Senior Digital Practice Support Manager

As a Senior Digital Practice Support Manager, you will work within the User Centred Design (UCD) Practice Support team to build Digital capacity and capability whilst increasing membership engagement to grow and retain talent. You will primarily be focused on leading on recruitment to implement and maintain a standardised approach to resource management.
In your role you will play an active role in the Practice community, helping Job Families understand the bigger picture beyond their own area, encouraging collaborative cross-Practice delivery, providing professional support and help build capability., Practice Support Managers in DWP Digital are responsible for supporting and building capability within their Practice communities. They work closely with the Head of Practice, Executive Sponsor and Heads of Role to co-ordinate recruitment, deploy members to assignments, identify suitable learning & development opportunities, support the organisation of practice events and in developing their Practice frameworks and plans, including measurable outcomes.
Practice Support Managers work in partnership with the central Digital Capability Team to shape, understand & communicate the strategic objectives and frameworks, then apply these to accelerate Digital performance and quality by championing common standards, common ways of working, common resources and creating communities of practice and role identity, factoring in any specific needs or requirements of the disciplines and roles within the Practice.
We currently have one vacancy within the User Centred Design (UCD) Practice Support Team. This role focuses on increasing the capability of our members by being people-focused, proactive, and collaborative.
User Centred Design (UCD) Practice – Recruitment & Capacity Focused Role
This role will primarily be focused on shaping the demand profile for UCD and widening the support network within the Practice to support on demand recruitment activities. Including, enhancing the recruitment journey, optimising use of collaboration to improve the recruitment pathway to raise the Practice’s capability.
The UCD Practice enables and supports design and research activities wherever there are opportunities for DWP to be more user centred in how it works. This Practice is made up of around 300 members across DWP including: Content Designers, Interaction Designers, Service Designers and User Researchers. All of whom champion a truly user-centred approach to design.
UCD provides a problem-solving framework, and our practitioners apply a suite of tools and techniques to solve problems and supporting the delivery of products and services which meet a user need.

Person specification
When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:
+ Using employee recruitment data to understand the context for capability building, identifying challenges and barriers, establishing requirements, and suggesting actions.
+ Evidence of designing and delivering plans to raise Capability through: Recruitment and capacity coordination.
+ Leading on evaluation and impact work to review capability processes and improve the quality of a service through: Pre, During and Post recruitment exercise evaluation, including reporting and evidence-based recommendations.
+ Being an advocate in the workplace community for capability building. Creating an inclusive culture of development for all where staff prioritise engaging with recruitment efforts.
+ Building and sustaining long-term, strategic relationships with relevant stakeholders (within own team and wider) in order to deliver successful business outcomes.
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact caicy.sandford1@dwp.gov.uk., When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.
Important Information
• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Stage 2: Interview
If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.
Interviews will take place from late September 2024. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Further information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
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. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
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 Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.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.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.
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) (opens in a new window)
+ 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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.

Digital Group is organised into Communities of Practice, which are groups of people with similar or closely related skills, experience and job responsibilities, so they can easily collaborate, share ideas and skills, in order to build their own capabilities and achieve better outcomes.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the UK's biggest government department, building digital services that make a real difference to the lives of 20 million people. DWP Digital is finding new ways to use our technology, expertise and innovation to help those who need it most. We’re changing how we work, transforming digital services for millions of citizens and their needs are at the heart of everything we do.

Alongside your salary, the Department for Work and Pensions contributes 28.97% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We also 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.
Salary Information
Pay for this role is from £40,201 to £43,347.
Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.
Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.
Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.