Deputy Director, Synergy HR Transformation

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is looking to fill Deputy Director, Synergy HR Transformation role within the Corporate Transformation directorate.

As Deputy Director, Synergy HR Transformation, you will provide strategic leadership for DWP's contribution to the cross-government Synergy Programme and act as DWP's senior HR Functional Lead for HR transformation activity.

As DWP's senior HR Functional Lead for the Synergy Programme, you will provide strategic leadership for one of the largest people transformation programmes in government. Operating across departmental, cluster and cross-government environments, you will shape the future of HR services, workforce capability and organisational transformation, ensuring DWP's priorities are represented whilst supporting wider Civil Service reform.

This is a highly influential leadership role at the forefront of government-wide people transformation. The postholder will shape the future direction of HR across DWP and the Synergy Cluster, building strategic partnerships, championing innovation and ensuring the People Function is equipped to meet future workforce and organisational challenges.

The role requires a collaborative and visionary leader who can operate effectively in complex environments, influence at the most senior levels, and balance immediate delivery with long-term transformation ambitions.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Significant experience of strategically leading large-scale human resources or workforce transformation across complex, multi-organisation environments.
• A strong track record of shaping and implementing human resources operating models, services, workforce structures and organisational capabilities, using innovative and technology-enabled approaches to improve outcomes and deliver sustainable business benefits.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and programme boards and build trusted partnerships across organisational boundaries.
• Strong programme leadership experience covering business readiness, organisational adoption, governance, risk management, delivery assurance and benefits realisation, with evidence of achieving measurable outcomes.
• Visible, inclusive and collaborative leadership, combining sound analysis and strategic foresight with the ability to build high-performing teams, operate through ambiguity and communicate complex issues clearly.
• Experience of Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) or another major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-enabled transformation.
• Knowledge of position management, job architecture, organisational design or strategic workforce planning.