Planning, Delivery & Engagement Manager and Deliverability Manager

Description

Job summary

Working towards sustainable futures. Championing diversity in the workplace. At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), its all in a days work. FromHR to Finance, Policy to Communications, this is work that sustains and supports, where everyones voice is heard, and our customers are at the heart of everything we do. For a career packed with possibility, a comprehensive benefits package, where we live by our values and have the opportunity to improve the lives of people across the country, look no further.

Supporting people who need it most. Thats our purpose. Start your own career today.

The Departmental Planning and Performance division (DPP) is at the forefront of DWPs agenda to improve how we plan and monitor performance across the department to support decision makers including the Permanent Secretary, the Executive Team (ET ) and the Secretary of State. The divisions role is to develop a single cross-departmental strategic overview and plan to ensure the whole department is working towards the same outcomes and to keep delivery on track.

The post holders will join an energetic, vibrant, and collegiate team which plays a vital role in developing, maintaining and communicating a deliverable departmental plan (the Strategic Plan). You will work closely with our performance colleagues who assess how well it is delivered throughout the year.

These are challenging and exciting roles in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, working with senior officials in the organisation to strengthen strategic alignment and decision-making. We are a small team and individual accountability for delivering to a high standard is critical.

Places for Growth and Social Mobility

As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers.

As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location.

Job description

These are high profile and stretching roles which will offer the postholder a wide range of developmental opportunities to lead on key elements of the Divisions work to set and embed DWPs future vision.

Strategic Planning Lead

The main responsibilities include: Managing the Strategic Plan production cycle including developing the timeline, commissioning contributions, and drafting coherent, evidence-based content to ensure a clear, balanced narrative that reads with a single departmental voice. Leading the development and maintenance of Strategic Plan tracking tools ensuring they provide clear oversight of progress, risks and interdependencies, and acting as the primary project management and audit tools for the team. Planning and coordinating stakeholder engagement across all relevant groups to ensure timely and effective involvement. This includes proactively managing the clearance process with Directors, Directors General, the Permanent Secretary, SpAds, HMT/CO, junior ministers and SoS to secure alignment and sign Leading sections of the Strategic and Delivery Plans, building and maintaining strong relationships with policy and delivery leads, and applying negotiation, influence and constructive challenge to ensure the plan content is accurate, outcome focused, and strategically aligned. Supporting continuous improvement of the strategic planning process, ensuring lessons are learned, good practice implemented, and opportunities for streamlining and enhancing strategic decision-making are captured, tracked and embedded through existing processes, governance and improvement mechanisms. Coordinating communication and engagement for the Strategic Plan, ensuring timely, consistent and well informed messaging across the department. This includes developing tailored messages, working with Strategic Communications to create high quality communication products, and collaborating with communications leads across the department to maintain coherent priorities and messaging. Preparing key launch materials - including drafting speaking notes for the Permanent Secretary and Director General and developing supporting packs. Contributing to and supporting the wider work of DPP, creating tools and products that help manage the work of the division and support the senior leadership team to ensure delivery of our objectives. This could include supporting on cross-team initiatives or championing structured and effective stakeholder management strategies. You will need to be proactive, a confident communicator, very comfortable working in ambiguity and a keen problem solver who isnt afraid of suggesting possible solutions.

Deliverability Manager

The main responsibilities include: Support the provision of timely deliverability assessments of DWP activities to inform internal and external senior decision-making and Plan changes. These include of the draft Strategic Plan, group or other level plans or proposed new/changed activities arising from fiscal events (e.g. Autumn Budget) and ministerial requests i.e. our responses to the Milburn and Timms reviews and the devolution White Paper. This will be achieved through targeted and clear commissioning of our Planning and deliverability community following agreed procedures, adapting where appropriate, analysing and synthesizing returns. Supporting Planning and Deliverability Leads and Private Offices to complete the budget allocations return and to input into deliverability assessments through supporting the running a Planning and Deliverability Community and other routine and ad hoc engagement. Supporting effective cross-DWP strategic planning and the annual production of an affordable and deliverable Strategic Plan. Your focus will be on securing robust deliverability considerations through the Strategic Finance-led design of budget allocations commission, products and quality control of returns. You will also support maturing DWPs planning approach, in particular prioritisation. Supporting strategic planning decision-making by DGs, ET, DB and Investment Committee and ministers through the provision of timely, concise advice utilising deliverability assessments. Wherever possible/appropriate this will be in co-ordination with PFER, People Resourcing, Policy and Business Strategy and Risk. Contributing to and supporting wider work of the DPP, occasionally providing cover for other leads and working flexibly across team boundaries and identifying synergies with the performance team within DPP. Hybrid working

These roles may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

These roles can only be carried out in the UK.

Visa Sponsorship

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Locations

You will be asked for your preference which will tell us where you would prefer to work if you are successful. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role in that location.

Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, Blackpool, Sheffield & London, these locations will be changing:

Newcastle Benton Park View will move to Newcastle Pilgrim Place in Autumn 2027

Sheffield Hartshead Square will move to Sheffield 1 West Bar Hub in 2028

Blackpool, Peel Park will move to Blackpool, Fylde View in April 2028

London Caxton House will move to London Sanctuary House in Summer 2027

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles here .

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences, where appropriate, and the geographical requirements of the business.Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer DWP may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held.

Some travel may be required, but individuals circumstances will be taken into account.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria: Lead Criteria: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt style to ensure maximum impact . Experience of drafting publications . click apply for full job details

Ad ID: 5419142844