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Head of Implementation and Engagement

On-site in Manchester·Added today (last checked 21 Oct)

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

44 open roles

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Overview

Salary: £71,725 - £87,612 a year
About £4,350 - £5,110 a month after tax.
Closing date: Apply by Wednesday 4 November
Pension: 28.97% employer pension

Skills

Payments

The role

Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 4th November 2026

Details

Reference number

486875

Salary

£71,725 - £87,612

National Salary £71,725 - £79,481. London Salary £78,988 - £87,612. External applicants will join on the pay band minimum.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 6

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

HMRC - CCG - Transformation

Type of role

Project Delivery

Working pattern

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

Number of jobs available

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Stratford

About the job

Job summary

Discover what it's like to work in a compliance role that makes an impact. Could you help us shape a stronger, fairer future? Your next career move starts here.

HMRC are committed to providing our people with an accommodating and accessible work environment which values diversity and inclusion in everything we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole selves to work, providing a culture that values different perspectives to help tackle complex problems, promote innovation, and deliver stronger decision making.

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

HMRC is the UK's tax, payments, and customs authority, and we have a vital purpose: we collect the money that pays for public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

With one of the largest organisational change portfolios, this is an exciting time to join the Transformation Directorate within Customer Compliance Group (CCG).

Within CCG Transformation, a significant part of our role is working with the wider HMRC portfolio of projects and programmes including Making Tax Digital and Digital Service Transformation as well as those that are CCG-led such as Digital Disclosure Service, to support the end-to-end change lifecycle of business-critical systems from early design through to business readiness and embedding activity.

Job description

The Head of Implementation and Engagement is responsible for leading the successful implementation, adoption and embedding of change across the programme to ensure benefits are realised. The role provides strategic leadership for stakeholder engagement, business readiness, change management, communications and benefits realisation, ensuring that programme outcomes are understood, adopted and translated into measurable operational and strategic benefits.

Acting as the senior bridge between programme delivery and the business, the role ensures that implementation activities are planned, governed and delivered in a coordinated manner across all workstreams, business areas, delivery partners and stakeholder groups. The role will provide visible leadership across the programme, ensuring that business owners are equipped to realise intended outcomes and benefits.

Person specification

Programme Leadership

Accountable for ensuring that programme benefits are not only delivered but adopted, embedded and sustained through effective implementation, stakeholder engagement and business change interventions, creating a clear line of sight from programme outputs to operational outcomes and strategic value.
Provide visible and effective leadership for implementation, engagement, change and adoption activities across the programme, working closely with the Programme Director, Programme Manager and Strategic Design Lead to deliver the programme's intended outcomes and benefits.
Develop and maintain the programme-wide implementation and engagement strategy, ensuring alignment to programme objectives, business case outcomes, delivery plans and organisational priorities.
Establish and champion best-practice standards, tools, methodologies and governance arrangements for implementation, stakeholder engagement, business readiness and benefits realisation across the programme.
Provide strategic leadership, direction and professional oversight to Business Change Managers, Stakeholder Managers, Benefits Managers and implementation teams across the programme.
Build and maintain strong relationships and networks across senior business leaders, operational teams, delivery partners, suppliers and external stakeholders to enable successful delivery and adoption of change.

Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Relationships

Lead the identification, analysis, profiling and management of stakeholders across the programme, ensuring engagement approaches are tailored according to stakeholder influence, interest, impact and readiness for change.
Own and maintain the programme stakeholder engagement strategy and plan, ensuring engagement activity remains aligned to programme objectives and emerging stakeholder needs.
Lead the collection and analysis of stakeholder feedback, using insight to shape programme decisions, improve adoption and proactively manage resistance to change.

Change Management and Business Readiness

Lead the programme's business change capability and community of practice, providing direction, coaching and quality assurance to Business Change Managers and implementation teams.
Oversee the development and delivery of change impact assessments, implementation plans, transition plans, adoption plans and operational handover arrangements across the programme.
Own and maintain programme-wide business readiness criteria and assessment frameworks, ensuring organisational readiness is understood, tracked and reported throughout delivery.
Provide leadership for implementation decision-making, including readiness assessments and recommendations supporting go-live, transition and deployment decisions.
Ensure change activities are fully integrated into programme planning, governance, dependency management, risk management and assurance arrangements.

Communications and Engagement

Lead the development of the programme's implementation and engagement communications approach, working closely with communications specialists to ensure messaging is coordinated, targeted and effective.
Ensure that programme communications clearly articulate the rationale for change, impacts, timelines, benefits and required actions for different stakeholder groups.
Review and approve communications products relating to implementation, adoption and change activities across the programme.

Benefits Realisation and Outcome Delivery

Lead the programme's approach to implementation-focused benefits realisation, ensuring that change activities directly support the achievement of business case outcomes and strategic objectives.
Work with Business Change Managers, Benefits Managers and business owners to identify, quantify, track and maximise benefits throughout the programme lifecycle and into business-as-usual operations.
Ensure clear ownership, accountability and governance for benefits across business units and operational areas.
Lead the identification and management of risks to benefit realisation arising from stakeholder resistance, organisational readiness, capability gaps or implementation challenges.
Establish mechanisms to monitor adoption, behavioural change and benefit achievement, using data and insight to inform decisions and corrective actions.

Governance, Assurance and Reporting

Provide programme leadership teams and governance boards with clear reporting on implementation progress, stakeholder confidence, business readiness, adoption risks and benefits realisation performance.
Ensure implementation and engagement risks, issues and dependencies are actively managed and reflected within programme governance and assurance processes.
Support internal and external assurance activities by providing evidence of stakeholder engagement, readiness management, implementation planning and benefits delivery.

Essential Criteria

Significant experience of leading implementation, business change and stakeholder engagement activity within large, complex programmes
Professional qualification in Change Management, Programme Management or Project Delivery (e.g. MSP, PRINCE2, APMG Change Management, Prosci).
Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering programme-wide implementation and engagement strategies, aligning business readiness, change management and stakeholder activity to strategic objectives and outcomes.
Proven experience of influencing and building effective relationships with senior stakeholders, securing commitment and engagement to support successful programme delivery.
Experience of establishing and overseeing benefits realisation frameworks, ensuring benefits are identified, measured, tracked and embedded into business-as-usual operations.
Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, providing strategic leadership and direction within a complex environment.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and influence diverse audiences at all levels of an organisation.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office closures

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it's important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

These sites are:

Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
Lynx House, Portsmouth - moving to an alternative office in Portsmouth

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £71,725, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £20,778 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).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
Family friendly policies.
Personal support.
Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

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

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

A name-blind CV including your job history and qualifications. Please provide details of your last 5 roles, no more than 200 words max per role.
A 750-word personal statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the essential criteria and person specification outlined in the advert.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Prior to applications being sifted candidates will be asked to complete an additional IKM assessment. Candidates will be sent details of the assessment once the advert has closed. This assessment is a pass or fail and only those who pass will be considered at the sift stage.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.

At full sift, your CV, and your Personal Statement, will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed to explore in detail what you are capable of.

Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed. Please note that circumstances may arise that require the planned interview format to change. We will endeavour to provide you with as much notice of any change as possible.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. Mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we may not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly.

The HMRC app can help you with your application

The HMRC app can provide you with your past 5 years' employment history, making the process of filling in your application quicker and easier.

If successful in your application, you will need your National Insurance number for the onboarding process.

Download the HMRC app now and save your National Insurance number to your digital phone wallet.

How to download the HMRC app and sign up for an account

Download the free HMRC app from the App Store or Google Play store.

If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.

You'll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.

You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Hybrid working at HMRC

HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact the UBS Recruitment Team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" 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.

Prior to applications being sifted, candidates will be asked to complete an additional IKM assessment. Candidates will be sent details of the assessment once the advert has closed. This assessment is timed and is pass or fail; only those who pass will be considered at the sift stage. If you have any queries about the assessment, or require any reasonable adjustments, please contact talentacquisitionteam@hmrc.gov.uk.

Technical Support

If you are experiencing problems that cannot be resolved by our 'help' section, then technical support is available. You will receive a reply in 2 working days.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a Civil Servant on or beyond the start date for the post. If their contract ends (for example due to the end of Fixed Term Appointment contract or resignation) at any point during the application process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

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

For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (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 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).

Apply and further information

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

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

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Paul Featherstone
Email : paul.featherstone@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. Please note that we do not accept complaints or appeals regarding scoring of outcomes of campaigns, unless candidates can provide clear evidence that the campaign did not follow the Recruitment Principles. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.