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SUMMARY

The UK Government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind, particularly as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The new Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund are central to this commitment. We are looking to fill a number of exciting operational delivery roles that will help us deliver those funds. The successful candidates will help us build a strong programme management function in the Cities and Local Growth Unit, ensuring we have clear oversight of all our funding and can ensure it is having the impact we want to see.

 ABOUT US

The Cities and Local Growth Unit (CLGU) is a joint unit between MHCLG and BEIS and these roles will be based in MHCLG. Our mission is to empower places - from rural to major cities, from prosperous places to those facing challenges in the modern economy, to bolster their potential through boosting economic growth. We lead on a range of initiatives including support for towns and high streets; local strategies; devolution of powers and funding; and local economic intelligence. We work at different levels, from the small neighbourhood to the large sub-national strategy.  

The funding delivery directorate is one of three directorates in CLGU. Newly formed, the directorate is responsible for delivering hundreds of millions of pounds of funding every year. High profile programmes include the Towns Fund, and the new Levelling Up and UK Community Renewal Funds.   

Our focus is on getting funding where it is needed most and ensuring maximum impact – ensuring everyone can benefit from economic growth and prosperity. We provide a high quality, professional service to the organisations who apply to us and receive our funding. We put users at the centre and strive to continually improve our systems and processes in response to feedback.

The directorate works collaboratively with the CLGU area teams as our key partners in delivery and stakeholder engagement. Our programmes deliver across government priorities and we have strong networks across other government departments, bringing them into programme design, assessment and funding decisions. We operate across the UK and have strong links into the Devolved Administrations and Territorial Offices.  

OPERATIONAL DELIVERY TEAM ROLES

We are looking to fill a number of interesting and stretching roles across our operational delivery teams within the Cities and Local Growth Unit. Individuals coming into these roles will be employed by MHCLG. This is an opportunity to be part of a matrix team working across a number of our new investment programmes to oversee the development and management of these funds. We are looking to recruit a range of staff with experience in programme management and project delivery to build up this team. Further details are set out in the individual job descriptions below:

Grade 7 – Operational Delivery Team Leader

Responsibilities: 

Programme Development – Support the development of the programme, including producing additional guidance and products to support successful applicants into the delivery phase

Programme Management - Embedding strong programme management within your team – scoping, managing/ tracking deliverables, managing risks and resources effectively, and ensuring that accountable decision making is well managed through effective governance

Contracting and Delivery – contract and work with delivery partners to establish effective support for applicants and grant holders, with the ultimate aim of improving programme delivery.

Team Leadership - Act as the champion for the function taking ultimate authority and personal accountability for effective delivery across a portfolio of programmes. Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to the team and senior managers.

Knowledge management - Identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise delivery. 

Stakeholder engagement - Systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure programme materials (including guidance and application forms) and other communications are high quality, appropriately targeted and adapted to different audiences.

Person specification and essential criteria

Creates and presents a compelling vision and set clear direction, that motivates others to work towards a common goal. 

Promotes the wider public good in all actions and to act in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner at all times. Challenges unacceptable behaviour. 

Engages, motivates and coaches others. Acts as a role model and inspire and empower others.

Creates an open and honest culture and actively promotes personal development of their team.

Adapts to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.

Ensures everyone clearly understands and owns their roles, responsibilities and business priorities, and is supported to do their job.

Sets out clear processes and standards for programme delivery, ensuring delivery of timely, high quality outcomes.

Ensures adherence to legal, regulatory and security requirements across all programmes.

Regularly reviews performance, anticipates and mitigates risks, ensures appropriate governance is in place and works effectively.

The ability to plan, lead and effect positive cultural change, securing commitment and buy-in and promoting a positive long-term vision. Recognizes when broader culture change is necessary to deliver a project. 

The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas and ways of doing things. Encourages and supports innovations from others, is willing to experiment and follow ideas through to implementation.

Desirable Experience and Skills

We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience of delivering funding programmes.

We are also keen to meet inclusive leaders who are experienced in supporting teams to be flexible, responsive and effective even when under pressure.

Whilst not essential Welsh language capability would be desirable.

Selection process details

We are for everyone

At MHCLG we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.

We are for everyone

MHCLG want to bring in and bring on a diverse workforce at all levels.

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

When writing your application, remember:

The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.

Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.

If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

At sift, we will be assessing:

Experience (lead element) - Please set out in no more than 250 words the skills and experience you would bring to the role.

Making Effective Decisions

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

There is a 250 word limit per question.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift based on the lead element - Experience.

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviour, experience and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates. Candidates may be asked to make a presentation as part of the interview stage. Details will be confirmed prior to interviews.

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:

Behaviours: Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Leadership

Experience: Please set out in no more than 250 words the skills and experience you would bring to the role.

Strength: Yes

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign

BENEFITS:

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to MHCLG 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

For further information about the benefits available to MHCLG employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

This role is advertised in Wolverhampton only.

Please note: MHCLG is opening a new office and second headquarters in Wolverhampton, the opening date for which will be confirmed soon. Ahead of opening, candidates who wish to be based in the Wolverhampton office will be expected to work from home in the interim before moving to the new office in Wolverhampton. There may also be opportunities to work from our Birmingham office prior to the opening of the Wolverhampton office. Further information can be found in the announcement here.

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES:

We will be sifting and interviewing applicants as we go on a rolling basis, so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit your application. Applicants achieving the pass mark at application stage will be offered an interview on a rolling basis.

RESERVE LIST:

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this.Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.

TERMS & CONDITIONS STATEMENT:

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

Grade 7 Salary

The salary for this role is £48,197 (National), in exceptional circumstances, a salary of up to £1,000 higher might be available.

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable.

FIXED TERM WORDING

For external candidates– you will be offered a 1 year fixed term appointment with a possibility of extension or permanency. For existing civil servants – you will be offered a 1 year loan opportunity. MHCLG Internal candidates will retain their existing contracts.

Existing Civil Servants – Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful.

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules

Candidate Pack Information

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information and guidance on:

• Internal Fraud Database

• Reserve List

• Notes on Security Clearance

• Additional Information on Modernised Terms and Pay

Contact details

CLGU Resourcing

CLGUresourcing@communities.gov.uk