Do the levels of financial insecurity and injustice in the UK leave you seething and impatient to have a real impact on making things better? Are you an expert in leading the delivery of advice and information products to as wide an audience as possible though networks of partners and advisers? Are you passionate about reaching across the digital divide?

The Welfare Benefits Programme Manager leads an expert team delivering our market-leading Benefits Calculator and other exciting new tools to improve access to benefits for those who need them the most. We know this work has a serious social impact. Last year alone, 2.5 million people used our benefits calculator to understand what welfare benefits they were entitled to claim. 

Turn2us is a national charity tackling poverty and the structural causes of poverty. We work with co-producers and partners to provide people in financial crisis with the means and agency to get back on their feet, build resilience, move forward with their lives and thrive. 

If you’re an advice delivery expert and leader, particularly with experience or knowledge of the benefits system, who wants work that will stretch your intelligence and creativity, who is willing to be led by the people you want to support and who genuinely wants to have an outsized impact, we really want to meet you! 

Job Description :

Job Title: Welfare Benefits Programme Manager 

Department: Information Programmes 

Reports to: Head of Information Programmes 

Location: Head Office in Hammersmith, London W6 7NL with opportunities for flexible working

Type of role: Permanent, full-time

Purpose of the Role: The Welfare Benefits Programme Manager leads programmes delivering our flagship Benefits Calculator, and other products and approaches specific to welfare benefits, and provides an expert voice in policy conversations relating to welfare benefits

Duties: 

1) Support customers building their financial security through leading programmes delivering information, advice and guidance specific to all welfare benefits 

• Provide strategic direction and support for product owners working on flagship digital services such the Turn2us Benefits Calculator, the PIP tool and new initiatives providing subject specific information and support for welfare benefits claimants 

• Create, maintain and evolve an outcomes-driven strategic roadmap for co-produced welfare benefit information programmes delivery (including PIP, UC, council tax relief and all other government and local government delivered benefits for individuals) in alignment with our 5 year organisational strategy and the evolving external benefits policy landscape  

• In collaboration with the Customer Experience Manager and with support from the Digital and Design team, integrate customer experience journey thinking into how we delivery welfare benefits information  

• In collaboration with other Turn2us programmes lead and external partners, work towards the provision of a ‘one-stop shop’ for both customers and providers of advice/information to support people building financial security and managing the financial impact of life-changing events 

• Work within a rights-based approach including Equality Diversity & Inclusion, wellbeing, accessibility, power-shifting and safeguarding lenses 

• In collaboration with the Insight and Impact team and co-production partners, deploy insights, data and research from internal and external sources to achieve a deep understanding of our customers and how they can better understand and claim the benefits that they are entitled 

• Work closely with the Safeguarding Manager to ensure that our customer journeys support people’s safety 

2) Lead on the delivery of expert support in this area across the broader organisation and be a leading voice internally and externally in the framing and development of Turn2us’ influencing agenda conversations relating to these issues 

• Drawing on the expertise within the Welfare Benefits team, work with the External Affairs team to define responses to government changes and proposals relating to welfare benefits 

• Engage in cross-sector initiatives addressing policy relating to welfare benefits 

• Play an active role in framing our thoughts on systems change, internally and externally, towards our wider goals of tackling barriers to access to the resources people need to thrive and the systemic causes of financial inequality 

3) Build collaborative, impactful partnerships with all relevant external organisations, particularly with organisations that share our values and are devoted to real social change 

• Support the Information Partnerships Development Officer in developing the use of our welfare benefits tools with partners and build a strategic plan for developing our market share as a provider 

• Work with the Income and External Affairs team to identify and develop commercial partnerships for the use of our Benefit Calculator (and other income maximisation tools 

• Work with other Turn2us partnership managers and officers to agree common standards of due diligence and engagement for different levels of relationships with external service and information providers 

• In collaboration with other Turn2us programme leads, be sensitive to opportunities to advance our influencing agenda in these contexts, particularly in the area of systems change 

4) Develop, empower and motivate Welfare Benefits team members to deliver the best information and support possible for our customers 

• Own the management of co-production partners and support team members in their facilitation of co-production partner engagement in our programmes 

• Create a collegiate, collaborative team culture where colleagues take responsibility for their work and its outcomes, feel supported and able to grow their skills and depth and impact 

• Understand and act upon Turn2us policies and process, particularly relating to safeguarding, our values, EDIB and our commitments to systems change

These are the normal duties, which the Charity requires from the position. However, it is necessary for all staff to be flexible and all employees will be required from time to time to perform other duties as may be required by the Charity for the efficient running of the charity.  This Job Description is non-contractual. It will be reviewed from time to time and may be subject to change.  

At Turn2us, we are committed to protecting personnel, children, adults, and service users from any harm arising from each other, themselves, our activities, or organisational failings whilst in contact with us. The post holder will be required to follow the safeguarding policy and will be responsible for integrating safeguarding into all aspects of their work. 

The post holder will be expected to ensure that their work complies with contractual terms and conditions, the Charity’s policies and procedures and key legislation, such as data protection and charity law.  

Person Specification:

Skills:  

• Data literacy 

• Excellent written, editorial, presentation skills 

• Relationship management 

• Project management  

• Able to quickly learn and make use of digital tools as a power user 

Knowledge:  

• Extensive knowledge of welfare benefits and the role they play in addressing financial inequalities 

• Understanding of government policy positions relating to benefits and statutory support 

• Broad understanding of customer/user experience principles and digital 

• Has used and worked within a variety of project management contexts 

• Understanding of safeguarding principles 

• Domain knowledge relating to the poverty/financial/housing/debt sector in general (desirable)

Experience:  

• Management experience of leading advice and information services 

• Experience of co-production (desirable) 

• Good understanding of audience motivations and profiles 

• Experience of poverty themselves or of tackling poverty 

Personal Attributes:  

• Collaborative, facilitative leadership style 

• Is collaborative and partnership focused 

• Exercises initiative and originality to improve approaches and processes 

• Creatively applies knowledge gained from previous experience 

• Is sensitive to needs of digitally excluded customers

Turn2us is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us, and we are particularly interested in applications from people from all backgrounds.