Governance & Reporting Manager

Job description

As the Governance and reporting Manager, you will be responsible for strengthening and running GOV.UK One Login’s decision-making fora, both within GDS and across government. In doing so, you’ll provide a critical interface between GOV.UK One Login and senior officials, ensuring alignment of expectations and enabling the programme to meet its milestones and commitments. You will also be responsible for a wide range of progress reporting, including the production of high quality and timely performance updates, and for cross-programme risk and issue management. These functions are critical to the success of the GOV.UK One Login programme, which is a ministerial priority and on the Government Major Projects Portfolio, and therefore subject to significant scrutiny.

Specifically, you will:

• lead the development of the GOV.UK One Login programme’s overall approach to governance, assurance and reporting
• provide the secretariat function for GOV.UK One Login’s key governance fora, including its cross-government Programme Board
• ensure that GOV.UK One Login’s decision-making structures support delivery of the programme’s strategic priorities, and that key decisions are communicated effectively
• monitor and implement the recommendations from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s most recent review of the programme, and lead on preparations for the next gateway assessment
• leads on all aspects of performance and progress reporting, including as part of the Government Major Programmes Portfolio and to the Cabinet Office, quality assuring the data and ensuring compelling and consistent messaging
• lead on the identification, monitoring and mitigation of cross-programme risks and issues

Person specification

This is a stretching role. We’re looking for someone who has strong leadership skills and experience, is adaptable, resilient, and can operate effectively and efficiently at senior levels. 

You’ll have strong interpersonal skills, be able to liaise with a wide range of stakeholders - inside and outside of GDS - and have excellent judgement. In so doing, you will embody the GOV.UK One Login programme’s collaborative ethos. You will be able to deliver high quality outputs at pace, distilling feedback from partners into compelling messages and clearly explaining complex issues.

You will have exceptional written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to bring together a number of data sources to create reports, identify and mitigate risks, and drive timely decision-making across the programme.

We’re interested in people with:

• experience of programme or project management, with an understanding of governance and assurance processes.
• a track record of working across teams to achieve objectives, drive effective decision-making, and report progress by drawing on quantitative and qualitative information
• confidence of building, maintaining and engaging a network of stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to build consensus and support delivery
• the capability to see the bigger picture, and to understand the impact of decisions on a project’s immediate and longer-term goals
• excellent organisation skills and attention to detail, with a proven ability to manage conflicting priorities and deliver to tight timescales
• the ability to maintain effective performance in challenging circumstances, encouraging and supporting others to do the same

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days 
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave 
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to the Government Digital Service 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

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a 60 minute video interview

Sifting will be completed by 30/04/2024.

Interviews will be scheduled for the week of 07/05/2024.

The hiring decision will be made by 13/05/2024.

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• working together
• making effective decisions
• communicating and influencing
• delivering at pace

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Apply and further information 

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.