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Lead Business Support Manager - Strategic Outreach & Partnering

Hybrid in Swansea·Full-time·Added yesterday (last checked 3 Nov)

Our summary

Salary
£59,816 a year

About £3,770 a month after tax.

Work mode
Hybrid, Swansea
Contract
Full-time
Experience
Senior level
Closing date
Apply by Sunday 15 November
Holiday
25 days holiday
Pension
28.97% employer pension

Skills

Requirements

What we're looking for

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

  1. developing and delivering strategic partnership or stakeholder engagement programmes that have achieved measurable organisational outcomes.
  2. building and maintaining effective relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple organisations, influencing decisions and securing commitment to shared objectives.
  3. designing and delivering engagement, outreach, attraction or capability-building initiatives that support workforce, organisational or transformation goals.
  4. leading teams and creating an environment where individuals are empowered to deliver high performance and continuous improvement.
  5. managing competing priorities, resources and performance measures to successfully deliver complex programmes of work.
  6. using data, insight and feedback to evaluate impact, inform decision-making and improve future delivery.

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

£59,816

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

  • Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here.
  • 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday.
  • Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Alongside your salary of £59,816, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £17,328 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).

Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you'll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

  • Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
  • Generous employer contribution of 28.9%, depending on chosen pension scheme
  • Digital communities with clear career frameworks
  • On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
  • On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
  • 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing by 1 each year (up to 30) & 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday.
  • 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
  • Free parking

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Visa & relocation

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

The role

Do you have experience building and managing strategic partnerships that deliver organisational outcomes?

Are you an engaging leader who can influence senior stakeholders and represent an organisation across a wide range of internal and external networks?

Do you have a track record of developing innovative outreach, attraction and engagement initiatives that strengthen capability and support future workforce needs?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

As the Lead Business Support Manager - Strategic Outreach & Partnering, you will provide clear accountability for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) IT Services (ITS) external engagement and strategic partnerships.

Bringing together outreach, academic engagement and strategic programme delivery, you will build relationships across education, government and industry, promote digital careers and lead programmes that support workforce, skills and capability priorities. You will strengthen DVLA's reputation as a Centre of Digital Excellence and ensure outreach investment delivers measurable organisational and social value.

Join us in a pivotal leadership role where you will help shape strategic partnerships, broaden access to digital and technology careers and deliver programmes that support DVLA ITS's long-term workforce and capability needs.

You will develop strategic relationships with universities, schools, colleges, government, industry and community partners, creating sustainable talent pipelines into DVLA's digital and technology professions. Working with senior leaders and stakeholders across professions and business areas, you will translate strategic priorities into practical programmes, partnerships and events, including STEM activity, careers fairs and the Code Challenge, while coordinating DVLA's participation in key external engagement opportunities.

This is a highly visible role requiring excellent leadership, communication, influencing and relationship management skills. You will establish effective governance, performance reporting and evaluation, use insight to demonstrate impact and identify opportunities to scale successful initiatives and maximise organisational value.

What you'll do

Your responsibilities will include, but aren't limited to:

  • drive and lead the ITS strategic outreach and partnering activity (internal and external) in line with the Agency government digital agenda and transformation portfolio to ensure committed business plan measures are achieved.
  • develop and lead a strategic outreach and partnering programme, being accountable for driving the delivery of the service against objectives and performance metrics.
  • ensure the efficient and effective design, development and delivery of all strategic outreach related programmes and initiatives. Ensuring all procedures are dealt with in line with the agency priorities, policies and procedures, through effective governance, stakeholder engagement and performance reporting.

How you'll work

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week. Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Apply before

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 15th November 2026

Reference number

485673

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Digital
Information Technology

Number of jobs available

1

Location

Swansea

Job description

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Job contact

  • Name : ITS Recruitment Team
  • Email : itsrecruitment@dvla.gov.uk

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Hiring process

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Leadership
  • Delivering at Pace

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • SFIA - Stakeholder relationship management (RLMT) Level 6
  • SFIA- Innovation Management (INOV) Level 5
  • SFIA - Brand Management (BRMG) Level 5

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience - you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the following:

  • developing and delivering strategic partnership, outreach or engagement programmes that have delivered measurable business outcomes and supported organisational objectives.
  • building and influencing relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple organisations, securing collaboration and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
  • leading complex initiatives or campaigns, using insight, performance data and governance arrangements to drive continuous improvement and successful delivery.

The sift will take place week commencing 16th November 2026.

Should we receive a high volume of quality applications, we may invite a shortlist of the highest scoring candidates to interview. This means that some applications that meet the required standard could be placed 'on hold' after the sift and invited to interview if the vacant position(s) remain unfilled. You will be notified if your application is being put 'on hold' once the sift has been completed. Following interviews, any applicants remaining on hold will be notified by the panel of the next steps regarding their application.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours - Leadership, Delivering at Pace

Technical - SFIA Stakeholder relationship management (RLMT) Level 6, SFIA Innovation Management (INOV) Level 5, Brand Management (BRMG) Level 5

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 30th November 2026.

This interview will be conducted in person at our Swansea office (DVLA, Longview Road, SA6 7JL). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

We may also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

About Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

Industry
Government Administration

In their own words

About the company & team

DVLA - Information Technology Services

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency - Civil Service Careers .

Additional Information

Working for the DVLA Digital Team


At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that'll wash across the nation. Here the work you're doing has the capacity to change the way 53 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

Additional information

To see how our people are transforming our digital services, head over to our DVLA Digital Services Blog and, to understand more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA read our Inside DVLA blog.

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.

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

  • Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
  • Threats or acts of violence
  • Illegal activity or substance misuse
  • Sexually explicit material
  • Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It's not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it's about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what's being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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.

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)

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.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

  • Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

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