New recruit will assume managerial responsibility for department’s central systems for delivering payments and updating online information 

Credit: Crown Copyright/Open Government Licence v3.0

The Department for Work and Pensions is seeking to recruit a senior manager to assume responsibility for central IT systems that form part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. 

The role as director of shared digital platforms comes with salary of up to £130,000 and a remit to oversee “the performance of [the] core application infrastructure of DWP”. This includes its Central Payments Service for administering the delivery of benefits, and the Citizen Information Service for updates to online content.

Also under the watch of the new director will be “all application integration and supporting systems” related to the platforms, as well as “application maintenance and level 3 support – including out of hours – across many of our systems, including our benefit-payment services”.

The successful candidate will be appointed to a role that has newly created as part of a wider departmental rejig.

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“This is a key leadership role within DWP and critical to the success of departmental transformation activities,” the job advert said. “The director of digital shared platforms has been established as a result of a reorganisation, meaning there may be a opportunity to shape the role whilst the new structure beds in. The post will be responsible for up to four direct reports, a large team of civil servants with additional responsibility for contractors and suppliers.” 

As well as monitoring and maintaining performance of services, the chosen applicant will oversee development of new applications and decommissioning of legacy IT.  The postholder will also be asked to help “increase resilience of… mission-critical systems and services”.

Applications are open until 11.55pm on 13 November, before which time candidates must submit a CV and statement of suitability of up to 1,250 words. 

As with many civil service roles advertised of late, the post comes a specified “minimum assignment duration of three years”. 

This is not a firm contractual requirement, but rather a recognition that, upon accepting the job, the successful applicant will “be agreeing to the expected assignment duration”.

The recruitment process is being run by contractor Allen Lane. Once appointed, the shared platforms director will be based at one or more of the DWP’s offices in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Sheffield.