, Universal Credit, Benefit Services and wider partners, you will engage and influence senior leaders, shape delivery priorities and help integrate emerging risks, opportunities and new products into operational delivery.

Job description

As Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Lead, you will:

• Lead and inspire your team and colleagues throughout the IRIS Operational Delivery Centre to deliver our strategic objectives.
• Have a clear vision, roadmap and delivery plan for your team, helping others to see by making it visible at a range of levels and delivering outcomes to expected standards and timescales.
• Create an environment where colleagues throughout the IRIS ODC team are empowered and can thrive, grow, succeed and consistently perform at their best.
• Be a strong collaborative leader delivering corporate accountabilities, strategic outcomes and objectives, communicating and influencing effectively with stakeholders at senior levels.
• Lead strategic workflow planning across multiple IRIS products and services for around 15,000 operational colleagues. Oversee workflow prioritisation, ensuring IRIS activity delivers maximum value and is aligned with fraud and error risks.
• Think strategically, prioritise and set direction across a diverse and complex range of priorities and strategic objectives, including corporate CFCD and DWP leadership as well as your own team.
• Act as the primary link between IRIS and operational delivery, digital teams and strategic stakeholders. Seeking regular feedback from operations to continuously improve workflow.
• Lead horizon scanning, contingency planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Represent IRIS confidently at senior forums and national meetings, often working directly with Deputy Directors. Provide expert advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders on delivery risks and opportunities.
• Successfully solve complex problems using data, evidence and expertise to deliver strategic outcomes and objectives.
• Drive and role model professional development for you and your team, which provides the required capability.

Please note :

• These are national roles and will require regular travel across the UK, including occasional overnight stays.
• These roles require national security clearance at Security Check (SC) level in addition to completion of Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). 

Person specification

You will have...

• Significant senior leadership experience in a complex large-scale fraud, compliance or operational delivery environment.
• Proven ability to lead through others, inspire, motivate, and deliver results at scale.
• Be resilient with sound judgement and a focus on outcomes.
• Experience of managing multiple priorities and operating at pace.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior and working level.
• The ability to solve complex problems and drive continuous improvement through collaboration and innovation.
• The ability to and proven experience of translating strategy into practical delivery plans.
• Be able to use data, insight and evidence to drive decisions.
• Proven experience of communicating complex sensitive issues clearly, confidently and engaging ways to achieve maximum impact.

Essential Security requirements

These roles require national security clearance at Security Check (SC) level in addition to completion of Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). 

To hold security clearance, you must go through a process called National Security Vetting (NSV). You can find more information here: United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The purpose of the NSV process is to provide a level of assurance about an individual’s trustworthiness, integrity and reliability, and other factors that increase their vulnerability to corruption or risk of committing a security breach. It involves the investigation of an individual’s background and circumstances to achieve this aim. 

To be eligible to apply, you must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years across your lifetime and at least 3 of the last 5 years. If you do not meet these conditions, we will not be able to proceed with your application, because you will be unable to obtain Security Clearance. This does not apply to people based overseas in the UK military or working for HMG. 

The application process will ask for personal details about you, your address history, previous relationships, your parents, your employment history, your financial circumstances, and details of any pending, spent or unspent convictions.  This list is not exhaustive.  Please view the  Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)   for more information. 

**If you do not obtain the required security clearance level, your offer will be withdrawn**

If you require any further information, please contact the vacancy holder – the details are on the jobs portal through which you made your application. 

If you are successful in your application, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the NSV process and advise that you collate as much information as you can prior to starting your Vetting application.   

United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) is the main UK government provider of security clearances.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes

£16,786 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 before starting your application**.

Please note the closing date for your full application, test and personal statement is 23:55 on 8th September 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

After submission of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Reasoning 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 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.

If you fail to complete all aspects of your application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

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

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 16:00 and 00:00 on 30/08/26. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Stage 3 - Curriculum Vitae (CV)

You will be asked to complete a CV with details of your job history, full qualification details, 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) and your qualifications.

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 tha