UK jobs. Bigger possibilities.

hire.moi

Strategic Resourcing Strategic Workforce Planning Lead

On-site in Birmingham·Added today (last checked 5 Nov)

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

26 open roles

Apply

Our summary

Salary
£58,961 - £69,399 a year

About £3,730 - £4,230 a month after tax.

Work mode
On-site, Birmingham
Closing date
Apply by Wednesday 18 November
Pension
28.97% employer pension
Commute
Cycle to work and season ticket loan

Skills

Nice to have

Requirements

What we're looking for

Essential skills/requirements

You will need:

  • Demonstrable experience of Strategic Workforce Planning and Workforce Planning within a large and geographically dispersed organisation, with a strong track record of translating organisational strategy, workforce transformation and operating model changes into effective workforce plans interventions (Lead Criteria)
  • Strong strategic thinking and analytical capability, including extensive experience of workforce forecasting, scenario planning and workforce modelling, using data and insight to inform strategic decision-making and identify future workforce risks and opportunities.
  • Proven ability to build effective relationships and influence senior stakeholders, providing credible challenge and securing consensus on complex workforce and organisational issues.
  • Strong analytical, Excel and communication skills, with experience of interpreting, manipulating and modelling complex workforce data. Demonstrable ability to present complex ideas, data and analysis in a clear and accessible way, enabling senior stakeholders to make informed strategic decisions.
  • Experience of leading workforce-related policy, governance and assurance activity, ensuring compliance with legislative and organisational requirements whilst supporting business outcomes.
  • Strong leadership skills, with evidence of building and developing high-performing teams, creating capability and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Education & certifications

  • Chartered Member of CIPD or willing to work towards

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

£58,961 - £69,399

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Alongside your salary of £58,961, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £17,081 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).

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.

Visa & relocation

For HEO to G6 - For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

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 role

The Strategic Workforce Planning Lead is responsible for working across DWP and with a wide range of stakeholders to enable DWP to have cutting edge frameworks and approaches to its strategic resourcing policies and procedures which are innovative, align with best practice and meet our legal and Civil Service Commission requirements.

What you'll do

  • Lead the strategy, methodology and approach to Strategic Workforce Plan development for DWP. Maintaining a rolling five-year Strategic Workforce Plan, you will proactively interpret emerging departmental strategy, workforce transformation and operating model changes, articulating the workforce implications and developing the strategic narrative relating to the current and future workforce.
  • Work closely with the Workforce Planning Lead to ensure alignment between strategic and in-year workforce planning activity, creating a joined-up approach to workforce planning across DWP and ensuring workforce decisions support both immediate business priorities and longer-term workforce requirements.
  • Lead the development and maintenance of DWP's Contingent Labour strategy, acting as the departmental centre of expertise for Contingent Labour policy and procedures, ensuring arrangements remain compliant, effective and aligned to business needs.
  • Work collaboratively across DWP to take a lead workforce role in key fiscal events, including Spending Reviews and wider government planning exercises, working with colleagues to develop workforce narratives, assess workforce implications and support strategic decision-making.
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues across DWP in developing options and addressing people issues that support the delivery of wider departmental strategies affecting strategic resourcing, including estates strategy, ensuring workforce plans align with wider Civil Service initiatives such as Places for Growth and Plan for London.
  • Ensure DWP's strategic workforce planning and contingent labour policies and procedures are aligned with current legislation, fit for purpose and meet business requirements, providing strategic oversight for the development, maintenance, interpretation and application of policy across the Department.
  • Coordinate key strategic workforce planning governance and assurance activity, including regular reporting to the Department's People Board and the Cabinet Office, helping promote effective governance, assurance and compliance across workforce planning activity.
  • Build networks and draw on expertise and insights from across People and Place, the wider Civil Service and external organisations to identify best practice, champion innovation, test and evaluate new approaches, and make evidence-based decisions that continuously improve DWP's workforce planning and strategic resourcing practices.
  • Take a lead role in building a high-performing and highly capable workforce planning community across the Department, ensuring business-embedded colleagues and wider People and Place roles (including HRBPs and Resource Account Managers) have the understanding, tools and capability required to undertake effective workforce planning and strategic workforce planning activity.
  • Lead a high-performing team and empower them to deliver a challenging and varied portfolio of work, providing support, coaching and development opportunities that build capability and establish the team as recognised experts in workforce planning and strategic resourcing.

How you'll work

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

Apply before

Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 18th November 2026

Reference number

487612

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Human Resources

Number of jobs available

1

Location

Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Sheffield

For candidates requesting to work in Blackpool Peel Park, please note these roles will initially be based at Blackpool Peel Park and will then move to Blackpool Fylde View by April 2027

For candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, Benton Park View, these roles will be based at 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre by the end of 2027.

For candidates requesting to work in Sheffield King's Court, please note these roles will initially be based at King's Court and then move to 1 West Bar by early 2028

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.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 9 months from which further appointments can be made.

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 (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
  • 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.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP's Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

Job contact

  • Name : Ed Keetly
  • Email : EDWARD.KEELTY@DWP.GOV.UK

Share this page

Hiring process

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

  • Leadership
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing

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

  • Strategic Workforce Planning

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

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.

A 250-word Technical Statement which will assess the following criteria:

Experience of Strategic Workforce Planning and Workforce Planning within a large and geographically dispersed organisation, with a strong track record of translating organisational strategy, workforce transformation and operating model changes into effective workforce plans interventions

A Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role against the remaining essential criteria in the person specification.

If we receive a large number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview lasting up to 50 minutes. This will take place via MS Teams. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people and will assess strengths and behaviours.

During the first 10 minutes of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a presentation assessing Seeing the bigger picture. Please not visual aids will be permitted.

  • Sift week commencing 23rd December 2026
  • Interview week commencing 14th December 2026

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

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

About Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Industry
Government Administration

In their own words

About the company & team

DWP - People and Capability

From the design and development of policies to the delivery of services supporting work, welfare, pensions and child maintenance, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is Government's largest department.

People are at the very heart of what we do. We provide services and support to more than 20 million people every year, ensuring disabled people can live more independent lives; help tackle poverty and homelessness; provide a financial foundation for a secure old age; and support families ensuring children can fulfil their potential.

In DWP we are proud of the services we provide and are already transforming our operations to implement the largest welfare reform programme in a generation and to provide better services for the public. And we're learning and adapting all the time.

The Department's position in driving economic outcomes is unique and will only be delivered through our people; enabled by a strong, employee-centric HR function.

The People and Place Group lead across DWP on all aspects of HR. We do this in support of an organisation that has c85k colleagues working across 980 sites. Our strong focus on team working, strategic influencing and developing professional capability ensures that people working in this function have plenty of opportunities to develop their own networks and career whilst making a real difference in delivering business strategy.

People and Place have 5 strategic priorities supporting the wider business strategy. One of those priorities is resourcing and rightsizing the organisation; ensuring we are delivering the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time.

The Strategic Workforce Planning Team is one of the teams in Resourcing, Workforce Strategy and Reform and is central to the delivery of both our People and Resourcing Strategy. This high profile role leads on Strategic Workforce planning and Contingent Labour Policy for DWP. The role works closely with the short term Workforce Planning Lead to ensure alignment between strategic and tactical workforce planning activity.. We use our strategic resourcing expertise and insights drawn from across People and Place, wider Civil Service and external organisations to innovate, share best practice and make evidence-based continuous improvement in strategic resourcing.

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

Additional information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

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 via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

  • Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
  • Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

To process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

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.

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service mmission.

All open roles at Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

More jobs like this

or browse Mid-level·Civil Service & Government·Government Administration

WhatsApp

More jobs from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

See all 26 jobs

Similar jobs