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Location

Newcastle upon Tyne | United Kingdom

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Job description

DWP is looking to fill a unique and challenging Grade 7 role as Head of the Special Operations Team (SOT) within the Risk and Resilience Directorate.

SOT has centralised responsibility for DWP's departmental and cross-government partnership work in relation to Special Customer Records (SCRs) and other sensitive case handling. The team owns the policy and coordinates activity across DWP for individual cases that require special handling arrangements to provide appropriate levels of protection. SOT works routinely with law enforcement to protect vulnerable individuals and facilitate investigations and action against those who pose a threat to individuals' safety and national security.

SOT is comprised of one Grade 7 (team leader), one SEO (deputy team leader) and three HEOs. The team is based in Quarry House, Leeds.

The Head of SOT reports directly to the Deputy Director, Risk and Resilience

The successful applicant will be required to hold Developed Vetting (DV) clearance or be willing to go through the vetting process.

The G7 lead will work across operational and corporate teams within DWP, setting policy, standards and guidance and providing advice on the technical, procedural and personnel arrangements for managing SCRs across the department’s systems and services, both current and future

Key Role Responsibilities

• Leadership and management of the Special Operations Team, setting direction and providing energy and drive that motivates the team to meet business objectives and supporting their wellbeing and continuing professional development.

• Accountable for advice given and decisions made to resolve complex problems and threat to life issues that are escalated from law enforcement partners.

• Leading a complex programme of SCR work, including delivery of sanctions and asset freeze policy and developing both team and cross-department capability to manage SCR risks by means of setting strategy, standards, technical and delivery innovation and implementing lessons from practice.

• Responsible for the reporting and assurance of SCR arrangements and practices within appropriate governance arrangements, compliance with relevant legislation, regulation and standards and improvement actions arising from both internal and external audit.

• Provide advice to wider security and data protection interests, both internally and externally, on the sufficiency and suitability of arrangements that bear on the protection of SCRs.

• Identifying opportunities for the future direction and increased impact of the team, both within the current remit and through a potentially increased scope to contribute to wider national security objectives.

• Drafting of submissions for senior officials and Ministers as required.

Our Mission

The Department for Work and Pensions is one of the biggest government departments, delivering vital services to some of the most vulnerable people in society. As part of the UK’s biggest public service department, we make sure that millions of people receive their State Pension and working age, disability and ill health benefits each year.

Change and Resilience Group (CRG) lead on the Department’s portfolio of Change programmes and projects. We work in multi-disciplinary teams to continually improve how we do things and deliver our services with minimal disruption to DWP customers. More information can be found in the Candidate Information Pack attached and you can also find out more about Working for DWP here.

Find out more about DWP Change and Resilience Group here:

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make Change and Resilience Group as diverse as possible, and we particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

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Job tags

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Salary

£52.41k - £68.92k per annum