HM Revenue & Customs
Portfolio Planner
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Portfolio Planning Lead
About The Job
Job Summary
Discover what it's like to work in a compliance role that makes an impact. Join us at the forefront of HMRC’s compliance transformation, where we're reshaping how compliance outcomes are achieved across the organisation. This role makes up part of a bold and complex portfolio of change, delivering a five-year roadmap to improve:
- Operational efficiency
- Customer experience
- Tangible business benefits
As Portfolio Planning Lead, you will drive portfolio planning, scheduling, and delivery excellence by ensuring alignment across programmes, projects, and timelines. Your strategic leadership ensures all initiatives are integrated, governed, and deliverable.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Capability
- Provide clear direction and task management across portfolio planning.
- Champion high-performance culture and embed best practice in planning approaches.
- Build and maintain networks to leverage industry expertise.
- Assess future capability needs and develop strategies for continuous improvement.
Portfolio Planning & Delivery
- Lead the development, maintenance, and assurance of integrated Portfolio Plans.
- Ensure alignment with key milestones and strategic outcomes.
- Maintain planning baselines and enforce robust change control processes.
Governance, Assurance & Standards
- Define, embed, and improve planning and change control frameworks.
- Act as Senior Planning Subject Matter Expert, providing expert advice and quality assurance.
- Ensure transparency and consistency in planning outputs for senior decision-making.
Insight, Risk & Dependency Management
- Analyse planning data to identify risks, trends, and opportunities.
- Work with the G7 Portfolio Dependencies Lead to manage stakeholder dependencies.
- Proactively manage critical path performance to enhance delivery confidence.
Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Collaborate with programme and project leaders to align plans and priorities.
- Deliver evidence-based planning insights for strategic decision-making.
- Lead and develop the Planning Community of Practice to enhance collaboration.
Person Specification
Main Responsibilities (Expanded):
You will provide strategic leadership in planning and scheduling across a complex transformation portfolio, ensuring robust governance and delivery confidence. This involves:
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- Assuring integrated portfolio plans against milestones, dependencies, and critical pathways.
- Providing Senior SME expertise in setting direction, standards, and best practice.
- Leading a high-performing planning community to build capability.
- Ensuring data-driven decision-making to support successful outcomes at scale.
Essential Criteria
-
Demonstrable experience leading complex project-programme-portfolio planning, including:
- Work breakdown structures
- Schedule development
- Critical path analysis
- Dependency and milestone management
- Full life-cycle planning (initiation to closure)
-
Proven track record in large, high-value delivery environments, spanning strategic and operational planning.
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Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify risks/issues, and provide evidence-based advice for senior decision-makers.
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Ability to lead and mentor planning teams, training others in hybrid methodologies.
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Technical proficiency in:
- Scheduling & Planning Software (e.g., ServiceNow, Primavera P6, MS Project)
- Handling agile/traditional hybrid methodologies
Desirable Criteria
- Professional qualification(s) alignment (e.g., APM Planning & Scheduling, PRINCE2, M_o_R, APMG).
- Diplomacy and influence for managing stakeholder input.
- Fluent presentation and drafting skills for high-stakes environments.
- Prior experience in a complex Programme/Project Management Office (PMO) setting.
Office & Location
HMRC operates with both hybrid and office-based work policies while encouraging in-office collaboration and team culture.
Current moving logistical notes:
-
Some office sites are temporary. If selected from:
- Newcastle: Moving to Pilgrims Quarter
- Telford: Moving to Parkside Court
Further details will be provided post-call.
No changes to preference post-offer accepted.
Technical Skills Assessment
Applications are assessed on:
- Scheduling (Evidence required via Technical Statement: Develop & maintain complex portfolios).
Salary & Benefits
- Base Salary: £58,541
- Civil Service Pension: Employer contributes £16,959 ($75,498 total including pension).
- Flexible/Hybrid Working:
- Default: 60% office-based core working
- Hybrid available with justification (up to 3:2 office:remote ratio, averaged monthly)
- Annual Leave: Starts at 25 days, increasing annually.
- Other Benefits: Pension (other provider: Alpha, ~28.97% employer contribution), family-friendly support, career development opportunities.
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Selection Criteria & Process
This vacancy uses Social Profile Assessments, evaluating your:
- Experience (Blind designated)
- Technical Skills (Focus on Planner/G7 Capability Framework)
Application Documents Required:
- Name-blind CV (Last 5 roles, 200-word role descriptions each).
- 1,000-word Personal Statement explaining how you meet Essential Criteria & Person Spec.
- 250-word Technical Statement outlining an example of complex scheduling with outcome details.
- 250-word Descriptives Statement for Desirables (if applicable).
Interview Process:
- Likely to consist of:
- Experience-based questions
- Technical presentation (~15 mins) covering planning + scheduling story with case context, methodologies, deliverables, lessons learned.
- Sift decisions based on weighted scores.
Interview dates: Confirmed after initial screening.
Notes on AI Use:
AI cannot be relied upon to accurately represent experiences or achievements. Political accuracy must be aligned with lived reality and must align with HMRC's Civil Service Rules. Artificial content in profiles or partial ownership of context will be confiscated or withdrawn.
Additional Details
Eligibility (Open/Citizenship Requirements Not Arrays)
- UK/EU, Commonwealth, Swiss/Family Permits with Proper Validating Framework Confirmation (eligibility link).
- Civil Service non-disclosure confirmatory signing attached.
Security Check
- DBS (criminal record) and full personnel security clearance mandated pre-employment.
Diversity Commitments
- HMRC provides inclusive practices, including Disability Confident Scheme support.
Airport Contacts
- If fringe questions pertaining to affairs: Contact Claire Claessen Claire.Claessen@hmrc.gov.uk.
- General application questions: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk.
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