Leadership and Management Capability Lead (Band 2)

The Leadership and Management Capability Lead will play a critical role in shaping, delivering and embedding a high-quality leadership and management offer across the organisation. The post-holder will lead strategic work to define leadership behaviours, strengthen leadership capability, and ensure alignment with organisational priorities.

Working closely with senior stakeholders, the role will drive succession planning for Senior Civil Service (SCS) and feeder grades, identify leadership capability gaps, and design evidence-based solutions to address them. The role includes line management responsibility for one team member and oversight of external suppliers delivering leadership development interventions.

Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

• Lead the development and implementation of a coherent leadership and management strategy, aligned to organisational objectives and priorities.
• Define, embed and continuously improve leadership behaviours, ensuring leaders are accountable for demonstrating the expected standards.
• Lead and deliver end-to-end leadership and management development interventions across the full learning cycle, including needs analysis, design, delivery and evaluation.
• Lead succession planning for SCS and senior leadership pipelines, ensuring robust approaches to talent identification, assessment and development.
• Identify organisational leadership capability gaps and develop targeted solutions, including programmes, interventions and experiential learning opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong, credible relationships with senior stakeholders, providing expert advice, constructive challenge and strategic insight where appropriate.
• Commission and manage external suppliers to deliver high-quality leadership development solutions, ensuring value for money and alignment with strategic objectives, while applying project management principles to deliver programmes and initiatives on time and within scope.
• Line manage and support one team member, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, learning and professional development.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) qualified or equivalent qualifications in organisational development, learning or HR.

Please answer YES to this question if you do not hold CIPD but have the equivalent qualifications in organisational development, learning or HR.

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 and Experience.

Application Information:

As part of your application, you will be invited to complete an anonymised CV which should include your career history, experience, and qualifications.

Please ensure you tailor your CV to match the Essential Skills and Criteria as listed within the advert.

You will also be asked to complete an anonymised Personal Statement, of no more than 1000 words which demonstrates how you meet the Essential Skills and Criteria of the job advert.

Application Guidance

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement How to Apply

Sift Information

The sift will take place week commencing 21st September 2026 when you will be assessed on your CV and Personal Statement

IMPORTANT: Please note an initial sift will be conducted on your CV. If you meet the benchmark for the CV element, you will be progressed to a full sift in which the Personal Statement will also be scored. If you do not meet the standard for the CV, you will not receive a score for your Personal Statement.

In the event of a high number of applicants at sift, we will assess on the Lead Criteria listed within the Essential Skill and Criteria.

Interview Information

Interviews will take place week commencing 12th October 2026 when you will be assessed against the behaviours detailed within the job advert and strengths and experience.

As part of your interview, you will be required to deliver a short presentation. Further details of this will be sent to candidates invited to interview.

Please note, all dates are subject to change depending on panel availability.

The lead behaviour, Changing and Improving will be used in the event of a tie-break.

Sponsorship

This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

Further Information:

Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months. There is no guarantee you will be offered a role from our reserve lists, so if you see a vacancy on Civil Service Jobs that you are interested in, we recommend you apply.

HSE reserve the right to conduct additional checks, including Google and social media checks, when recruiting candidates into a role within HSE. These checks will be carried out in line with the Civil Service Commission Principles and, if used all candidates will be subject to these additional checks.

From 23rd June 2025, if you are successful at interview, as part of your pre-employment checks, HSE’s Recruitment Team are required to check your details against the Internal Fraud Hub (IFH), using your personal details – name, NINO, and date of birth. If you are included on the database, you will be refused employment. If you believe that there has been an error in the inclusion of your data and wish to make an appeal, please contact the CO email box internal.fraud@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

Details of the types of internal fraud/dishonesty covered by this process are defined by the Cabinet Office and can be found here Internal Fraud Register privacy notice - GOV.UK

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.

Progression through pay ranges is subject to annual pay awards as permitted within annual Civil Service pay remit guidance and negotiations with Trade Unions.

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example, if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.

Any move to HSE 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 here.

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;

Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

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