Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Lead

Help shape how DWP tackles fraud and error

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports around 20 million customers and plays a vital role in protecting public funds.

The Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS) sits at the heart of the department and is a national team within the Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt directorate providing a core service as the centre of expertise for fraud and error.

IRIS provides the department with a single view of fraud and error risks within the benefit system and contributes towards efficiencies, savings and tackling organised crime and modern slavery through its core delivery services. We are a multi-disciplinary team bringing together a diverse range of expertise and technology including data science, digital specialists, cyber specialists, intelligence analysts and counter fraud experts. This creates a powerful force using data and insight in innovative ways, supporting DWP to deliver our collective mission to pay the right person the right amount at the right time.

We are recruiting two Grade 7 Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Leads to join the IRIS Operational Delivery Centre (ODC).

These national roles sit at the heart of IRIS delivery, leading the strategic planning and delivery of work across a network of around 15,000 operational colleagues. You will ensure the right work reaches the right teams at the right time, maximising the impact of our products and services through sound judgement, effective strategic prioritisation and resourcing to risk.

Working across IRIS, CFCD, Universal Credit, Benefit Services and wider partners, you will engage and influence senior leaders, shape delivery priorities and help integrate emerging risks, opportunities and new products into operational delivery.

As Workflow Planning Senior Strategic Lead, you will:

• Lead and inspire your team and colleagues throughout the IRIS Operational Delivery Centre to deliver our strategic objectives.
• Have a clear vision, roadmap and delivery plan for your team, helping others to see by making it visible at a range of levels and delivering outcomes to expected standards and timescales.
• Create an environment where colleagues throughout the IRIS ODC team are empowered and can thrive, grow, succeed and consistently perform at their best.
• Be a strong collaborative leader delivering corporate accountabilities, strategic outcomes and objectives, communicating and influencing effectively with stakeholders at senior levels.
• Lead strategic workflow planning across multiple IRIS products and services for around 15,000 operational colleagues. Oversee workflow prioritisation, ensuring IRIS activity delivers maximum value and is aligned with fraud and error risks.
• Think strategically, prioritise and set direction across a diverse and complex range of priorities and strategic objectives, including corporate CFCD and DWP leadership as well as your own team.
• Act as the primary link between IRIS and operational delivery, digital teams and strategic stakeholders. Seeking regular feedback from operations to continuously improve workflow.
• Lead horizon scanning, contingency planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Represent IRIS confidently at senior forums and national meetings, often working directly with Deputy Directors. Provide expert advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders on delivery risks and opportunities.
• Successfully solve complex problems using data, evidence and expertise to deliver strategic outcomes and objectives.
• Drive and role model professional development for you and your team, which provides the required capability.

Please note:

• These are national roles and will require regular travel across the UK, including occasional overnight stays.
• These roles require national security clearance at Security Check (SC) level in addition to completion of Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

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, Ability and Experience.

• *Ensure that you read the full information about the selection process before starting your application**.

Please note the closing date for your full application, test and personal statement is 23:55 on 8th September 2026**

Stage 1 – Application Form

Please complete the application form with your basic information, which includes your personal details, eligibility to apply and any reasonable adjustments required.

Stage 2 – Online Test

After submission of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test.

Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24 - 48 hours is recommended). You will need to allow at least one hour to complete the test, plus time to complete your written application (see below for details). Guidance and a practice test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

If you fail to complete all aspects of your application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 16:00 and 00:00 on 30/08/26. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Stage 3 - Curriculum Vitae (CV)

You will be asked to complete a CV with details of your job history, full qualification details, previous skills and experience. You are not required to upload your personal CV.

In the previous skills/experience section you should detail your employment and/or education history relevant to this vacancy (we recommend a maximum of 500 words).

The CV will also cover your work history (we recommend you include up to the last 3 roles of employment history, plus any others that you feel are relevant) and your qualifications.

Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.

Stage 4 – Personal Statement and Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a personal statement in no more than 500 words, answering the following questions, using specific examples which demonstrate the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role.

• Describe a time when you harnessed your well-developed inspiring leadership and effective influencing skills to achieve a successful outcome in a complex environment.
• Please detail how what and how what you did resulted in successfully delivering the objective.

When completing your Personal Statement, please read the questions thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used.

The sift is scheduled to be held from 09/09/2026 to 11/09/2026. These dates may be subject to change.

Following completion of the sifting period above, results will be collated, and candidates will receive confirmation of the outcome and successful candidates will be invited to an assessment centre and interview. No feedback will be provided at this stage.

Stage 5 – Assessment Centre

If you pass the written application sift with the required score you will be invited to an Assessment Centre and Interview, both on the same day.

You will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account.

You will be required to undertake two assessments at the Assessment Centre. These assessments are undertaken both as an individual and in a group environment.

The Assessment Centres and interviews will be conducted face to face at our office in High Wycombe JCP, Aria House, 80 Oxford Road, High Wycombe, HP11 2DN.

The Assessment Centres and interviews are scheduled to take place on Tuesday 06/10/2026 and Wednesday 07/10/2026. You will have a choice, to book one, of the above dates. Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change.

• *Please note you will be required to attend a full day from 9am – 5pm as the interview will follow in the afternoon**

Please prepare for attending a full day and bring your refreshments/lunch with you.

The Assessment Centre will take place in the morning session, and you will be assessed against two of the Behaviours listed below.

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

If you require any reasonable adjustments to attend an Assessment Centre and face-to-face interview, please ensure you state those on your application form when asked to do so.

Communications will be electronic and/or by SMS/telephone therefore it is important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number, it is important that you answer so that your interview can be confirmed. If you wish to opt out of SMS messages, please email this address, including the vacancy reference and your candidate ID CFCD.RECRUITMENTINBOX@DWP.GOV.UK

Stage 6 - Interview

Following the assessment centre in the morning, all candidates will be interviewed in the afternoon at the same High Wycombe office.

Preparing for the Interview

The interview will take approximately 30 minutes and will consist of a presentation focussing on the Leadership Behaviour, a question on the Delivering at Pace behaviour and questions on the Success Profile Strengths.

You will be provided with a pack prior to your interview detailing the requirements of the presentation. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The questions explore what you, the candidate, can and have done, but also your potential.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed at Grade 7 – Level 4.

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model above to explain:

• WHO - What it was? How you approached the work/situation? What the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or
• STAR - What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

Strengths

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.

If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not progress further.

Stage 7 – Offer

Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidate first.

The successful candidates will be notified of a start date following successful pre-employment and security checks, which is likely to be during February 2027.

Further Information​

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual part time working pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in the case of serious ill health).
• If we make an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Please note that for these vacancies we recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role.

We can never guarantee sponsorship; requests will be considered in line with the relevant DWP guidance and Home Office policy in place at the time.

Candidate pack

It is important that you take time to read the candidate pack which can be found at the bottom of this job advert. This provides further information about the role and working in DWP.

Locations

Please see slide 2 in the candidate pack for list of possible locations.

The following location is restricted to current DWP staff already based in that office, only due to estates restrictions at this location: Houghton-Le-Spring.

You should only apply for suitable posts where you can travel to and from your home office location daily within a reasonable time. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed. Make sure the locations works for you before applying!

Hybrid working​

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office. If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert. Hybrid working will not commence until any training, and consolidation period has been successfully completed.

Working pattern​

Part-time, part-year, term-time compressed hours and job-sharing working patterns within working hours will be considered but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful candidates with agreed alternative working patterns may be required to work full time for specific periods to complete all training and consolidation.

Hours of work ​

The full-time working week in DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours of: ​

• 7:45am and 8:00pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and​
• 8:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday.​

Managers will agree working patterns with successful candidates within these business hours and review these as appropriate. You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for candidates’ section.

Integrity, Plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own.
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own.

Disclosure and Barring Service

To process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check will be carried out.

Candidates who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any candidate’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Salary

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP 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 the Childcare Choices Website.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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