Details

Reference number

432291

Salary

£44,447 - £46,547 A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DWP - People and Capability

Type of role

Human Resources

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

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

Location

Birmingham, Blackpool, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Pontypridd, Sheffield.

Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, this role will be based at Benton Park View from September 2025, and then at 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre by the end of 2027.

About the job

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Apprenticeship Team delivers one of the largest and most diverse apprenticeship portfolios in government, offering over 40 apprenticeship programmes ranging from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) through to Level 7 (postgraduate qualification). These programmes span multiple professions including digital, HR, finance, CFCD, operational delivery and leadership. At any one time, there are around 2,500 apprentices on programmes across the organisation.

High quality provision and robust commercial contracts are central to the success of this work. Apprenticeships must not only meet individual learning needs but also build the workforce capability required to deliver DWP’s business priorities now and in the future. The Apprenticeship Programme Team works closely with the Heads of Professions, workforce planning colleagues and capability leads to understand skills and capability requirements. The team partners with Commercial colleagues to procure suitable training providers, and with Experience and Delivery colleagues to support ongoing contract management, resolve issues, and ensure providers meet agreed performance standards.

Job description

As Apprenticeship Programmes Lead, you will:

Ensure apprenticeship procurement is effectively managed, future-focused, and aligned to business needs
Lead and oversee HEO(s), maintain procurement plans, drive continuous improvement, and manage escalation of issues.
Be accountable for operational delivery and quality assurance within the team. Owning operational delivery of apprenticeship procurement, ensuring compliance, quality, and continuous improvement. Providing operational risk oversight and escalating appropriately to Head of Programmes.

Key tasks

Provide clear direction, coaching, and oversight to HEOs, role modelling inclusive and collaborative leadership.
Lead the operational delivery of the end-to-end apprenticeship procurement process.
Engage with Commercial colleagues to ensure timely, compliant, and effective procurement.
Deliver standard-setting calls and support moderation meetings with evaluation panels.
Maintain and review procurement plans to ensure accuracy, completeness, and forward-looking coverage.
Monitor provider performance in collaboration with Delivery and Experience teams, escalating issues where appropriate.
Manage communications escalated by Programme Manager across internal and external stakeholders during procurement.
Conduct regular review of the provider market to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
Contribute to process improvement, sharing lessons learned and best practice across the team.

Person specification

Candidates should be able to demonstrate the Key Criteria as outlined below.

Key Criteria:

Strong understanding of public sector procurement regulations and assurance processes (Lead Criteria)
Experience in managing multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and quality outcomes
Proven ability to influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders, including commercial teams and external providers
Ability to interpret procurement and performance data to inform decisions and drive improvements
Experience in leading change initiatives and embedding continuous improvement
Ability to remain effective under pressure and adapt to changing priorities or challenges
You must have achieved CIPD Associate membership or be willing to work towards this upon commencement of your role.

Behaviours

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

Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service

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.

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 23 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

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Selection will be by a written sift, followed by a virtual video interview.

Written Application and Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, and a Personal Statement of no more than 750 words detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the Key Criteria listed earlier in this advert. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please provide a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility but is not scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

Your Personal Statement should be based on evidence of what you did and how you did it in order to achieve the outcomes notified. When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria thoroughly as this is what your written evidence will assessed against.

Please ensure you evidence the key personal requirements and what you have done that relates to these requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us why you are most suited to this role, what you can do, the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experiences or passion you have that are linked to this role.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using theLead Criteria only:

"Strong understanding of public sector procurement regulations and assurance processes (Lead Criteria)"

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

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.

If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.

Interview Process

After the sift is complete, shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a virtual video interview on MS Teams.

The overall interview will last around 45-minutes and you will need to use your personal device to access the video link. The interview will assess Behaviours and Strengths. The interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

After the interview

Once all interviews have been completed, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email and through their Civil Service Jobs account.

The successful candidate for the initial post offered will be contacted regarding their preferred location based on the role being offered. If you are able to accept this provisional offer, pre-employment checks will commence and once they are cleared, the vacancy holder will contact you with details of a start date.

Please note that for some of the locations currently listed in this vacancy, we may not be able to immediately offer a position based on the needs of the business at the time.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

Integrity, plagiarism, Civil Service Principles and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

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.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances 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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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. 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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP 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 the Childcare Choices Website.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

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. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : clt.recruitmentanddeployment@dwp.gov.uk
Email : clt.recruitmentanddeployment@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

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