Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Senior Operations Manager
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Bristol, Darlington, Leeds, Manchester, Wolverhampton
Job Summary
We are MHCLG
Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda.
Local AI is a new team within MHCLG, working with councils to unlock the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in local public services. We support the responsible adoption of AI across local government, focusing on practical tools that save time, reduce costs and improve services for residents.
Local AI’s goal is not simply to introduce new technology. We work with councils and partners to solve real service challenges where AI can make the biggest difference.
Our work spans product development, service transformation, capability building and shaping the wider adoption of AI across local government. Recent examples include Local Transcribe our work supporting councils to responsibly adopt AI, and looking at how AI can play a role in temporary accommodation.
Joining Local AI offers a rare opportunity to help shape how one of the most significant changes of our time is applied in public services. You will work alongside experts from local and central government, academia and industry to test new ideas, deliver practical solutions and help improve outcomes for millions of people who rely on local services every day.
As a Senior Operations Manager, you will lead the operational support for Local AI products and services, acting as a key point of contact for councils and users. You will design and continually improve onboarding, support and service management processes, helping users get the most value from products such as Local Transcribe. Working across product, delivery and service teams, you will ensure services run smoothly, issues are resolved effectively and user feedback directly informs future improvements
Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.
Job Description
As a Senior Operations Manager you’ll:
- Lead the onboarding of councils and users onto Local Transcribe, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience from initial engagement through to service adoption
- Act as a key operational contact for participating councils, building strong relationships and maintaining effective communications throughout delivery.
- Design and continuously improve support processes, including management of support queues, service requests, incidents and user guidance.
- Coordinate council agreements, readiness activities and operational dependencies to support successful implementation and ongoing use of the service.
- Work across product, delivery, technical, user research and information governance teams to ensure the service operates effectively and users receive high-quality support.
- Monitor service performance and user feedback, identifying opportunities to improve the service and support the scaling of Local Transcribe across local government.
As a Senior Operations Manager You’ll
- Lead the onboarding of councils and users onto Local Transcribe, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience from initial engagement through to service adoption
- Act as a key operational contact for participating councils, building strong relationships and maintaining effective communications throughout delivery.
- Design and continuously improve support processes, including management of support queues, service requests, incidents and user guidance.
- Coordinate council agreements, readiness activities and operational dependencies to support successful implementation and ongoing use of the service.
- Work across product, delivery, technical, user research and information governance teams to ensure the service operates effectively and users receive high-quality support.
- Monitor service performance and user feedback, identifying opportunities to improve the service and support the scaling of Local Transcribe across local government.
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Person specification
As a Senior Operations Manager, You’ll Have
- Experience of managing day to day operations of multiple teams
- Experience of motivating teams through periods of operational pressure or change and managing competing deadlines and demands
- Knowledge of planning and delivering complex work in an agile or iterative environment
- Ability to proactively identify and mitigate risks and issues
- Clear ability to identify service improvements and opportunities to make processes simpler
- Experience of investigating problems in systems, processes and services, to ensure they are effectively and efficiently improved and suggesting preventative measures and improvements
- Adept experience building effective relationships across a broad stakeholder base and deliver difficult messages when required, including managing suppliers and contractors
- Skilled at communicating between technical and non-technical audiences, using the most effective channels and language for different audiences
Alongside your salary of £58,092, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £16,829 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:
- Behaviours
- Experience
Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.
Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.
Stage 1: Sift (CV)
Experience: Your CV will be assessed against the criteria in the job description and person specification.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead sift question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Lead sift question (Experience): Tell us about a time you helped run or improve a service so that it worked well for users. (250 words)
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Stage 2: Interview
Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions and Working together.
Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.
Sift and Interview Dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 14th September 2026
Interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.
How We Recruit
Find out everything you need to know before applying here..
- Applying
- Sifting
- Interview
- Interview Results & Feedback
- Reserve List
- Near Miss
- Civil Service Grades
- We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
- Reasonable Adjustments
Human
How To Apply
What you need to know before applying.
You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.
- Security Clearance Requirements
- Civil Service Nationality Requirements
- Right to Work
- Artificial Intelligence
- Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
- CV Declaration
- Sponsorships
- Salary and Grade
- Existing Civil Servants
- Conflict of Interest
- Location and Flexible Working
- Fixed Term Contracts
- Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register
- Appeals and Complaints
- Conflict of Interest
Security Clearance Requirements
National Office: BPSS
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This 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 Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
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 Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it
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