Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Operational Delivery Professional - Northwest
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Job Summary
Are you passionate about people? Do you pride yourself on delivering excellent customer service? Do you want a career with real development opportunities?
Yes. Then our Operational Delivery Professional roles could be for you.
Retirement Services is the part of DWP that deals with claims for State Pension and a range of other benefits for people of retirement age and those with caring responsibilities. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a fast moving and critical area of public service delivery. Retirement Services is a service delivery organisation with customers, quality and service at the heart of what we do.
As part of one of the biggest organisations in the UK, there are fantastic opportunities to develop and progress and we'd love to hear from you if this is somewhere where you could make a difference.
The Roles Will Be Based In:
- Blackpool - Fylde View Service Centre, 1 King Street, Blackpool, FY1 3EJ
- Burnley - Simonstone Pension Centre, Blackburn Road, Burnley, BB12 7NQ
Job Description
What you will do:
These are telephony-focused roles in our busy Service Centre. As part of a supportive and welcoming team, you will provide excellent customer service, primarily through inbound and outbound telephone contact. The roles are fast-paced, rewarding and central to supporting our customers across the UK.
While you will occasionally support customers digitally, the core and essential requirement of the Operational Delivery Professional role is telephony work. This involves spending the majority of your working day handling telephone calls while using a headset, managing conversations professionally, and resolving customer queries in real time.
There are no alternative non-telephony deployment options within this role.
Our telephone lines are currently open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. This is subject to change; the working hours may be extended and also include Saturday working in the future depending on business need.
Your Daily Responsibilities Will Include:
- Making and receiving telephone calls while addressing queries and progressing new/existing benefit claims (multi-tasking).
- Taking ownership of cases, working with colleagues across DWP to ensure queries are resolved, benefit payment amounts are correct and paid on time.
- Handling sensitive and sometimes challenging telephone calls, in a positive, compassionate and professional manner.
- Ensuring all information provided to customers is accurate, timely and easy to understand.
- Making decisions by examining the available facts, adhering to current guidance.
- Taking responsibility for personal development by keeping up to date with DWP policies and accessing appropriate learning.
Person Specification
What We Are Looking For:
- People who can confidently use the telephone. This will be your key task, and you will spend most of your day on the telephone receiving inbound and making outbound calls. (Essential Skill). Prior telephony/contact centre experience is desirable but not essential.
- People with strong verbal and written skills, including the ability to communicate detailed information to others clearly so it is easy to understand (The ability to effectively communicate in English, both verbally and in writing is an Essential Skill).
- Enthusiastic people who are passionate about providing a really positive, efficient customer experience, ensuring that everybody you support gets great customer service.
- People who are resilient and can remain calm in challenging situations. Sometimes difficult conversations on the telephone with our customers are needed, and we need you to be able to successfully resolve queries in what can be challenging and sensitive situations.
- People who are hardworking, well organised and can balance and prioritise a variety of tasks.
- People who can gather and understand sometimes complex information, using guidance and legislation to make decisions.
- Digitally competent people who can navigate multiple IT systems.
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Things to note:
- When you first start in the role, you will be required to undertake full-time (37 hours per week) 100% office-based training to ensure you gain the knowledge, skills and confidence required to support our customers. This will be followed by a further full-time 100% office-based period of consolidation, to embed your training and ensure quality standards are met. Overall, the training and consolidation period will last up to 26 weeks. Attendance during these phases is mandatory and non-negotiable and you must be fully committed to completing the training and attending the office as required.
- You must be able to travel to and work on site, in person.
- You must be able to communicate with customers via the telephone and digitally. This is an essential requirement.
- You must be able to work in a fast-paced, busy environment, as part of a team and independently.
Behaviours:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Salary and Benefits:
Alongside your salary of £27,866, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £8,072 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro-rata for part-time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
- An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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Selection Process Details:
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.
Stages for Applying:
- Stage 1 – Complete the eligibility section of the application form.
- Stage 2 – After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Customer Service Skills Test.
- Stage 3 – If you pass the Customer Service Skills Test you will be invited to complete a personal statement of 750 words.
- Stage 4 – The Sift.
- Stage 5 – The Interview.
Things to note:
- This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where you will normally be required to work 60% of your contracted hours from your DWP office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.
- Hybrid working options will only be considered after you have successfully completed both the training and consolidation periods. Again, attendance during these phases is mandatory and non-negotiable.
- 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.
- If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
- These vacancies are not currently eligible for Visa Sponsorship on the Skilled Worker route, even if relying on tradeable points as they are not included in the published Immigration Salary List.
- DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work-based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development.
- If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.
Important:
- 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 the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.
- If DWP makes 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.
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 as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
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