Area Director for Scotland and North East England

In this role you have the opportunity to transform the lives of our customers by supporting them into work. Jobs and Careers Service Area Directors are accountable for the leadership of large scale, multi-site operations, and for the effective delivery of Job Centre services and working age benefits (including Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Job Seekers Allowance.

As the Area Director for Scotland, Cumbria and North East England, you are accountable for delivering DWP priorities for UK customers of working age within this geographical area. You will be accountable for performance including the into work rates for your region, as we seek an 80% employment rate. You will be expected to lead out the transformation, within your Area of the Jobs and Careers Service Programme which will deliver on one of the Government’s manifesto commitments.

• Being accountable for all aspects of the successful delivery of Jobcentre Services and performance within their area.
• Ensuring that Jobcentre performance has a positive impact on the overall delivery of Universal Credit and other working age benefits.
• Delivery of labour market outcomes as more households are encouraged and supported to work and earn more than ever before.
• To embed effective place-based system and partnership leadership and build trusted partnerships across government.
• Delivering exceptional customer service across job centres. Ensuring that key operational milestones are planned and delivered.
• Accountable for delivering continuous improvement in the end to end customer journey.
• Financial control both within your area and collectively across the group to deliver efficient and effective services and preventing fraud and error.
• Building key external relations and working collaboratively with partners, key stakeholders including Local Government, Mayoral Combines Authorities landlords, HMRC and other government department officials.
• Driving through efficiencies in the current delivery model to raise levels of customer service and reduce cost in line with DWP’s stated ambition to reduce cost by 2030.
• Establish a clear and active voice of operations in all parts of the Department for Work and Pensions through membership of key stakeholder groups.
• Driving up colleague engagement, performance outcomes and diversity indicators.
• This post holder will have in the region of c.5,500 staff. Line manager to two Group Directors (SCS
  1).
• Excelling in senior stakeholder relationships, including at ministerial level, to drive forward the overall DWP agenda.
• This post holder will need the ability to influence and manage complex senior stakeholder relationships and deal with public and political scrutiny.
• Lead on the relationship with the devolved Scottish Government, managing a complex relationship essential for the effective delivery of labour market services within Scotland.