Senior Capability Manager - Digital, Data and Technology

About usThe Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.  Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly. Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated three times in a row for ‘Best Public Sector Employer’ at the Women in Tech awards ! About the roleAs a Senior Capability Manager you will work within DDaT Business Operations, which is a cross-cutting function that supports DDaT and DBT corporate services to enable teams to effectively deliver on crucial public facing projects. The Business Operations team is integral to building the capability of DDaT staff and also supports delivery teams in other ways including providing governance, assurance, finance, commercial, recruitment, and project delivery best practice.  This is an exciting opportunity to join an inclusive and high performing Capability Team. You will support and provide a service to all professions within DDaT. We are a highly motivated team that works closely with stakeholders and delivery partners, providing a quality service is critical to us. You will be leading capability framework assessments, communicating and engaging with varied business areas, and be a link for our wellbeing offer and improving ways of working across DDaT.  About you You will be responsible for leading on a range of areas including the DDaT Capability and Pay Frameworks, ensuring that all staff are able to continuously improve in their role. You will work not only across DDaT and DBT, including with Senior Management, but across wider government participating in cross government working groups to share best practice and advocate for DBT. You will be supporting colleagues at all levels within DDaT and continually look for opportunities to improve current ways of working.  Main responsibilities In this role, you will be responsible for:  Capability Building – leading on regular pay and capability activities including self-assessment, line manager reviews and senior team moderation. You will continuously improve our processes and implement new ones when necessary, working with Capability Leads, DDaT teams, external suppliers and partners and any other stakeholders to maximise innovation. Capability Management – Ensuring that DDaT staff know their responsibilities and record their skills in a capability tool; using that data to produce and analyse reports.  Capability Expert - Answering DDaT pay and capability questions, managing and creating guidance, supporting to improve Capability planning, and leading on the annual self-assessment process  Contract Management – Working with a range of suppliers and managing contracts.  Stakeholder Management and Engagement - Managing a range of stakeholders and presenting to senior management on a variety of people matters, empowering and enabling line managers to champion Capability.  Task Management –task manage other members of the Capability team.  Strategic Thinking – Participating in strategic thinking and planning for the future.  D&I & Wellbeing Support delivery and promote diversity, equity, inclusion and wellbeing across DDaT.  This is a broad overview of what to expect, there may be from time to time, other duties commensurate with job title and grade.  Skills and experienceYou will need to have demonstrable skills and experience of: 

• Working knowledge of managing capability and pay frameworks
• Experience of working in a People or HR focussed role 
• Excellent stakeholder management experience across multiple teams 
• Strong communication skills with the ability to communicate with and influence senior leaders 
• Confident presentation skills with ability to communicate difficult messages, manage ambiguity and adapt to fast-changing environments

 It is desirable that you have:

• Working knowledge of digital, data and technology professions
• A CIPD level 5 qualification or a willing to work towards.

 How to applyAs part of the application process  you will be asked to upload a two page CV and complete a 750 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.Sift will be from week commencing 17th March 2025 Interviews will be from week commencing 31st March 2025 Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the lead essential skill ‘Working knowledge of managing capability and pay frameworks’ only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.  How we interviewAt the interview stage  for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Strengths and Behaviours from the Success Profiles  framework. Behaviours

• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving 

Strengths are designed to test your innate talents so are not listed on the advert to ensure you provide a natural answer.  How we offerOffers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for. This role requires SC clearance . DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• security services record
• location details

 

 Benefits  If you join us, you will get:   

• learning and development tailored to your role 
• a flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours  
• a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity  
• a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%  
• annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service  
• three paid volunteering days a year   
• an employee benefits programme including cycle to work 

 

 More about usThis role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average.  Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website .Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video  or reading our blog!