26.131 Portfolio Planner

This role is responsible for supporting the planning and sequencing of the DBS change portfolio, i.e. the Change and Transformation Plan, a collection of programmes and projects that contribute to the delivery of business outcomes and objectives. The role will focus primarily on gathering the right information to develop the plan, providing clarity on key milestones to define what, when and how activities will be organised to ensure business outcomes can be achieved, with the resources available. Work with the project teams and key stakeholders to track and monitor progress against the plan.

• Support the development of the portfolio delivery plan (C&T Plan), ensuring activities are sequenced appropriately
• Support the Portfolio Manager to maintain the portfolio delivery plan (C&T Plan) and critical path to monitor progress and report issues, ensuring this is updated in line with governance standards.
• Support project teams to plan projects, acting as a critical friend and advisor to support effective planning, building capability and the use of best practice in planning. Provide expert advice for team members and the project community.
• Challenge and test planning assumptions to ensure that plans are realistic and achievable, at both portfolio and project level.
• Support project managers to identify options to optimise delivery through resource smoothing, resource levelling and rescheduling of activities.

Corporate Duties:

• Promote within the function a culture of high performance, continuous improvement and innovation that values learning and a commitment to quality.
• To create positive relationships with all DBS stakeholders through the appropriate management of their expectations and agreed objectives.
• Be an ambassador for DBS, instilling and maintaining confidence in the external world.
• ‘Living the Civil Service values and serving the public’; demonstrating the behaviours which reflect those set out in the Civil Service Leadership Statement

. Always being guided by DBS values: ensuring that day to day behaviours and interactions with colleagues reflect these values.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE: Please provide a CV together with a suitability statement of no more than 500 words, outlining how your skills, experience and qualifications meet the requirements of the role, including all essential and desirable criteria, and the key responsibilities, and a 250-word behaviour example demonstrating the behaviour: Seeing the Bigger Picture.

AT INTERVIEW: For all candidates who are successful at the initial sifting stage, you will be invited to a Microsoft Team Virtual interview.

The interview will consist of a panel based interview. The aim of the panel interview will be to assess your ability to demonstrate:

• 2 x behaviours: Communicating and Influencing & Working Together
• 4 x strength-related questions
• 2 technical questions.

The following timeline outlines indicative dates. Please note, these dates may be subject to change without prior notice.

Advert Closing date: 5th October 2026 at 10:00am.

The initial candidate sift is due to take place from: 6th October 2026.

Interviews are due to take place week commencing: 2nd November 2026.

Whilst we will endeavour to provide some flexibility with regards to dates wherever possible, it is unlikely that we will be able to offer an alternative date once an appointment has been scheduled.

BEHAVIOUR PROFILE

The Civil Service has defined a set of behaviours that, when demonstrated, are associated with job success. For this role you should demonstrate the following Civil Service Behaviour Seeing the Bigger Picture.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.

Communicating and Influencing

Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.

Working Together

Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.

Further Information:

To view the DBS Recruitment and On-boarding Privacy Notice, please click the link below:

DBS Recruitment and On-boarding Privacy Notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This privacy notice covers personal data collected during the recruitment, security clearance and on-boarding process.

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