Department advertises pair of vacant positions for recruits to help in its efforts to cut the amount of money lost to fraud and error and support citizens in making repayments

The Department for Work and Pensions is seeking to recruit two senior managers to spearhead efforts to use digital technology to reduce fraud, error and debt and take on roles described as “crucial to DWP’s transformation”.

The position of head of digital delivery, fraud and error will lead the department’s “services [that] enable the prevention and detection of fraud and error within the benefits system quickly and efficiently”. The job advert notes that digital methods play an ever-greater role because “as the welfare state changes shape, so does the nature of fraud and error”.

The head of digital delivery, debt post, meanwhile, is described as a “critical leadership role”. The successful candidate “will lead in delivering against our ambitions and ensuring that we will continue to recover money owed to DWP in a fair and sustainable way that ensures our customers are engaged throughout their payments”.

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The advert adds: “This role is an exceptional and unique opportunity to play a key part in creating the future of digital government; to transform service delivery throughout DWP and to improve people’s lives.”

The two roles will offer a salary of up to £89,000 and the chosen applicants will sit at the head of teams based in Blackpool and Manchester – and will be expected to attend one of these offices at least once a week. Other DWP locations with digital experts include facilities in Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle.

The department hopes to receive interest from those with experience of “leading a scaled agile environment… [and] managing and delivering change in a complex environment​”. The advert adds that “an understanding of fraud and error or debt would be desirable”.

Applications are open until 11.55pm on 13 January.

At 4.15pm on 19 December, the DWP will run a “virtual engagement session” in which prospective applicants will have the chance to hear more about the roles from Cheryl Stevens, the department’s digital director, shared channels experience.