Please read before applying:

To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

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If those don't work please email the Resourcing Hub at recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short summary

As the Deputy Director for HR Business Partnering and Capability, you would be responsible for leading the HR Business Partnering team and the Capabilities team within the Directorate, with around 17 people from EO to Grade 6.

You would:​

• work alongside the People, Capability and Change senior leadership team colleagues as a visible functional leader, undertaking corporate responsibilities and helping to set the direction for the People function as a whole. ​

• be responsible for leading the implementation of the DLUHC Capability Strategy and Plan, which is focussed on the delivery of two strategic objectives: growing the capabilities DLUHC needs to deliver organisational objectives and becoming a learning organisation. ​

• be accountable for DLUHC’s learning and development budget, ensuring that this is being used effectively. ​

• lead the HR business partnering team within DLUHC, developing their professional competence and confidence in order to effectively partner the Department’s Directors General and Directors on key people and workforce issues and become critical friends to their senior leadership teams.

To be successful in the role you would need develop strong and trusted relationships with the Department’s Executive Team, supporting and coaching them in leading and managing their teams so they are skilled at creating an environment where their people are both supported and challenged to operate at their best. They will gather feedback and insights from across the Department and act as a feedback loop to improve the HR services that we provide.

Job description

Key accountabilities: 

• Lead the Capability team in the implementation of the DLUHC capability strategy and plan, focused on growing the capabilities DLUHC needs to deliver and becoming a learning organisation. ​

• Accountable for ensuring that the Departmental L&D budget and HR professional budget are being utilised effectively through effective monitoring, forecasting and spend.​​

• Develop credible and trusted relationships with senior leaders ​

• Deliver specific projects and outcomes within the HR Business Partner portfolio​

• Embed cultural change across the department by drawing on behavioural change insights, organisational design and development techniques, and change management approaches. ​​

• Develop a network of contacts internally with corporate services colleagues especially finance, externally and across government to ensure DLUHC is actively seeking out and learning from the very best expertise externally. ​​

• Accountable for ensuring that  budgets are being used effectively through effective monitoring, forecasting and spend. ​

• Be a visible functional leader and work as part of the People, Capability and Change Senior Leadership Team  to set direction for the HR function.​

• Be a credible and expert leader with the Corporate Services function.

You will lead and set the direction for the HR Business Partnering team, developing the professional competence of business partners so that they:

• build credibility and trust with the Directors General and Directors they partner and become critical friends to the senior leadership teams​

• influence and challenge the size, shape, capability and location of a workforce​

• ensure that people data is used effectively, communicated and discussed in a way that drives progress and action. 

The person

This is a high profile and demanding Deputy Director role which requires an ability to work at pace, think strategically and operationally, engage in complex problem solving, and work with others across DLUHC and beyond. ​You will need to be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership of specialist and generalist teams and be able to inspire others.

You will need to be an effective networker and influencer, bringing new ideas that work and thrive on handling a broad range of HR policy and operational issues.

You will be able to use your judgement, draw on data and use outside expertise to complement the expertise in the team.  You will need to be able to engage effectively across functional boundaries at a senior level, and in particular cultivate a strong relationships with finance colleagues to deliver effective workforce planning.

You will also be an effective communicator, both orally and in your ability to produce compelling products which express complex ideas and data simply and engagingly to senior leaders and DLUHC colleagues.

You will be able to handle and balance a wide range of relationships, internally and externally, and to be credible at senior levels, including with Ministers, senior officials, and other stakeholders.

We particularly encourage applications from those of an ethnic minority background and those with disabilities, as well as those based in locations outside of London, who are underrepresented at this level in DLUHC.​

As one of the Department’s senior leaders, you will also be a visible role model for the Civil Service leadership behaviours. These can be found in the Civil Service Leadership Statement which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-leadership-statement/civil-service-leadership-statement      

Essential criteria

To be successful in this role, you will need to provide evidence against the following essential criteria: ​

• An inspiring, confident and empowering leader, who can set strategic direction, lead effectively through ambiguity and get the best out of a diverse workforce through promoting an inclusive, high-performance culture.

• The ability to lead and set direction credibly whilst under pressure.​

• A track record of operating in relevant senior HR roles across complex and fast-moving organisations.

• Proven experience of building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, with a strong ability to influence and work through others.

• Excellent communication skills both in writing and orally, at all levels and including with senior stakeholders such as Ministers or equivalents.

• The ability to analyse complex issues and data to inform strategic decision making and practical outcomes.

• A track record for developing creative solutions and innovative ideas for improvement that you can demonstrate have worked on a large scale​​.

• A fully qualified member of the CIPD, or willingness to gain this accreditation as part of your professional development in this role. 

Selection process details

How to apply

Please click the Be Applied link to provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on Sunday 12 February 2022.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of: ​

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your academic qualifications, specifying subject and degree level achieved. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​

Please remember to save these two items in one document.​

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied. 

For an informal discussion about the role with the hiring manager, DLUHC People Director Simon Claydon, please contact the Recruitment team by emailing scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk.

The selection panel will be made up of:

• Simon Claydon, DLUHC People Director and the line manager for the role​

• Chandru Dissanayeke, Director of Building Safety Reform, DLUHC​

• Kathryn Al-Shemmeri, Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office​

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Selection process and assessments:

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel. 

At DLUHC we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview. 

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment.

Security Clearance

All DLUHC colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, all staff based at our Marsham Street office in London (and some based in our other offices) must be cleared to at least Counter Terrorism Check level. It is a requirement of some roles at Marsham Street and other DLUHC offices that the holder obtain either Security Check or Developed Vetting clearance. Each vacancy will state the level of security required for the post. The nature and level of the security checks will vary subject to the level of clearance required.

Salary

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be circa £73,000 pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.​

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Deputy Director.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

Terms and conditions

Please note that existing DLUHC staff currently within their probation period would still need to complete their probation should they be successful for the role. 

Contract

This role is full-time and is suitable for a job share. DLUHC encourages flexible working.

Terms of benefits

• Defined benefit pension scheme (a career average basis for new recruits).

• Occupational Health Services.

• Access to health and wellbeing support.

• Childcare support vouchers. For transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: Any move to DLUHC 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. 

• Leave provisions including carers’ leave, paid and additional unpaid maternity leave, paid paternity leave and paid adoption leave, volunteering leave.

Contact details

scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk