Deputy Head of Operational Support (Band 3/SEO)

Ashford (Kent), Basingstoke, Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carmarthen, Chelmsford, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Oxted, Plymouth, Sheffield, WrexhamJob SummaryThe HSE is the national regulator for workplace health and safety in Great Britain and is committed to playing it’s part in the delivery of safer, healthier workplaces. HSE’s focus is on the safety, health and welfare of workers, but our regulatory interest extends to cover the impact of work activity on the general public, consumers and the environment.HSE is modernising it’s services and working to deliver improved efficiency and effectiveness. We are investing in new digital infrastructure and capability to support transformation, capability, and continuous improvements.We are seeking two exceptional candidates to join us as Deputy Heads of Operational Support, who will be jointly responsible for leading and managing the Operational Support community, who primarily support three operational regulatory divisions (Inspection, Investigation and Specialist) within the HSE.The purpose of these roles will be to drive high-level, effective and efficient service delivery across a broad range of work, offering advice, guidance and making decisions at pace. Whilst having oversight of all work across the community, those in post will lead on developments and improvements to shape future work and delivery.Reporting to the Head of Operational Support, the successful candidates will directly line manage three Band 4 Senior Admin Managers, with responsibility for a well-established and geographically dispersed workforce of approximately 120 staff.The successful applicants will work collaboratively with colleagues in the wider Divisional Support Unit to ensure a joined up and seamless service.Please note: 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.TravelThis post can be based in any of the advertised locations however there will be a need to attend other HSE offices when required, including overnight stays.Job DescriptionThese are exciting, varied and challenging new roles, working alongside the Head of Operational Support, who leads the Operational Support community, in direct support of regulatory colleagues in the Inspection, Investigation and Specialist Divisions, in delivering the HSE’s strategic priorities and key activities as outlined in the HSE Business Plan.Key Responsibilities:Providing strong leadership, direction and line management for up to 3 Senior Administration Managers (SAMs) who lead the Operational Support teams, inspiring our people and developing their capability, as well as driving a culture of teamwork, high performance and continuous improvement Providing effective oversight and management of operational delivery to ensure teams are delivering the required outputs consistently, in relation to both time and quality in line with expectations and our Support Service Guide (SSG), taking action where appropriate Ensuring effective deployment of resources. This includes understanding and effectively monitoring workloads, contributing to work to identify and secure workforce/capabilities needed to deliver both current and future operational requirements Lead on reporting of performance to the Head of Operational Support, Head of Divisional Support Unit and Deputy Director of Regulation as necessary, while also sharing with teams to aid understanding and drive consistent and improved performance Drive a culture of continuous improvement through proactively identifying and proposing improvements to the operational support delivery model and ways of working, to drive consistency, efficiency and effectiveness. Leading teams through change. Building effective relationships, and work collaboratively with key stakeholders (including but not limited to the specific Divisions the teams support) to develop and ensure a shared view of priorities and delivery Creating a supportive and inclusive working environment, encouraging and securing engagement, where diverse views are encouraged and valuedThese are exciting, varied and challenging new roles, working alongside the Head of Operational Support, who leads the Operational Support community, in direct support of regulatory colleagues in the Inspection, Investigation and Specialist Divisions, in delivering the HSE’s strategic priorities and key activities as outlined in the HSE Business Plan.Key Responsibilities:Providing strong leadership, direction and line management for up to 3 Senior Administration Managers (SAMs) who lead the Operational Support teams, inspiring our people and developing their capability, as well as driving a culture of teamwork, high performance and continuous improvement Providing effective oversight and management of operational delivery to ensure teams are delivering the required outputs consistently, in relation to both time and quality in line with expectations and our Support Service Guide (SSG), taking action where appropriate Ensuring effective deployment of resources. This includes understanding and effectively monitoring workloads, contributing to work to identify and secure workforce/capabilities needed to deliver both current and future operational requirements Lead on reporting of performance to the Head of Operational Support, Head of Divisional Support Unit and Deputy Director of Regulation as necessary, while also sharing with teams to aid understanding and drive consistent and improved performance Drive a culture of continuous improvement through proactively identifying and proposing improvements to the operational support delivery model and ways of working, to drive consistency, efficiency and effectiveness. Leading teams through change. Building effective relationships, and work collaboratively with key stakeholders (including but not limited to the specific Divisions the teams support) to develop and ensure a shared view of priorities and delivery Creating a supportive and inclusive working environment, encouraging and securing engagement, where diverse views are encouraged and valuedPerson specificationEssential Skills And CriteriaA track record of positive, visible leadership of geographically dispersed teams, communicating direction and priorities, building capability, employee engagement and continuous improvement Proven ability in delivering high performance through others and ensuring effective deployment of resources. Awareness and experience of implementing performance and attendance management measures when required Practical recent experience of managing operational delivery, utilising data and insights to understand existing and future levels of demand against performance, analysing this to take prompt action to ensure/improve delivery to strict time and quality service level agreements. Confidently reporting to key stakeholders on the same as necessary Motivated self-starter who responds calmly to unpredictable demands, who is able to work equally as well, individually, or as part of a team, with practical experience of leading teams through change Sound organisational skills with ability to prioritise, identify risks and tensions, and make pragmatic clear decisions, delegating and managing workloads as necessary Exceptional communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to aid understanding, build consensus and tailor message and channel to the audience Proven ability to create a culture of inclusion, innovation, collaboration and teamwork, holding people accountable for performance, and celebrating success Aware of and experienced in the use of all Microsoft Office packages including MS Word, Excel, Outlook and SharePoint.BehavioursWe'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:Managing a Quality Service Leadership Communicating and Influencing Delivering at PaceWe only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:Managing a Quality ServiceAlongside your salary of £45,954, Health and Safety Executive contributes £13,312 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversityWe invest in our people with:-Competitive rates of pay Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97%, far more than in the private sector Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave Parental leave benefits As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.Selection process detailsThis vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.Application InformationAs part of your application, you will be invited to complete an anonymised CV which should include your career history and experience.Please note this is for information purposes only and will not be scored.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 advertYou will then be asked to complete a behavioural question (in no more than 250 words) on the behaviourManaging a Quality Service .Application GuidancePlease access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement InformationThe sift will take place from 28th July when you will be assessed on your Personal Statement and the behaviour ' Managing a Quality Service' .Please note: In the event of a high number of applications at sift we will assess on the behaviour 'Managing a Quality Service' only.Interview InformationInterviews will take place from 11th August when you will be assessed against the behaviours detailed within the job advert.Please note sift and interview dates could change due to panel availability.AI Tools & PlatformsDuring the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CVs and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.SponsorshipThis 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 InformationPlease 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 .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.UKIt 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.The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.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.We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.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: 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 herePlease 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.This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.SecurityPeople working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.Nationality requirementsThis 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 ServiceFurther information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)Working for the Civil ServiceThe Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.Diversity and InclusionThe Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.Contact point for applicantsJob Contact :Name : Casey Callender Email : teamEmail : informationIf you believe that Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition have not been met, you can raise a complaint by emailing: or by writing to HSE at the following address:HR Resourcing Team, 2.3 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS. If You Are Not Satisfied With The Response You Receive From The Department, You Can Contact Civil Service Commissioners:#J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-07-11